ESOCS Devotional 10 February 2026 – Filled With The Spirit
MEMORY VERSE: “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18 KJV
TEXT: EPHESIANS 5:15-END
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
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To be filled with something is to be controlled by that thing. When we say someone was filled with wine, we mean he was controlled by wine. When we say someone was filled with rage, we mean he was controlled by rage. So, in the same way to be filled with the Spirit means to be controlled by God’s Holy Spirit. Each day we are to be guided and led and controlled by God’s Holy Spirit.
The Exchanged Life begins with surrender. Surrendering the control of our lives to the Holy Spirit. That’s what it means when Paul said in Ephesians 5:18, “Be filled with the Spirit.” It means that we yield to the controlling influence of the Holy Spirit. We exchange our “self” for the Spirit on the throne of our hearts. Our flesh profits nothing, not to be filled with the Spirit is like the sin of being drunk with wine.
Comparing with Colossians 3:16, we see that the filling of the Spirit, or the yielding to the control of the Spirit, is when we obey the word of Christ in our lives. So, instead of living our own lives, we “march” to the rhythm and direction of the Holy Spirit in His word. We keep in step with Him (Gal. 5:25) when we do His will inspired in the Bible. When we yield ourselves to the Spirit, we live sober and godly lives. We will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. We will see victory over sin and an increasing likeness to Jesus. We will be a praiseful, thankful and respectful people. O how we need the Holy Spirit in our lives to manifest His power!
Sin and rebellion against God’s will hinder us from being filled with the Holy Spirit. When we give in to sinful temptations and worldly desires, when we lose control and do what we know is wrong, living as we did before accepting Christ’s salvation, we prevent God’s Spirit from guiding, influencing, and governing our behavior.
The Holy Spirit is grieved and quenched because He is not allowed to reveal Himself in our lives as He wants to, with expressions or “fruits” of “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal. 5:22–23).
When we sin, we should confess our transgressions to God as soon as possible (1 John 1:9), and renew our commitment to being filled with the Spirit.
Reflections
- Does your lifestyle reflect the presence of the Holy Spirit?
Prayer
- Lord teach us to surrender our lives to you completely.
Further Reading: Leviticus 25:25-End; Matthew 6:1-13; Song of Solomon 5:2- End 6:1- 3
ESOCS Devotional 10 February 2026
