What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit?

from the old testament

• Though the Holy Spirit was not given to all believers until after Christ’s resurrection (John 7:39; Acts 2), the Old Testament contains glimpses of individuals being filled or empowered by the Spirit for specific purposes. These examples help clarify what Spirit-filled living produces.
• In Exodus 31:1–5, Bezalel was filled with the Spirit of God in wisdom, understanding, and skill to carry out the design of the tabernacle. Being Spirit-filled meant that the Spirit guided him to produce excellent, God-honoring work that aligned with divine instruction.
• When delegating leadership to help Moses, the LORD said, “I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone” (Numbers 11:17). In this example, the Spirit enabled the other seventy leaders to provide effective, Spirit-led service for the good of the people.
• The Spirit also filled individuals to proclaim God’s truth. For example, David said, “The Spirit of the LORD speaks by me; his word is on my tongue” (2 Samuel 23:2). In this case, the Spirit filling resulted in prophetic clarity.
• In Micah 3:8, the prophet also said that he was “filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin.” Again, the Spirit’s filling led to prophetic boldness to clearly proclaim the people’s sin.

from the new testament

• In the New Testament all believers are expected to be filled by the Spirit. Sometimes this is understood as a special blessing or intense moment of emotion, however that is not how the New Testament speaks about the Spirit’s filling. An important passage that refers to the filling of the Holy Spirit is Ephesians 5:17–21. In it, Paul commands believers to “be filled with the Spirit.” All believers are to be filled with the Spirit. Additionally, he uses a verb that indicates continuous action. So, being filled is not something that happens occasionally or passively. Instead, it is the normal life of a believer who is in active submission to God being responsive to His Word.
• The immediate context of Ephesians 5 shows what Spirit-filling produces: singing with thankfulness, giving thanks to God, submitting to one another, and honoring Christ in relationships (Ephesians 5:19–21).
• Being filled with the Spirit leads to boldness in witness. We see this in Acts 4. After having healed a lame man, Peter and John were imprisoned for proclaiming Jesus. They were released with a warning to stop teaching about Jesus. They returned to their friends, who praised God and prayed for boldness to continue to speak His word. “And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). The Spirit fills believers to strengthen them to publicly hold and share their Christianity (cf. Matthew 10:16–20).
• The filling of the Spirit also produces joy, even in hardship. In Acts 13:52, we’re told that the disciples “were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit” despite persecution.
• Every evidence of a Spirit-filled believer is that of a practical, observable result. These are believers who are living in obedience to God, being bold, and finding joy that comes from the Spirit despite their circumstances. These results are often called “the fruit of the Spirit.” Paul said, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23), meaning that a Spirit-filled believer will have these in ever growing amounts.
• How is one filled by the Spirit? Scripture connects Spirit-filling with being saturated by God’s Word. Colossians 3:16, a parallel passage to Ephesians 5, calls believers to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” Being shaped and filled by Scripture is a primary way the Spirit works in our hearts and lives (Psalm 1:1–4; 1 Peter 1:22–25; John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21); regular time in God’s Word is essential to being filled with the Spirit.

implications for today

Being filled with the Holy Spirit is about submissively obeying what God teaches in His Word and living out His truth in our daily lives by His enabling (Romans 12:1–2; Philippians 2:12–13). Every believer is indwelt by the Spirit from the moment of salvation (1 Corinthians 3:16), but not every believer is obediently living under His influence. That’s what the filling of the Spirit means—to be actively directed and empowered by Him in daily life.

So how do you live a Spirit-filled life? You start by submitting to the Word of God. The Spirit works through Scripture to renew your mind, transform your desires, and equip you to obey. If you’re ignoring the Bible or resisting the conviction it brings to your life, then you are not walking in the fullness of the Spirit.

Second, you must avoid grieving the Spirit by sinning (Ephesians 4:30). Sin disrupts fellowship with God and diminishes the Spirits work through you (1 John 1:8—2:6). Ask God to search your heart regularly (Psalm 139:23–24) and repent quickly and fully when He reveals areas of disobedience.

Finally, be patient. The Spirit’s work is deep and slow. You are being transformed into the image of Jesus throughout your entire life (Romans 8:28–30; Philippians 1:6). You might not feel dramatic changes all at once—but over time, you will see fruit. You’ll become more joyful, more peaceful, more grateful, and more useful to God. You will become like that because that’s what being filled by the spirit produces.

If you are currently a believer, the Spirit already lives in you. The question is: are you submitting to Him? Examine yourself today and be filled with the Spirit by obeying God, loving other believers, and striving to be like Jesus.