The experiences we have with the Holy Spirit will always be measured by our willingness to let go, and allow Him to fill us. If we only allow Him to touch small areas of our lives, His ability to change us will also be small. It is not that He is restricted, but that we have restricted Him. As we limit God’s ability to live in us, He is limited in His ability to bless us and transform our lives to make us more like Christ. This is why many people who have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and were blessed, have now stagnated in their faith.

The Holy Spirit desires to make what we call ‘Christians’ into disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. To do this, He will begin to speak to us about areas in our lives that do not please Him (Colossians 3:5-10).

The Holy Spirit leads us into holiness because He wants to take ground in our lives that belongs to the enemy and claim it for Christ. He comes to possess the land which was once possessed by the flesh, the world and the devil. He comes, like Joshua, to redeem the land in our lives and expel the invaders who currently possess His possession (Exodus 23:30, Joshua 13:1, 18:3).

God is with us in the Person of the Spirit (Matthew 18:20), and when the Spirit transforms us into the image of Christ, we become closer to the image of the Father. Therefore, when we reject the Holy Spirit, we are equally rejecting the Father and the Son (1 John 2:23); but if we want to receive the Father and the Son, we must also receive the Holy Spirit in His fullness (Matthew 11:27, Luke 10:22, John 5:19-26, 8:28, 14:13).

This is an excerpt from the book ‘Holy Spirit Power! Knowing the Voice, Guidance and Person of the Holy Spirit’ by Paul Backholer and is used by permission.