The ABCs 3

In Ephesians 5:18 Paul admonished the church to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit.

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit….” Ephesians 5:18 

Just before Jesus ascended to heaven, He instructed the disciples to wait for the Promise of the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:5-8). He was not talking about waiting to receive the New Birth, but an empowerment (Greek-dunamis) from the Father. This empowerment allowed them to face unprecedented trials and afflictions as they carried out the Great Commission to their generation.

The Promise of the Holy Spirit was not just for the early apostles or the 120 who were in the Upper Room on the day of Pentecost. It is for all who are called of God (Act 2:38-39).

In the verse above, Paul contrasts being filled with wine and being filled with the Holy Spirit. When a person is under the influence of wine or other intoxicating drink, they begin to lose control of their full senses and become subject to the power of the alcoholic stimulus in that drink. Often these individuals become influenced by ‘demonic spirits’ that alter their mood and behavior drastically.

In my earlier days, I was the founder and leader of a small youth ministry, that developed into a gathering place for young and old. One of the older women in our group was married to a man who was an alcoholic. She had unsuccessfully warned him about drinking and the influence of demonic spirits for many years.

One night he came home from the local bar looking terrorized. He told her she was right and while he was drinking, he suddenly saw little spirit beings sitting on people who were under the influence of alcohol. Whatever these spirit beings did was being acted out by the people under their influence.

God does not want us controlled by demonic spirits (and many people are), but filled with and led by His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit leads us and waits for our cooperation. He never forces Himself upon us. We must yield to Him out of a surrendered heart and mind. When we do, we can be filled with His love, power, grace, and strength to help us fulfill the call of God upon our lives.

Is your appetite stirred to fulfill all the Father has for you to accomplish? Are you desirous to see His plan unfold in your life and family. His thoughts are for your good and not evil, despite the trials and difficulties of life (Jeremiah 29:11).

As we stay full of the Holy Spirit, and continue to pray in the Spirit (Jude 1:20; 1 Corinthians 14:2; Romans 8:26-27) the Father will be able to align our hearts and minds to do His perfect will.

Praying in the Spirit opens a completely new horizon for the believer. It frees them from the frailties and limitations of the human mind. It allows the Holy Spirit to aid them in their prayer, so they align with the Father’s will and purpose.

There are several reasons some in the Body of Christ have never been filled with the Holy Spirit and spoken with tongues to enjoy this heavenly blessing of supernatural prayer and fellowship with the Father. One is ignorance or wrong teaching (Acts 19:1-6). Secondly, they are carnally minded and set in their own ideas and opinions (Romans 8:7). Thirdly, they have not humbled themselves to realize God’s ways are higher, though seemingly foolish to the natural man or woman (1 Corinthians 1:25-29; 2 Corinthians 2:14).

Another reason is they are oppressed with demonic spirits from some type of interaction with the occult or cult spirit.

Many years ago, I was ministering to a man who earnestly wanted to be filled with the Holy Spirit and speak with other tongues as the scripture details. We prayed for him, but there seemed to be something blocking him from receiving.

I felt led to ask him if he had ever played around with the occult. His reply was no. Suddenly, I heard water witching in my spirit, and asked if he had ever experimented with it. He thought for a moment, and said yes. He said it took place while he was working on a construction job where he needed to locate an underground water line or pipe.

Once he repented, and renounced all association with that demonic spirit and closed the open door to its authority, he received the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues.

More on this topic next time. Until then, may God our Heavenly Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ richly bless and keep you.

James Brown CST 08/16/2026