"Are You Spirit-filled?" Final Thoughts (Ephesians 5:18)

Let's turn our attention to some final thoughts. To experience the Spirit-filled life, we must walk by faith, not by feelings. Walking by faith in God's Word implies repeated, moment-by-moment sensitivity to and reliance on the Spirit of God. There will be countless battles between our flesh and the Holy Spirit, even in the Christ follower who is fully yielded to Him. Paul teaches us, "For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law" (Galatians 5:17-18). By the way, the Law can only bring about behavior that's dominated by the flesh! For the Christ follower, the choice is clear. We must choose to be led by the Holy Spirit! The Spirit-filled Christ follower will continue to deal with strong desires of the flesh. However, in all of these situations, we're to acknowledge our weakness and look to the Holy Spirit to strengthen us. We must dwell in the Word of God. We have already seen this, but especially it's important to saturate our minds with God's Word. We have to make the time to meditate and memorize the Word of God or become so familiar with it that God can use it when we don't have a Bible at the ready! As we live this way, we will develop a habit of holiness. At first, like any toddler learning to walk, we'll fall a lot. Get up and keep walking! Soon, walking will become the norm. We'll experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit in an ever-increasing way. He will control our thoughts, our emotions, our attitudes, our schedules, our priorities, our relationships, our money, and every area of life! He will lovingly fill us, directing us in His paths of righteousness, joy, and peace. I will conclude by asking, Are you Spirit-filled? Would those who are closest to you agree? If the Holy Spirit were to pull out of your life for a few days, would you miss Him? Or, would life continue as usual? If you were put on trial for being Spirit-filled, would there be enough evidence to convict you? God has called the Christ follower to a supernatural life of day by day dependence on His Holy Spirit. You can begin right now! Your move. Be encouraged!