“It’s turning, but there’s no power,” said the skipper of our starboard engine.  

We were on a boat trip in the Arctic and had planned to cross one of the biggest fjords to take our guests to a beautiful glacier, but with only one engine providing the expected output and the other limping along, we knew we had to cruise slowly home instead. 

It’s funny how this happened when I was diving into what it means to be led by and filled with the Spirit. Although a completely different context, my colleague’s words echoed those of Timothy Ateek in a sermon I’d watched just the day before, where he shared a concern that many believers “are subscribed to a version of Christianity that is high on discipline and low on power.”1   

Like an engine turning through its revolutions without generating the expected output, are we ticking the boxes instead of inviting the Spirit to lead and fill us as we practice our faith? 

The Holy Spirit’s role 

I was equally challenged during a SATS symposium, where the lecturer pointed out that for many, our understanding of the Holy Spirit is limited to the contexts of spiritual gifts and power. Had I placed the Spirit in a box? Did I fully understand his role in my walk with God? 

The honest answer is I had filed the Spirit away on a shelf in my mind where I knew he existed, but didn’t fully understand his role in the Trinity or recognize when he had spoken to me or led me. In my limited understanding, it was easier for me to attribute those experiences to God and Jesus; yet, he has been present from the beginning (Gen 1:2) and has been active in my salvation and faith journey. 

The Spirit’s role in salvation 

Jesus himself spoke about the Holy Spirit’s role in our salvation, and Paul highlights this in his letters. The Spirit: 

  • convicts us of our sin (John 16:8); 
  • reminds us of all that Jesus said (John 14:26); 
  • is active in our conversion, enabling us to cry out to Jesus as our Lord and Savior (1 Cor 12:3); and 
  • facilitates our spiritual rebirth (John 3:5–8). 

Ateek summarized the role of the Trinity in salvation beautifully when he said that salvation is God’s plan, accomplished by Jesus, and applied by the Holy Spirit.2 

The Spirit and Scripture 
 

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” (2 Tim 3:16; NIV) 

The Holy Spirit was present in the generation of God’s word (2 Pet 1:20-1) and when we read it, the Spirit of truth guides us (John 16:13), facilitating our understanding and using God’s word to convict, teach, or encourage. 

The Spirit and the Church 

When we are saved, we are adopted into our new Church family (Rom 8:14–15), we are equipped to share the good news (Acts 1:8), and we are called to be united in the Spirit (Eph 4:3–4). 

Spirit-led theology in practice 

I found Timothy Ateek’s message, “Is there a Spiritual power outage in our lives?,” helpful in considering what being led by or filled with the Spirit looks like in practice.3 

What does it mean to be Spirit-led? 

Paul and his companions were guided by the Spirit as they traveled to share the gospel: 

“Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to (Acts 16:6-7 ESV).” 

Interestingly, this passage mentions two occasions when the Spirit prevented them from entering or preaching the gospel in a particular place. Despite their God-honoring intentions, the Spirit said, “No.”  

As Ateek puts it, there is a difference between what we can do and what we are called to do.4 Are we in the habit of pausing and prayerfully seeking the Spirit’s guidance before moving forward? Would we recognize it if he said, “No?” 

What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit? 

As described in Ephesians 5:18–20, when we are filled with the Spirit, we are in tune with God and respond to him first, instead of reacting to people or circumstances. We worship from a heart overflowing with gratitude, and we speak God’s word boldly (Acts 4:31). 

How can we be more sensitive to the Spirit? 

I have sometimes felt frustrated that I cannot hear God. Usually, it is because my environment has been busy or noisy, or my quiet time routine has been interfered with. I have often solved this problem by escaping the bustle, whether in the form of a hike or a few days of camping in a quiet environment. 

Withdrawing to a quiet place to seek the Lord is wonderful—when possible—but we also need to be more sensitive to the Spirit in the course of our daily lives. Here are a few practices that can help: 

  • Pause 
  • In any given moment, we can stop to seek guidance, inviting the Spirit into the situation and asking: “Holy Spirit, what do want to tell me or teach me right now?” or “Spirit, how should I respond?” 
  • Pausing also means our response is not a “knee-jerk” reaction; we’re able to give every situation over to God. I’ve found John Eldredge’s book Get Your Life Back and a related app called “One Minute Pause” valuable tools in developing this habit. 
  • Pray 
  • Prayerfulness strengthens our relationship with God and our sensitivity to the Spirit. 
  • We can intentionally pray for wisdom and for God to make us ever more sensitive to the Spirit’s leading and prompting. 
  • Pay attention 
  • Once we have asked for guidance, we need to pay attention to moments of understanding and being prompted—to act or to pause. 
  • Journalling can be a meaningful way to record our prayers and the Spirit’s prompting. 
  • Pursue peace 
  • When we are prayerful and paying attention, we will notice when something does not quite sit right. 
  • This does not necessarily mean that we should choose the path without obstacles; it means that when we respond to the Spirit’s prompting, our choices will be pleasing to God, and we will experience peace instead of turmoil. 

In conclusion 

As my understanding of the Holy Spirit’s role has deepened, I have been able to reflect on my journey with the Lord and recognize the Spirit’s presence in many significant moments. While there are still times when I notice I am simply going through the motions, limping along like that starboard engine, I am thankful I am growing in sensitivity to the Spirit. My prayer for all of us is that we would be willing vessels, ready to be filled and used by the Spirit, emboldened to follow where he leads, and empowered to glorify God.