For many Christians, life is a matter of simply doing the best they can. They experience no dynamic, no power,
and no sense of victory in their souls. A humdrum spiritual life leads to discouragement. A spiritual life without
a sense of progress, growth, and development can become tedious and wearisome.
Such a life, however, is not what God desires for us. The Bible holds out the promise of the Holy
Spirit, who indwells us to enable us, equip us, and help us to lead an abundant, vibrant, purposeful life.
The Promise of the Spirit
Jesus promised His disciples, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:18 NASB). He further
promised, “I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall
not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you” (John 16:7 NASB).
Just before His ascension into heaven, Jesus said, “You shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days
from now … you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:5, 8 NASB).
The promise of the Holy Spirit is for all who believe. Time and again in the New Testament, those who confessed
Jesus as Lord were filled with the Holy Spirit. The presence of the Holy Spirit is made available to all. Just
as in salvation—in which a person receives the forgiveness of God by faith—so, too, receiving the Holy Spirit
is an act of faith.
• In your life, have you experienced the joy of being filled with the Holy Spirit?
A Constant and Lasting Presence
The Holy Spirit dwells with us. He does not “come and go,” but rather, He resides within our spirits on a permanent
basis.
The frequent image used by the writers of the New Testament is that we are a temple of God, filled with the
Spirit of God.
What the Word Says
If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also
give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. (Rom. 8:11)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?… The temple of God is
holy, which temple you are. (1 Cor. 3:16–17)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. (2 Tim. 1:13–14)
What the Word Says to Me
• What insights do you have into the abiding nature of the Holy Spirit within us?
The Work of the Holy Spirit in Us
The Holy Spirit operates within us on a daily, ongoing basis to help us in all practical matters of Christian
living. Specifically, the Holy Spirit works in the following ways:
• Convicts us of sin and makes us aware when we are breaking God's commandments (John 16:8–11).
• Illuminates the Word of God to us, helping us to understand and apply what we read in the Bible (John
16:12–15).
• Teaches us the truth about God, the truth about ourselves, and the truth about the relationship God
desires to have with us (John 16:12–15).
• Guides us into right decisions and choices and into right avenues of service and ministry (Rom. 8:14).
• Assures us that we are born again and are the children of God, and, thus, are heirs with Christ of
all God's promises and blessings (Rom. 8:16).
• Frees us from the bondage of fear (Rom. 8:15).
• Intercedes on our behalf, always praying the will of God for us (Rom. 8:26).
• Warns us, so that we might put on the whole armor of God and engage successfully in spiritual warfare
(Acts 20:23).
In our daily battle against the temptations of this world, the Holy Spirit prompts us continually about what
is right and wrong. We do not have the role model of Jesus on the earth today to be a living picture for us about
how to live; the Holy Spirit reveals to us the right way. The Holy Spirit also equips us to fight and defeat the
enemy of our souls. He assures us that we have victory over an already-judged, already-defeated foe (John 16:11).
What a Helper the Holy Spirit is to us! His presence in us is active constantly. He is always seeking our highest
and best good, now and for all eternity.
What the Word Says
[Jesus said]: “When He [the Holy Spirit] has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and
of judgment; of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you will
see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” (John 16:8–11)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
[Jesus said]: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit
of truth has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He
hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine
and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and
declare it to you.” (John 16:12–15)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. (Rom. 8:14)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we
cry out, “Abba, Father.” (Rom. 8:15)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs
of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. (Rom.
8:16–17)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the
Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts
knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
(Rom. 8:26–27)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
Now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the
Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. (Acts 20:22–23)
What the Word Says to Me
• Reflect back over your life and recall several specific ways in which the Holy Spirit has helped you.
• In what ways are you being challenged to trust the Holy Spirit for His help?
Creation of Our New Identity
The Holy Spirit works within us to create a new “character” or identity in us. Our new nature is marked by these
characteristics (Gal. 5:23):
• Love—for those who do not love in return.
• Joy—even in the midst of painful circumstances.
• Peace—when something we were counting on doesn't come through.
• Long-suffering—when things aren't going fast enough for us.
• Kindness—toward those who treat us unkindly or have rejected us.
• Goodness—toward those who have been intentionally insensitive to us or have sought to do us harm.
• Faithfulness—when friends have proved unfaithful.
• Gentleness—toward those who deal harshly with us and persecute us for no just cause.
• Self-control—in the face of intense temptation.
Conversely, the Holy Spirit strips way from us the old characteristics we exhibited before we received God's
Spirit—chiseling at us bit by bit, sanding away our sinful habits and the hard edges of our personalities. He causes
us to put away our former behaviors—deeds that Paul calls “works of the flesh” and which he describes as behaviors
such as “adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies,
outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like”
(Gal. 5:19–21a).
The new character traits that the Holy Spirit produces in us are called the “fruit” of the Holy Spirit. They
are the very character traits that marked Jesus' life! Indeed, the Holy Spirit is “Christ in us.” The apostle Paul
wrote to the Galatians, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for
me” (Gal. 2:20).
• How do you feel when you think about the Holy Spirit residing within you to change you into the likeness
of Christ Jesus?
Ability to Stand Against the Devil
The Holy Spirit's presence in us gives us the ability to say “no” to the devil's temptations and lies and also
the ability to withstand the devil's assaults on our life.
What the Word Says
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore
do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members
as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your
members as instruments of righteousness to God. (Rom. 6:11–13)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
Now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness. (Rom. 6:22)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil.… Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of
God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance
and supplication. (Eph. 6:10–11, 17–18)
What the Word Says to Me
Ability to Witness About Christ Jesus
The first and foremost sign of the Holy Spirit's presence in a person's life is the power to give witness to
Christ Jesus (Acts 1:8). We each are called to present Christ to others—in our words as well as our deeds.
What the Word Says
[Jesus said]: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in
Heaven.” (Matt. 5:16)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
[Jesus said]: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me
in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
What the Word Says to Me
• In what ways are you feeling challenged in your spirit today?
Our Daily Walk in the Spirit
God calls us to “walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16, 25). We do this when we ask the Holy Spirit daily for guidance
in all that we do: at the time of each major decision we make, in the face of each new problem we encounter, in
the course of each conversation we have. We must learn to listen to the voice of the Spirit speaking in us. As
we do, the Holy Spirit becomes an ever-present source of encouragement to us.
The person who knows that …
• he has the assurance of eternal life
• he cannot fail if he obeys God's commands
• he will receive the full provision and protection of the Holy Spirit until his mission in life is fulfilled
… is a person who is able to live in boldness and joy.
The Holy Spirit is the Encourager who lives within. He is the Enabler of the abundant life Jesus promised us
when He said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may
have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
• What new insights do you have into the encouraging role that the Holy Spirit can have in our lives?
• In what ways are you feeling challenged to share the message of the Holy Spirit as Encourager and Enabler?
Is the Lord dealing with you to speak to a specific person?
From Sharing the Gift of Encouragement
by Charles Stanley. Copyright 1998 by Charles Stanley.
