July 28, 2019
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18
God tells us to be filled with His Spirit. To be filled with the Spirit of God means first, repentance, then resistance of the devil, and then renewal.
Now, you’ve got a choice, folks: you can grieve the Spirit of God and be filled with the devil, or you can put the devil out and be filled with the Spirit of God.
There’s no place for the devil when you’re filled with the Spirit. I mean, if you’re filled with the Spirit, where can the devil go? He has no place.
When the Bible says “Be filled with the Spirit,” what does that mean? The Holy Spirit is not some sort of liquid, and you’re a jug, that’s not the idea. To be filled with the Spirit of God means that there’s not one room in your temple where God is off limits. There’s not one closet He doesn’t have a key to. You are filled with the Spirit in your church life, in your business life, in your sex life, in your political life, and in your social life; in the big things and the little things; in your money, your exercise, your sleep, your eating; in your lying down and in your waking up. You give Jesus the keys to it all. Then when you are filled with the Spirit, there’s no more room for Satan.
If there’s room for Satan, the Spirit is grieved and I’m not filled with the Spirit. Repentance, resistance, renewal! Don’t try to repent until you’re honest and face your sin. Don’t try to resist until you’ve repented. And don’t try to be filled until you resist; until you choose against Satan and yield to God’s blessed Holy Spirit.
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”