What does the Holy Spirit do?

from the old testament

• The Holy Spirit is a person, interacts with us personally, and is in relationship with both the Father (Genesis 1:2; Exodus 31:3) and the Son (see Romans 8:9).
• In the Old Testament, the Spirit temporarily “came upon” people such as Joshua (Numbers 27:18), David (1 Samuel 16:12-13), and Saul (1 Samuel 10:10).
• In the book of Judges, the Spirit of the Lord “came upon” various judges whom God raised up to deliver Israel from their oppressors for specific tasks (Judges 3:10; 6:34; 11:29; 14:6).
• The indwelling of the Spirit was a sign of God’s favor upon an individual, and the Spirit leaving signified that God’s favor left them such as with Saul in 1 Samuel 16:14.
• The Spirit “coming upon” an individual did not always indicate that person’s spiritual condition (e.g., Saul, Samson, and many of the judges). While in the New Testament the Spirit only indwells believers and that indwelling is permanent, the Spirit temporarily came upon certain Old Testament individuals for a specific task, irrespective of their spiritual condition. Once the task was completed, the Spirit departed from that person.

from the new testament

• The Holy Spirit interacts with us in His own way—distinct from the Father and the Son: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all" (2 Corinthians 13:14). Each of the persons of the Trinity is God. The persons of the Trinity are distinctly separate and yet function together as one; we have only one God, consisting of three persons.
• One of the main roles of the Holy Spirit is as a helper and comforter to believers. He helps us and teaches us (John 14:26), and assists us in prayer (Romans 8:26–27; Jude 1:20).
• The Holy Spirit comforts us and gives us joy in the midst of affliction (John 14:16–17; Romans 15:13; 2 Corinthians 1:3–4).
• He has fellowship with us (1 Thessalonians 1:6; 2 Corinthians 13:14) and fills us so we become more like Christ (Ephesians 5:18).
• The Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we are weak. When we don't know how to pray, the Spirit prays for us, "with groanings too deep for words" (Romans 8:26–27) according to God's knowledge and will. He gives us hope, joy, and peace (Romans 15:13).
• Another role of the Holy Spirit involves salvation. God saves us by His mercy, and does it "by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5).
• The Holy Spirit "seals" believers when they are saved (Ephesians 1:13; 4:30). This means that God gives us fellowship with the Spirit as a way of promising that we belong to Him.
• Another indication that we belong to God is the Spirit's work in us, as He fills us (Ephesians 5:18), gives us gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4–11), and bears good fruit—His own fruit—through us (Galatians 5:19–26).
• The Holy Spirit also leads us into righteousness, walking by our side (Galatians 5:16–18).
• The Holy Spirit is intimately involved in our salvation and growth as believers. We are actually "born of the Spirit" and Jesus said that when something is born of Spirit, it is also spirit (John 3:5–8). So, we get our spiritual life from the Holy Spirit; we are His children in a very real sense!
• The Holy Spirit also speaks to us before we become His children. Unbelievers hear from the Holy Spirit as He convicts them of sin (John 16:8).
• We are God's ambassadors, pleading with people that they might be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:18).
• The Holy Spirit does the regenerative work, leading and prompting people with conviction and testifying about the truth of Christ (John 15:26).
• The Holy Spirit is also present in the world, battling lawlessness and holding back evil (2 Thessalonians 2:6–10).
• God reveals Himself to us through the Spirit, particularly to give us wisdom. There are many things that we find difficult to understand and accept—troubles in our own lives, the state of the world around us, questions that seem to have no good answer—and the Holy Spirit helps connect us to the mind of Christ. He interprets spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. This is how believers find peace in the midst of the world's chaos, and in the midst of our own doubts and questions. Because ". . . we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit . . ." (1 Corinthians 2:10–13).

implications for today

The Holy Spirit living within each believer means we are never alone; God is always near. Whatever we face–joys, challenges, uncertainty, or sorrow– the Spirit comforts us, gives us joy, and intercedes on our behalf. We are sealed and forever marked as His children. We can rely on Him, trusting that He points us to the truth even when life feels confusing or overwhelming. Recognizing the Spirit’s role in our lives encourages us to stay open to His promptings, listening for His voice in prayer and decisions.

The Holy Spirit equips us for growth and service, making us more like Christ as He fills us, produces fruit in us, and gives us gifts for ministry. We can serve wholeheartedly as unto the Lord because we know we are doing it for Him and through His power. The same power that raised Christ from the dead helps us to deal with relational difficulties, ministry burnout, and everything life throws at us. These realities call us to live in the Spirit instead of in the flesh, allowing Him to lead us into righteousness instead of living for our sinful desires. When we actively cooperate with His work, we experience a deeper sense of peace, purpose, and boldness in our walk with God.