Growing up in the Church the one thing that was never discussed for whatever reason was the Holy Spirit and God’s control over all the spirits. It was as if it was a byproduct of God and not one to be discussed. The reason was simple, all the denominations around us expressed the use of the Spirit all the time. We as the Church of Christ dare not embrace that. We did not want to be like them.
However, we as the Lord’s body have so missed the mark. We have left out a component that is so vital to our life it is like missing a limb. The Holy Spirit becomes part of who we are when we are born again through Baptism. When we deny that fact, we hinder our Spiritual growth on so many levels.
In the old Testament we are told that God controls the Spirit world. I Kings 22:16-23. When the King Ahab wanted to attack the Israelites, he sent for Micaiah for solidification that he would win. When Micaiah spoke, he told the king the same thing his own prophets did to show the king that they only told him what he wanted to hear. As the argument went on earth, a Spirit stepped up to God and said, “I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.” And God said, “You will succeed in enticing him. Go and do it.”
What is interesting is Micaiah told the king what God and done and still he refused to listen. This also show us that God allows those who are committed to sin to sin even more in order to hurry their judgement. In the end Ahab died.
We are told in I Sam. 16:14 that as Saul became more prideful and greater in power he turned from God and the Spirit left him.
The question has been asked to people who are not, yet part of the Lord’s body have an indwelling of the Spirit or not. After careful study I would venture to say that as with Saul the Spirit is sent to prick the heart, but there is no indwelling until one is born again. Once we are born again that is when the fruits of the Spirit begin to grow. Gal. 5:16-22 Tells us that if we have the in dwelling of the Spirit, he will lead us. However, the Holy Spirit which is in us is always in conflict with the flesh, that is worldly things. The one that grows is the one we feed.
Studying the Holy Spirit should become as important to us as studying about Jesus and God. The Holy Spirit is that gift we are given when we rise up out of the water as new life. That Holy Spirit becomes part of who we are and what we do. Embrace it, allow it to help you grow, to withstand the battle that goes on without and within. Remember the Devil doesn’t bother those he already owns. He only attacks those who have had their hearts pricked by the Spirit and then filled with the Spirit.
The Good News A Journey Through the Bible 