Do you consider yourself powerful... that is, full of power? If not, ponder these words from the Apostle Paul: "Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might" (Ephesians 6:10). God wants you to be strong as a believer; He doesn't want you to be strong in yourself, but strong in Him. So how does that happen? What must we do to be strong in the Lord?
Check out this command from Paul's letter to the Ephesians: "Do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the [Holy] Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18). In short, we are strong in the Lord when we are filled with the Holy Spirit. The question then becomes: How do I become a Spirit-filled Christian?
Well, because we are commanded to be filled... there is something we must do in order to become Spirit-filled. On the other hand, because we are commanded to be filled by the Spirit (notice the verb is in the passive voice and not the active voice)... being filled is something that happens to us, not something that we do ourselves. Does that seem confusing to you? Do those sentences seem contradictory? Well, the truth is being filled with the Holy Spirit means that God is doing something to us (hence the passive voice); but because the verb is also an imperative (i.e. a command from God), we do have a responsibility to obey this apostolic injunction. Think about a person who is baptized/immersed into water. Jesus commanded His disciples to be baptized--so it is a command to be obeyed by His followers... but "be baptized" is also a passive voice verb--and thus, the person who is obedient to the command receives the action of the verb: he or she is baptized by another. In the same way, we are to allow Jesus to baptize us with/in the Holy Spirit. He is the baptizer, and we must submit to the command to be filled.
So, before we chat about HOW we become Spirit-filled, let's talk about what being Spirit-filled looks like practically. There are two key passages (I think) that answer this question for us. The first is Ephesians 5:19-21, and the second is Galatians 5:16-23. In Ephesians 5:19-21, Paul helps us see what the Spirit-filled life looks like: it is a life marked by praise (vs. 19), gratitude to God (vs. 20), and a humble, submissive attitude toward Christ and the other authority structures God has established in life (Ephesians 5:22-6:9 describe the relationships between a husband & wife, parents & children, masters & slaves/employers & employees). So, when you see a Christian who is marked by praise to God, a thankful heart, and a submissive attitude toward Christ and earthly authorities... chances are you are looking at someone who is controlled by (filled with) the Holy Spirit. [By the way, this is why Paul contrasts a drunk person with a Spirit-filled person: in both cases, when one is "under the influence", it impacts your thoughts, attitudes, speech, conduct, etc. The difference is when you are under the influence of wine, it leads to reckless and immoral living, and when you are under the influence of the Spirit, it leads to Christ-like behavior.]
The other passage I alluded to above is Galatians 5:16-23. In this text, Paul explains that the fruit of a person's life under the control and influence of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control... as opposed to a life marked by habitual sinning (including but not limited to sexual immorality, idolatry, strife, jealousy, anger, drunkenness, etc.). In short, the person who obeys the command to be Spirit-filled will look a lot like Jesus looked when He ministered here some 2,000 years ago (see 1 John 2:6).
So back to our other question: How does one become a Spirit-filled Christian?
First, you must confess any known sins to God (1 John 1:9). Obviously, the HOLY Spirit's name even suggests His primary ministry in the life of a believer: He wants to lead God's children into holiness. Thus, a Christian who refuses to deal with his sins will not come under the mighty influence of the Spirit. So, the first step is to keep short accounts with God. Admit your sins to God and ask for His forgiveness. Be sure that no sin is building a wall between you and God (see Isaiah 59:2a)... nothing ruins intimacy with God more than a refusal to deal with your sins (see Proverbs 3:32b).
Second, commit to obeying Jesus Christ as your Lord and Master (Acts 5:32). Or, to say it another way, commit to obeying the commands of Holy Scripture (Galatians 5:24-25). Jesus said the proof of our love for Him is found in our obedience to His commands (John 14:15), and so, if we truly love Christ, then we will follow His teachings. Again, if the Spirit's desire is to lead us into righteousness, then it makes sense that He would guide us according to the Scriptures He inspired (2 Timothy 3:16-17 & Psalm 143:10).
Third, present your body to God as a vessel to be filled (i.e. used for His glory)--see Romans 12:1 & 6:13. It's hard to enjoy a tall glass of water on a hot day when you have no glass, right? Well, it's equally hard for God to fill (i.e. control) a vessel which is not presented/yielded to Him. Paul's call in Romans 12:1 is that we yield all that we are and all that we possess to Him to be used for His pleasure and honor. So if you wish to be controlled by God's Spirit, offer your life to the Spirit--give Him your body, your mind, your hands, your feet, your wallet, your car, etc. If yielded to Him, He will take it, fill it, and use it for His purposes (2 Timothy 2:21).
Fourth, ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13). Many people stumble over this principle. "Well," someone may say, "if God wants me to be filled with His Spirit, He'll just do it." No, He won't. The reason Paul gives the command in Ephesians 5:18 is because God wants us to choose the Spirit-filled life and recognize our utter dependence upon His might (see John 15:5). He will not simply fill us automatically or apart from our choice to yield to His Spirit and lordship. The biblical pattern is this: ask and you shall receive; seek and you shall find; knock and the door shall be opened unto you (Matthew 7:7). If you don't ask, you won't receive (James 4:2).
Fifth and finally, believe that God will fill you. In other words, believe that God wants to fill you more than you want to be filled. Believe that because God has commanded us to be filled, if we seek to obey that command, God will be faithful to fill us (Matthew 21:22). You may not FEEL anything special... maybe you will. The point is this: regardless of how you feel, TRUST that God will do what He says He will do... and He will fill you with His Spirit if you yield to these principles.
One last thought. The great evangelist, D.L. Moody, was once asked, "Why do you talk so much about the importance of regularly and consistently being filled with the Spirit?" Moody replied, "Because I leak." Being Spirit-filled is NOT a one-time event. A Spirit-filled Christian is one who practices these principles over and over again every day in order to keep himself yielded to the power of God's Spirit... and when you do, you will be full of power... God's power. And when people around you see God's power at work in your life you will have the opportunity to give the glory to God (where it belongs) [Matthew 5:16]
