Spirit-filled life is more than speaking in tongues or praying loudly or even falling when a preacher prays over you. Today we will try to learn more about the Spirit-filled life. Because what’s lacking today is Spirit-filled believers. What’s going to change the world is spirit-filled people. Knowledge-filled people are not going to change the world. Knowledge is important, and degrees are important but when Jesus was about to send unqualified and uneducated people into the world, He did not tell them to go to a college and get a degree, He instead told them to wait. WAIT for the HOLY SPIRIT.
These disciples did not have any degree in any area, they didn’t have any political connection, they did not have any eloquence in speech, and they didn’t have any great administration skills, yet they were able to shake the most powerful Roman Empire of that time. They spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ so much that their critics told them, “You are filling our cities with the teachings of Jesus.” How were they able to do this? They were able to do all of this because they were filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the most important person on this earth today. He doesn’t just want us to know him as a doctrine, or a third person of the trinity. He wants us to be filled with Him, not just to speak in tongues, but to walk our Christian life being filled and empowered by Him so that we can make an impact in the world around us.
We have to understand that Holy Spirit is a person and not a ghost. We will learn some of the characteristics of a Spirit-filled life from the story of King Saul. These will be some checks that we can use to examine our hearts and whether we are walking in the fullness of the Spirit of God. We can read the verses from 1 Samuel Chapter 11. This chapter is probably the best chapter of King Saul’s life. After this chapter things start going downhill for King Saul, he loses the anointing and starts doing things that displease God, he develops some kind of mental disorder and starts killing people who try to help him, and then in the end he dies a very tragic death. But that’s not how he started. He first gets anointed as a king by Prophet Samuel. 1 Samuel chapter 11 tells us the story of the city of Jabesh (one of Israel’s cities), which was attacked by the enemies. The enemy proposed to make a covenant with the city of Jabesh, saying if you come out and surrender to us, we will make peace with you, but we will gouge out one of your eyes so that it will bring disgrace to Israel.
So, they sent a message to Saul to see if he can help. King Saul hears the message that his people are about to be attacked and the Spirit of the Lord comes upon him and he burns with anger. He prepares the men of Israel to attack the enemy city instead. If you read further in the chapter, you will see that Israel has won over the enemy and the city of Jabesh is saved. This brings us to the 1st mark of a spirit-filled life and that is:
1. YOU WILL ATTACK YOUR ENEMY, YOU WILL NOT AGREE WITH YOUR ENEMY
We are not talking about enemies as people but we are talking about sin and principalities that take us away from God. When you are spirit filled sin is not something that you will justify, it’s something that you will attack in your life. You will not make a covenant with sin, instead, you will try to fight it. When King Saul was spirit-filled, he goes and fights the enemy. Let us look forward to King Saul’s life when he is not walking with the Spirit of God.
The whole episode of David and Goliath would not have taken place if Saul would have been walking with the spirit of God. Firstly, this challenge of One Man against another was presented by the enemy Goliath and King Saul agrees to the terms of the enemy. If you see King Saul, that we read in 1 Samuel Ch 11, the enemy presented the challenge and Saul rejected that and said, we will not make peace with the enemy, we will destroy them instead. When the anointing leaves his life, Goliath sets the rules and Saul follows. Now it doesn’t take a lot of knowledge to understand that this challenge benefits only Goliath and no one else. Goliath first seeks to isolate people and fight them alone. King Saul is playing into Goliath’s hands by trying to find a man who will fight him. This is what happens when we don’t walk in the Holy Spirit, what the devil says we blindly agree to it.
But if we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we will not agree to what the devil says, because the devil is a liar and the Holy Spirit in us will never agree to the lies, instead it will only agree with the Truth that is found in the scriptures. You will disagree and fight the devil instead of agreeing with him. Having the Holy Spirit does not mean that we will not have battles. But when the battle arises, we will not be intimidated by it, instead, we will remember that is not who I am. I might struggle right now but I am a child of God and I carry His imprint inside of me.
2. YOU WILL BE COURAGEOUS WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, WITHOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT YOU WILL BE A COWARD
Secondly, we see that when King Saul was spirit-filled, boldness was released into him, without the Holy Spirit he tried to be balanced, cautious and played safe. It’s good to be balanced and cautious, but when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you will take bold steps for the Lord. Jesus wasn’t playing safe when He was dying on the cross taking the sins of the world on Him. When the Pharisees saw the many exploits that the disciples did, they said we notice that you all are not much learned, but you have boldness because you have been with Jesus.
If you are with the Holy Spirit, you gain boldness. It doesn’t mean we become stupid but you take wise and bold decisions. When you become close to the Holy Spirit, boldness will become one of the marks of your life. You will go out and take bold risks for the kingdom of God. King Saul on the day of his inauguration was a shy person and was trying to hide behind everyone. But when he was filled with the Spirit, and he hears the news of his people being attacked, boldness rises out of him. He goes and attacks the enemy and destroys them.
It is not that you will feel BOLD, but the Holy Spirit makes you courageous, He helps you to do things which you do not think you can do, to step out of your comfort zone.
3. BEING FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL MAKE YOU SERVE PEOPLE INSTEAD OF FEARING THEM
When the Holy Spirit came upon Saul, the Fear of the Lord came upon the people. When the spirit of God left Saul, the Fear of the people came upon Saul. When Saul killed the 2 oxen (ref. 1 Sam Ch 11) and sent it to the 12 tribes of Israel, the Bible doesn’t say that fear of Saul came upon people, instead, the Bible says that the FEAR OF THE LORD came upon the people of Israel. When our actions are fueled by the Holy Spirit, people are not going to be afraid of us, they would instead have the fear of God. King Saul was fearless of people when the anointing was there.
The people of Israel loved him and they were all united under him. Probably that was the only time the kingdom of Israel was united under the leadership of King Saul. If we forward a few chapters of Saul’s life in 1 Samuel, when Saul offered unlawful sacrifices and Samuel comes and tells him what he did was wrong, Saul’s excuse to Samuel was that the people told him to do so. When he didn’t obey God’s command to kill the Amalekites, he again gave the excuse that the people told him to do so. After the anointing left his life, he didn’t fear the devil, he started fearing the people. The people he was anointed to serve, became the people he lived to please, and this ruined his life. People are good when you serve them, they will destroy you when you seek to please them. Without the Holy Spirit, you will become a people pleaser.
I believe that Jesus did not die on the cross because He wanted to please people. He did it because HE LOVED HIS FATHER. He didn’t tell Nicodemus that I so loved the world, hence I came down to sacrifice myself. He says for God so loved the world that He sent his Son to this earth. What motivated Jesus to go on the cross was not people, it was love for the Father. When people become the primary motivator for the things that you do, you will never be able to fulfill the call of God over your life.
This is a sign that the Spirit of God is not filling your life. The Spirit of God fills you to serve people not to please them.
4. WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT YOU WILL BE MISSION- MINDED, WITHOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT YOU WILL BE AMBITION DRIVEN
When the Holy Spirit came upon Saul, he went to save the city, when the Holy Spirit left him, his goal was to just save his title of being the King. When we are not filled with the Holy Spirit, we will be rank, title and position obsessed. If we are removed from a position then we will be dejected and no longer want to serve. But people with the Holy Spirit are mission-driven, without it we will become ambition-driven.
The title does not define us, what defines us is our relationship with God, but without the Holy Spirit we depend on our title, with the Holy Spirit we depend on the anointing and calling over our life. Whether it’s on the stage or backstage or any other place, whether you are seen or unseen, invited or uninvited, you will find ways to serve people and serve God. Because people filled with the Holy Spirit will not leave any opportunity to bring God the glory through their lives.
When Saul was not filled with the Spirit he just held on to his throne, when he was filled, he was keener on saving the city. When our heart is more attached to a position, it’s a good reminder that maybe we are getting distant from the Holy Spirit. He wants us to be close, to be attached to the anointing, to the calling over our lives, and not be dependent on the title or rank that we are known by. Let us examine ourselves today and check within our hearts if we are filled with the Holy Spirit or not. He wants to fill us up and empower us to do mighty exploits for the kingdom of God. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit we will not have to run behind people, title, influence, etc., instead, the Holy Spirit will put us on the pedestal and make us shine. Just as a candle that is lit is never put under a basket, our life will also shine in front of people.
May the Holy Spirit guide us to bring glory to Jesus and be a blessing to the people around us.
Amen!
Mrs. Suzanne Ruth Karkada
U.B.M Christa Shanti Church Marol, Mumbai.
