The Spirit-filled life is one in which the Holy Spirit is reigning and your flesh is surrendering. The Spirit reigns more as you yield more. It is not like a switch but a dial, an ever-growing submission to the power of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit-filled life is the new life you were meant to have.
Jesus promised us, “You will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you” (Acts 1:8 AMP).
The Spirit-filled life is not measured by the miracles through you or the spiritual gifts upon you, but the very nature that is within you. God may decide to pour a few miracles through you sometimes, but His Spirit reigning in you will change the way you behave each day.
Father God promised us, “I will put my Spirit inside you and cause you to live by my laws, respect my rulings and obey them” (Ezekiel 36:27 CJB).
The Spirit-filled life will be a life filled with the fruit of the Holy Spirit. You cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit and not be filled with the fruit He produces.
“But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23 AMP).
The Spirit-filled life is filled with love. God is love, and His Holy Spirit reigning in us will produce love overflowing. This love will be unlike the world’s love in that it is not self-seeking. It will be a genuine outwardly love with a sincere heart that truly cares about the people all around them.
If you’re not filled with the love of God, then you’re not filled with God. “…God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him” (1 John 4:16 NASB).
The Spirit-filled life is a life filled with joy. It will be an unexplainable joy that persists even in the bad times. It will be a joy that overcomes gloom and protects against depression. It will be a joy that invigorates the soul to wake up each day and embrace the blessed life God has given them.
Our biggest joy is found in being thankful for the little things. “Always be joyful. Always keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 TLB).
The Spirit-filled life is a life with an abundance of peace. There will be peace like a river that is always flowing and never striving but only winding its way through life without worry. This peace will be more than just within but pouring outward, seeking peace with all those around them.
With God, you don’t have to worry unless you want to. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done” (Philippians 4:6 NLT).
The Spirit-filled life is filled with patience. It is a life trusting in God for every situation before them. It is a patience that perseveres through the trials that inevitably come. It is a patience that holds us up that we can endure. Patience waits with trust and faith that God is always with us.
God makes His best saints in the worst of circumstances. “My brothers and sisters, you will have many kinds of trouble. But this gives you a reason to be very happy. You know that when your faith is tested, you learn to be patient in suffering. If you let that patience work in you, the end result will be good. You will be mature and complete. You will be all that God wants you to be” (James 1:2-4 ERV).
The Spirit-filled life is a life with an outpouring of kindness. It speaks words of kindness that are born out of thoughts of genuine kindness. It extends kindness to those who deserve it as well as to those who do not. It is a kindness that is noticed and admired for the way it makes people feel inside.
In the kingdom, kindness is a strength, and anger is a weakness. “God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So always do these things: Show mercy to others; be kind, humble, gentle, and patient.” (Colossians 3:12 ICB).
The Spirit-filled life is a life of goodness. It is a life that thinks about good things and longs to do good in everything. It is a life filled with the goodness of God that overflows that goodness towards those around them. It is a life that is worth living and a life to be admired.
The roots may be hidden, but the fruit is always there for everybody to see. The Lord Jesus taught, “A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. You can tell what a tree is like by the fruit it produces” (Matthew 12:33 CEV).
The Spirit-filled life is filled with faithfulness. It is faithful to God and faithful to loved ones. It is a life faithful to commitments and faithful to every word spoken. A faithful heart is a good heart that longs to be pure in every commitment. To be faithful in one thing you must be faithful in all things.
Don’t compromise an inch, and God will give you a mile. “Yahweh will make you the head, not the tail. You will always be at the top, never at the bottom, if you faithfully obey the commands of Yahweh your Elohim that I am giving you today” (Deuteronomy 28:13 NOG).
The Spirit-filled life is filled with gentleness that is born out of humility. It is a life that, in humility, speaks gentle words that soothe the soul and lift up those who are listening. This life has a humble gentleness that is evident in the way a person walks and looks at you with their eyes.
Gentle words flow from gentle souls. “Be beautiful in your heart by being gentle and quiet. This kind of beauty will last, and God considers it very special” (1 Peter 3:4 CEV).
The Spirit-filled life has self-control and is able to overcome things that try to overpower them. Though they may fail, they will most surely rise and, by the power of the Holy Spirit within them, prevail. This is a life that we were meant to walk in, and we can if we would only surrender.
Restraint on earth is a superpower from heaven. “The Spirit God gave us does not make us afraid. His Spirit is a source of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7 ERV).
Blessings to you,
Paul Balius
Beautifully written Brother Paul! Blessings to you and your family!
Hello, my Sister! It has been a while. Thank you so much for your kind words and your blessings. Sorry on my delayed response, it has been an especially crazy several weeks for me. Blessings to you my friend!