What is the filling of the Holy Spirit?
Most Christians know that the Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity. Most Christians heard the term “to be filled with the Holy Spirit”, but do not know what that means. The filling of the Spirit is the influence or control the Holy Spirit has over us when we yield ourselves to Him. The Spirit of God, who has given us new life and who has taken up residence within us, wants to fill our lives with His goodness and power. He wants us to let Him take control of our lives. Even so, He does not use His power as God to overwhelm us; rather, He fills us only as we submit to Him. In this sense, being filled with the Spirit means that we have placed ourselves under His influence and control. We have yielded to Him, letting Him take over our lives. This truth is stated clearly regarding the Holy Spirit in this passage.
Do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:18
Paul uses this analogy because a person who becomes intoxicated with alcohol places himself under its influence or control. Similarly, a Christian who submits to the leading of the indwelling Holy Spirit puts himself under His influence or control. Both the person who consumes enough alcohol to become drunk and the Christian who yields to the Holy Spirit have placed themselves under the control of something or someone outside themselves.
We are greatly influenced by whatever it is that “ fills “ us. If we are filled with anger, we will be influenced to such an extent that we will say and do things we may later regret. A person who is filled with anger against God may become so controlled by his hatred that he becomes irreverent, defiant and rebellious toward everything.
To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be so influenced by and controlled by Him that we will reflect God’s moral character and be strengthened by His power.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Galatians 5:22-23a