God the Holy Spirit

“Greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

God’s people have the Holy Spirit inside them. The devil is in the world. There is a cosmic battle between light and darkness, good and evil, God and Satan. God is greater than Satan and has crushed his head on the cross. As we understand more about the Holy Spirit, we will be able to experience God’s blessing, power, and victory in our lives. And he will make us triumph over our enemies.

The Holy Spirit is the energy and power of the Christian life. He is the most powerful spirit in the universe. Everything and everyone is weaker than him.

As we know more about the Holy Spirit, we will know more about the spiritual resources we have in Christ. The word of God gives us revelation so we can know the many things that have been freely given to us by God. The most precious gift we have from God is the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is God. The Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity, along with the Father and Son (1 John 5:7). The Bible is full of revelation about the Trinity. When someone is baptized, the Trinity is invoked (Matthew 29:19). When Jesus was baptized, the Trinity was revealed: the Father spoke from heaven, the Son was baptized, and the Holy Spirit descended on him like a dove (Matthew 3:16-17). At the beginning of the world, the Father created, the Word spoke, and the Spirit moved (Genesis 1:1-3). When God made man, he said, “Let US make man in OUR image” (Genesis 1:26) – these plural pronouns refer to the Trinity. 

The Holy Spirit wrote the Bible. All Scripture (the Bible) is God breathed (2 Timothy 3:16), and the Holy Spirit (who is God) inspired men to write it (2 Peter 1:21). The Holy Spirit will teach us God’s word, and he will empower us to obey God’s word.

The Holy Spirit is eternal (Hebrews 9:14). He has no beginning or end. He existed before the world was created and will continue to exist after it ends. He knows everything about everyone, including all the mysteries about God (1 Corinthians 2:10). The Holy Spirit is everywhere – he’s omnipresent (Psalm 139:7).

The Holy Spirit and Jesus are one (2 Corinthians 3:17). If someone has the Holy Spirit, he has Jesus. If someone does not have the Holy Spirit, he does not belong to God (Romans 8:9). When Jesus was leaving this earth, he said he would come back to his disciples by means of the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-20).

Jesus said it was good for him to go away because then the Holy Spirit would come to us (John 16:7). The Holy Spirit being here is better than Jesus being here in his body, because the Holy Spirit can be everywhere at once. He can also be inside us. We were made to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and this is the only way we can only fulfill our purpose in life.

The Holy Spirit comes into us when we trust in Christ. At this moment of faith we were born again (John 1:13; 1 Peter 1:3, 23; Titus 3:5; James 1:18; 1 John 3:9, 4:7, 5:4, 5:18). When we first believe the gospel, our spirit that was dead in sin comes alive to God.

There is only one Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 2:18, 4:4), but he operates in many different ways. He gives different spiritual gifts to different people, but it is the same Holy Spirit.

The names of the Holy Spirit teach us important things about him.

First of all, God’s Spirit is Holy. Holy means set apart, sinless, full of light, life, and power. When the Holy Spirit is in us, he will make us holy. We’ll throw sin out of our lives because sin is incompatible with the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of the Lord. This is because he is a member of the Trinity.

The Holy Spirit is the Helper who assists us when we need help. He is the Counselor who gives us advice. He is the Advocate who speaks up for us to defend us.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth (John 15:26).

He is the Spirit of life (Romans 8:2).

He is the Spirit of adoption (Romans 8:15) who puts us into God’s family.

He is the Spirit of wisdom, Spirit of understanding, Spirit of counsel, Spirit of might, Spirit of knowledge, and the Spirit of the fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2).

He is the spirit of revelation (Ephesians 1:17).

He is the spirit of grace (Hebrews 10:29).

He is the spirit of glory (1 Peter 4:14).

He is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10).

There are many different names of the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit is infinite and has many characteristics. These names describe different facets of his person. Through these names, we can understand more of who the Holy Spirit is and what the Holy Spirit does. This knowledge will unlock more of his blessing and work in our lives.

The devil doesn’t want us to have knowledge about the Holy Spirit, so he fights against us receiving it. But God is stronger, and the word of God has power to set us free. May the truth about the Holy Spirit be planted in our hearts so it brings forth fruit.

As we grow in our knowledge of the Holy Spirit, we will grow into the image of Jesus, who was anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38). This is God’s goal for his church – to continue the glorious ministry of Jesus. This is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit.