Paul tells us that we need to be “…be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18). This means that we should be controlled (and so filled) by God’s Spirit so that it becomes obvious to others by the way we walk, talk, think and act.
Paul then tells us that there are three way we fill ourselves with God’s Spirit. What Paul then describes is how we make a home in our self for the Holy Spirit. Jesus told a story about a man who had a demon cast out of him, he swept and cleaned his “house,” but put nothing inside. The demon came back with seven more demons and found the house (his body and mind) clean and empty. What he failed to do was to prepare his house as a place where God could live. So Paul give us three things that we must do to prepare our minds and bodies to receive the Holy Spirit.
First, in verse 19, he teaches us that we can be filled with God’s Spirit when we are “addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.” Singing is consistently used in the New Testament as how we worship God. Making vocal music is encouraging to others, but it reaches into our inner depths. It prepares us to be filled with God’s Spirit.
Second, verse 20 teaches us that we can be filled with God’s Spirit when we are “giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” When we develop an attitude of thankfulness and expressing that to God, this is also a part of preparing our house for the Holy Spirit. So singing praises to God and giving thanks is an important part of our spirituality.
Third, Paul then says something that has been debated for centuries. Most don’t want to talk about this third characteristic that we must develop so we can have the Holy Spirit living within us. Eph. 5:21 says we should “SUBMIT to one another out of reverence for Christ” or some translations say “Be subject to one another….”
Following this statement, Paul give us five examples of our we must live with each other. Wives submit to your husbands. Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church. Moving into chapter 6, Children are to obey their parents. Fathers are ...
