What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit?

In Ephesians 5:18-21 Paul writes,

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Paul’s foundational command in these verses is to be filled with the Spirit, rather than intoxicated with alcohol. This is the third contrast Paul uses in this context to describe a wise Christin life (cf. 5:15, 17). He is working to help his readers recognize that Christian wisdom is the practice of living in conformity with the will of Christ in contrast with following the lust of the flesh. Of course, this kind of wisdom would preclude drunkenness since being controlled by wine leads to debauchery rather than holiness. However, if you allow yourself to be filled with the Spirit it will produce wisdom. The question is, what does it mean to be “filled with the Spirit?”

In order to narrow down what it means to be filled with the Spirit, you can eliminate some options right from the start:

• Being filled with the Spirit cannot refer to receiving the presence of the Spirit because believers already posses the Spirit in full (1:13-14).

• Being filled with the Spirit cannot be referring to the Spirit’s indwelling, because believers wouldn’t be saved without indwelling (Rom 8:9).

• Being filled with the Spirit cannot be Spirit baptism, because that is a picture of the Spirit bringing believers into union with Christ, which is necessary for conversion (1 Cor 12:13).

• Being filled with the Spirit cannot be a special manifestation of the Spirit’s power because the New Testament uses a separate word for that kind of filling. In English translations we find many examples of being filled with the Spirit, but it isn’t always the same Greek word. When the word πιμπλημι is used it refers to a special manifestation of the Spirit to bear witness to the word of Christ (Acts 2:4). However, when the word πληροω is used it speaks of submission to the Spirit resulting in obedience of word (Lk 4:1; Acts 6:3). Paul specifically chose the Greek word that “can connote the idea that a man is completely controlled and stamped by the powers which fill him” (TDNT).

So, if being filled with the Spirit does not mean any of these things, what does it mean?

To be filled with the Spirit, in the sense Paul is describing here, means to let your life be controlled by the Spirit. A life filled with the Spirit is a life lived under the Lordship of the Spirit of Christ. When you obey the Spirit you are allowing His influence to “fill” every area of your life, and you are submitting to His influence instead of your flesh (Gal 5:22-23). This is not a fresh “outpouring of the Spirit” or an additional measure of the Spirit that some people have and others do not. Remember, the Spirit is not a substance you can get more of, He is a person you must submit to. Thus, a Spirit-filled life is a life that yields to the fruit-producing control of the Spirit. When we allow our lives to be filled with the influence of the Spirit it produces practical Christian wisdom in our lives. The Spirit’s primary role in our lives is sanctification, which means he is conforming us to Christ (Rom 8:26-29).

Note: This article is an excerpt from The Christian Home, a book which walks families through the principles of Ephesians 5 and 6 to explore how they can live a Spirit-filled family life.