Filled with the Holy Spirit: 5 Visible Changes in You

A Deacon Who Becomes an Evangelist: Philip's Turning Point

You probably know what it is like to serve quietly, in your own corner, telling yourself that God sees you. Philip, in the book of Acts, started out exactly like that. He was chosen as a deacon to wait on tables in Jerusalem because he already carried a good reputation. Scripture describes him as "a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 6:5).

Then God sent him further. In Samaria, he preaches Christ, crowds are converted, the sick are healed, demons come out. And one day, an angel tells him to leave this thriving ministry to go on a deserted road between Jerusalem and Gaza. That is where the encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch begins (Acts 8:26-40).

In this passage, you see five observable effects of the fullness of the Holy Spirit in Philip's life. These five effects are not reserved for "super-Christians." They are the normal fruit of a life filled with the Spirit. Paul writes it plainly: "Don't be drunken with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18). In the Greek, that verb is a continuous present: keep on letting yourself be filled again and again.

Outline of This Article

1. The Holy Spirit Qualifies You for Service

2. The Holy Spirit Guides You Step by Step

3. The Holy Spirit Makes You Bold

4. The Holy Spirit Makes You Effective

5. The Holy Spirit Makes You Joyful

1. The Holy Spirit Qualifies You for Service

Philip did not decide on his own to become an evangelist. He was a deacon, waiting on tables. It is the Holy Spirit who established him in a new ministry. Look at what happens in Samaria: crowds pay attention, he casts out unclean spirits, he heals the paralyzed and the lame, "both men and women were baptized" (Acts 8:5-12). It is not first his human skill that produces this ministry. It is the Holy Spirit who chooses a person and equips them for a particular service.

God tests your faithfulness in small things. You start with a simple task, you obey, you submit, and God entrusts you with something more. Paul reminds us of this: "Be of the same mind one toward another. Don't set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Don't be wise in your own conceits" (Romans 12:16).

Do not chase after high positions first. Do not envy others: it is God who gives a ministry, a task, a role. He may have something entirely different planned for you. And it is the Spirit who shows you the way forward: "The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of everything that I said to you" (John 14:26).

This "power from on high" that Jesus speaks of in Luke 24:49 is a covering. Imagine walking into a nuclear plant with no protection. You would not go in without a suit. And yet you walk into a world saturated with sin and the enemy's attacks? You need this covering of power that is the Holy Spirit.

2. The Holy Spirit Guides You Step by Step

The angel tells Philip: "Arise, and go toward the south to the way that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is a desert" (Acts 8:26). Humanly speaking, this makes no sense: Philip leaves a place full of conversions to walk down a deserted road. He could have doubted, questioned this strange thought. But he discerned that it truly was the Holy Spirit, and he obeyed.

The Holy Spirit speaks several times in the book of Acts:

• Peter, on the rooftop, receives the vision of a sheet full of unclean animals. The Spirit tells him: "Behold, three men seek you. But arise, get down, and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them" (Acts 10:19-20). The result: Cornelius and his household are converted.
• Paul wants to reach Asia with the gospel. "They were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia," so they try Bithynia. "The Spirit didn't allow them" (Acts 16:6-10). Then Paul receives a vision: a man of Macedonia tells him, "Come over into Macedonia and help us." It took two "closed doors" to find the right direction.

You can hear several voices: the voice of the world, the voice of your conscience, the voice of the enemy (who tried to turn Jesus away from the cross through Peter's own mouth), and the voice of the Holy Spirit. This last voice is discerned in prayer, in quiet reflection, in listening, in availability. Like the young Samuel: "Speak, for your servant hears" (1 Samuel 3:9-10).

And notice this: God does not give you the whole plan at once. To Philip, the Spirit simply says "go on this road." Nothing about what will follow. All that is needed is one step of faith. If you obey that first step, God will show you the next one.

3. The Holy Spirit Makes You Bold

"Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, 'Do you understand what you are reading?'" (Acts 8:30). Notice the boldness of this move: an ordinary Christian approaches a minister of the queen of Ethiopia, the man in charge of all her treasure. It would be like flagging down a head of state's car today to talk to them about the Lord.

Before the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the disciples were fearful. They hid indoors. On the day of Pentecost, when Peter is filled with the Holy Spirit, he preaches to a massive crowd and 3,000 people are baptized (Acts 2). This strength and boldness are the Spirit's work.

Paul writes it to Timothy: "God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control" (2 Timothy 1:7). The Holy Spirit will give you the boldness to do things you never thought you could do. He can also give you fresh ideas when you feel stuck. Philip did not open with "hello, let me tell you about Jesus." He started from where the Ethiopian already was: his passage in Isaiah. Pray that God gives you the right idea, at the right time, with the right person.

Understanding the Bible: A Work of the Spirit

You can read the Bible for years without grasping its spiritual meaning. You can read it with the intellect alone, draw philosophical ideas from it, see myths in it. That is a merely natural reading. But Paul prays this for believers: "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling" (Ephesians 1:17-18). Without this enlightening, you will miss the wonders of the Word. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes.

