“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).
Holy Spirit control is what is meant by the filling of the Spirit. The believer who is “filled” is under the direct control of the Holy Spirit who has taken up residence in his life. “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you?” (I Corinthians 6:19). In order to be Spirit controlled, the following three requirements must be met: Two are negative; one is positive. “Quench not the Spirit” (I Thessalonians 5:19). This does not mean that we lose either the Holy Spirit or our salvation. The Spirit is quenched when we say, No! to His known will in our lives. At that point, we stifle, suppress, hinder, and dampen the direct moving of the Spirit. Quenching the Spirit is an act of disobedience against the direct leading of the Spirit. “Grieve not the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 4:30). The natural result of quenching the Spirit is to bring grief to His heart. The Holy Spirit is a Person, and thus can be saddened and pained by our sin. Some of these sins are listed: bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking, malice. “Walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16). That is, to walk in the sphere of the Spirit’s control, power, and presence. This should be a continual, daily experience. “Keep on walking.” Walking is not arriving. We have not yet finished our course. “Walk” has the idea of keeping in line, or marching in step. It should be the believer’s desire to keep in step with the Holy Spirit’s leading, so that he does not march to the beat of the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Our text literally reads: “Be ye constantly being filled [controlled] by the Spirit.” He who has made His final home in us earnestly desires complete control of us. Have we yielded complete superintendence of our lives to Him? NPS
