Wesleyan Pentecostal Church
of Washington
What It Means to Be “Filled with the Spirit”
And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18).
There are various illustrations given in Scripture describing the Pentecostal experience. The most frequent however, is the phrase “filled with the Spirit.” It is used almost exclusively by Luke and is found in the gospel that bears his name and several times in the book of Acts. It is used once by Paul in Ephesians and is the only phrase used to describe the maintaining of the Pentecostal experience.
Scripture doesn’t exhort one to be continuously “baptized,” or “let the Spirit fall on you again,” or that one should seek for continual “outpourings” of the Spirit. Neither does it say that we should be “re-filled” with the Spirit. The simple command is “be filled.” Does this mean that we are to seek a repeat of our initial baptism or that we have lost what we have and need to continuously go back to our starting point? Let’s answer these questions as we look at the command given to the church at Ephesus.
First, let’s note that it is a command—not an option, or a suggestion. The Apostle gives us a direct precept from the Lord that saints are to be filled with the Spirit. This means that it is a requirement for all saints and to not submit to the claim it makes upon our lives is to live in disobedience to God. Note also that it does not say fill yourself with the Spirit, but be filled with the Spirit. In order to obey the command it requires submission on our part and supply on God’s part. In the same manner that the Scripture says “Be ye holy, for I am holy,” it says “Be filled with the Spirit.” We do not make ourselves holy simply by the power of our will, but through submission to the Lord and His work on the cross the Spirit applies the blood to our hearts and leads us in the practice of putting off and putting on. In this manner we fulfill the command to be holy. In the same way we submit our lives to the control of Christ, receive the person of the Spirit, and allow Christ to fill our lives with His Spirit, thereby fulfilling the command to be filled.
Second, let’s note that this command is written to one of the strongest churches in the New Testament, Ephesus. We know from Acts 19, that they had been filled with the Holy Ghost and entered into the same experience that the 120 had on the day of Pentecost. It was not a church full of carnal novices who did not understand the power from on high, but rather a spiritual church used by God to establish many other churches. Although, this command applies to those who have never been baptized in the Holy Ghost, this is not its main audience. The command is primarily given to those who have initially been filled with the Spirit and are called upon to maintain the experience. Let us therefore understand the “filling” from this perspective.
The word “filled” has a two-fold application that means “to cram full” or “to be complete.” Second, note that we are not filled with a substance but rather the person of the Spirit. From this we can deduce that being filled with the Spirit means that every aspect of our life is brought under the influence and control of the Spirit. In other words, when our hearts are searched you will not find hidden alleys that are untouched by the person of the Spirit. Continuing along this line of thinking we may illustrate fullness this way.  When we watch a child mimic his father we say that “the child is full of his dad.” When you see the son you see the dad. They walk the same, have the same mannerisms, look the same, and talk the same; their personalities seem as if they are one. In this way we are full of the Spirit. His person has so filled our life that our nature portrays His nature; our actions are His actions and so on. We are filled with the person of the Spirit.
Using the same analogy, let's look at why believers, who have initially been filled with the Spirit, are exhorted to be continuously filled. The illustration is given in Acts four. Let’s note the scenario. Peter and John have been called before the Sanhedrin for healing a lame man in Jesus' name. Peter, who is full of the Holy Ghost, (Acts 4:8) preaches the gospel to them with boldness (Acts 4:13).  Following the message, the apostles are threatened and told not to preach or teach under the authority of Jesus. As a result, they return to the assembly of saints and hold a prayer meeting to seek boldness from God to continue preaching in His name. The result is that they are “filled with the Spirit” and preach the Word with “boldness.”  What happened? Did they lose or use the Spirit they had earlier that day and need re-filling? Was their tank empty? Did they simply need a repeat of Pentecost for encouragement and assurance? No. The fact is that Peter was filled with the Holy Ghost that entire day and had already spoken with boldness. The problem is that the church encountered a new experience. For the first time since Jesus had ascended the church experienced direct conflict with religious authorities outside the church. It was a brand new experience that brought a greater need for God. They were called upon to minister under pressures they had not hitherto faced. Because their capacities were enlarged they needed the Spirit to fill them. They asked for boldness, something the Scripture states they already had. However, it was more boldness they needed because of increased opposition. God’s answer was to fill their enlarged need or capacities with His Spirit. This is maintaining the Spirit-filled life. We are ever-growing, needs are ever-increasing, knowledge is ever changing. We must therefore continuously be filled with the Spirit.