4. The Holy Spirit Makes You Effective

"He commanded the chariot to stand still, and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him" (Acts 8:38). Philip announces Jesus, the eunuch believes, and he immediately asks for baptism. A few minutes were enough for a man to become a child of God.

There is no need to wait months or years. As soon as someone accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior, they can ask for baptism, because baptism is the appeal of a good conscience toward God (1 Peter 3:21). The Holy Spirit can speed up processes.

Look at Joseph. Falsely accused, thrown into prison, he waits. Two long years pass with nothing moving, even after interpreting the cupbearer's dream. Then, in a single day, God brings Pharaoh's dream to the cupbearer's mind, Joseph is called for, he interprets it, and he ends up ruling over the land (Genesis 41). Joseph had to persevere in prayer and faith, but when God moves, he is the one in control. You do not know when the moment will come. Stay faithful.

5. The Holy Spirit Makes You Joyful

"When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, and the eunuch didn't see him any more, for he went on his way rejoicing" (Acts 8:39). When you carry out God's work and see his hand move, you feel a joy that comes from the Spirit.

In this world, you are surrounded by reasons for sadness: wars, injustice, violence. Scripture says the human heart is "deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt" (Jeremiah 17:9). If your heart fills up with bad news, you will grow discouraged. You must feed your soul on the Word of God. The Word is good news, promises full of hope.

Peter expresses it with this beautiful line: "whom having not known you love; in whom, though now you don't see him, yet believing, you rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory" (1 Peter 1:8). This is the joy of the Lord: unspeakable and full of glory. It has no equal in this world.

You can lose this joy. Take Elijah. He has just won the confrontation with the prophets of Baal, but Jezebel swears to kill him. He flees, sits down under a broom tree, and asks God to take his life: "It is enough. Now, O Yahweh, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers" (1 Kings 19:4). The angel of the Lord comes, feeds him twice, and he walks forty days and forty nights to Horeb. His circumstances have not changed: Jezebel still wants him dead. But Elijah has changed. He found strength again in God's provision.

When you are worn out, you might say to yourself, like Elijah, "there is no point, I'm done." But you can also feed on the Word and find a supernatural joy again, a renewed strength, and set out again trusting the Lord.

Key Takeaways

• The fullness of the Holy Spirit produces five visible effects in Philip's life (Acts 8): it qualifies, it guides, it makes bold, it makes effective, it makes joyful.
• The order of the Kingdom begins with humility. Be faithful in small things: God lifts you up when and how he chooses.
• God rarely gives you the whole plan at once. He shows you the first step; obey, and he will show you the next.
• "Be filled with the Spirit" (Eph 5:18) is a continuous present: keep letting yourself be filled again and again.
• The joy of the Holy Spirit is not tied to your circumstances. It is tied to the Word you allow to feed you.

Personal Application

1. In what "small task" is God asking me to be faithful before I hope for something bigger?
2. Have I recently turned down a first step because I could not see what came after it? How could I respond differently this week?
3. Which voice am I listening to most right now: the world, my conscience, the enemy, or the Holy Spirit?
4. Who can I ask this week, "do you understand what you are reading (or living through)?" with Philip's boldness?
5. If Elijah found joy again by being fed, what will I change in my spiritual diet so I stop feeding on bad news?

Verses Cited

• Acts 8:26-40 · Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch
• Acts 6:5 · Philip, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit
• Acts 8:5-12 · Philip in Samaria
• Romans 12:16 · Don't set your mind on high things
• John 14:26 · The Counselor teaches all things
• Luke 24:49 · Clothed with power from on high
• Ephesians 5:18 · Be filled with the Spirit
• Acts 10:19-20 · Peter and Cornelius
• Acts 16:6-10 · Paul forbidden twice
• 1 Samuel 3:9-10 · Speak, your servant hears
• Acts 2 · Pentecost, 3,000 baptized
• 2 Timothy 1:7 · A spirit of power, love, and self-control
• Ephesians 1:17-18 · Eyes of the heart enlightened
• 1 Peter 3:21 · Baptism, a good conscience
• Genesis 41 · Joseph before Pharaoh
• Jeremiah 17:9 · The deceitful heart
• 1 Peter 1:8 · Joy unspeakable and full of glory
• 1 Kings 19:4 · Elijah under the broom tree

FAQ

Do you need a spectacular experience to be filled with the Holy Spirit?

No. Philip had no spectacular manifestation when he set out on the road to Gaza. He simply discerned the Spirit's voice and obeyed. The Spirit's fullness is recognized by its fruit (qualification, guidance, boldness, effectiveness, joy), not by any particular phenomenon.

How do I know if it is the Holy Spirit speaking to me?

Several voices compete for your attention: the world, your conscience, the enemy, the Spirit. The Holy Spirit's voice is discerned in prayer, in quiet reflection, in reading the Word. It never contradicts Scripture. It produces peace and points you toward Jesus and toward obedience, even when the direction seems surprising (like leaving Samaria for a deserted road).

What should I do when I have lost the Spirit's joy?

Do as Elijah did: do not condemn yourself for feeling worn out, but return to God's provision. The Word will strengthen you. His outward circumstances had not changed (Jezebel still wanted him dead), but he had changed. Feed your soul on good news before letting yourself be saturated with bad news.