What Is Filling You?

“And don’t be drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit…” – Ephesians 5:18

“…be filled by the Spirit…” Check your Bible translation. Chances are it reads something different than “by the Spirit.” Beginning with the King James Version, most English translations will say, “be filled with the Spirit.” What’s the difference? More than you might think.

The Greek preposition is flexible, similar to the English preposition, “in.” I can use the same word in to say, “I’m in the office” as well as to say, “I’m in love.” The first communicates location, while the second communicates association. The phrase in Ephesians 5:18 can potentially be translated either “with the Spirit” meaning the content or substance with which we are to be filled is the Spirit, or it could be “by the Spirit” meaning the agent who does the filling is the Spirit. Which is best? Context is key.

The previous command not to be “drunk with wine” suggests content and would suggest that we are not to be drunk by filling up with wine but instead to be filled up with the Spirit. However, in Greek, to say that someone is drunk with wine is not talking about the content that fills them up but rather the instrument that makes them drunk. It is to say that a person gets drunk by means of wine. Since this is the case, the best way to understand what we are being instructed to do here is not first about the content of our glasses but the agent that is controlling us.

If we are controlled/filled by wine, what is the result? Reckless living. If we are controlled/filled by the Spirit, what is the result? A whole list of really great things! This includes joyfully functioning relationships with other believers (Ephesians 5:19-21), joyfully functioning marriages (Ephesians 5:22-33), joyfully functioning families (Ephesians 6:1-4), and joyfully functioning business relationships (Ephesians 6:5-9). All of these serve to contrast “reckless living” and illustrate what “filled with the Spirit” will look like.

Something or someone is going to control/fill you. As you look at your life, do you see evidence of reckless living or joyfully functioning relationships? Maybe it’s time to reach for the Spirit instead of reaching for the bottle…or video game controller…or smartphone.