It is important that we first understand that every believer on the Lord Jesus Christ is INDWELT with the Holy Spirit.  We learn in Ephesians 1:13-14, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”  This shows us that once one has put his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as his savior, the Holy Spirit indwells and seals that person until the very day that person is received into glory.  The Holy Spirit is a sort of an earnest or down payment of the glorious inheritance we will fully receive when we are in the presence of our Lord.  We are assured of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in Romans 8:9, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

With that said, there is a difference between being indwelt with the Spirit and being filled with the Spirit.  The indwelling happens without our efforts when we accept Christ as our savior.  The filling of the Spirit requires our efforts.  Let’s explore this a little.

Ephesians 5:18 tells us, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.”  So, this instructs us, as believers, to be filled with the Spirit.  To be drunk with wine is to be influenced and led by wine.  To be filled with the Spirit is to be influenced and led by the Spirit.  We are exhorted to walk in the Spirit in Galatians 5:16, “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”  To walk in the Spirit is to live according to the truth given to us by the Spirit.  The Lord Jesus, before going to the cross, spoke to His disciples of the coming of the Spirit.  He told them, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” (John 16:13).  I believe it is clear in these verses that the Spirit will guide us into all truth by giving to us what He hears of the Lord Jesus.  The truths the Lord Jesus has for us are found in His Word…the Bible.  The Spirit leads us into truth by revealing to us the meaning of the scriptures.  When we read our Bibles, the Spirit will reveal precious truths to us.  We walk in the Spirit by obeying the Word of God. 

Notice the characteristics of someone who is filled with the Spirit in Ephesians 5:19, “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord…”  Let’s compare that with the characteristics of someone who is filled with the Word of God in Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”  To let the Word dwell in you richly is more than reading and memorizing the Bible.  It is studying the Bible and loving its precepts.  It is loving the Lord and desiring to be led by Him.  “I have treasured Your word in my heart, so that I may not sin against You.” (Psalm 119:11-NASB). 

This does not mean that you must know a lot about the Bible to be filled with the Word or to be filled with the Spirit.  It simply means that as we continue to study God’s Word, we treasure it and walk in its truths so that we do not sin against our loving Lord. 

Before I close, I want to make another vital point.  We cannot be filled with the Spirit if we are filled with our own selfish desires and ambitions.  We must empty ourselves of our own will, so that the Spirit can fill us up with Himself.  It’s not that we think bad of ourselves, or that we think good of ourselves.  We simply do not think of ourselves at all as we seek to follow the Lord as led of His Spirit.  (CC)  (677.4)