Pop Quiz: Who is the Holy Spirit?
a. Part of the Godhead
b. A mysterious force
c. An angel
d. Someone I need
If you circled both A and D, congratulations!
But if you aren’t sure, no worries. You’ve come to the right place to find out.
Many of us are fuzzy when it comes to the Holy Spirit. We read about the Spirit in the Bible, so we know He’s real. But who is He? What does He do? Do we need Him in our lives?
Let’s find out.
A Power or a Person?
Star Wars fans have a saying that describes how some Christians see the Holy Spirit: “May the Force be with you,” they say. They think of the Holy Spirit as an impersonal force that empowers them to work for God.
There is some truth to that. The Holy Spirit does empower us. Jesus told His disciples, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit gives us spiritual life and power. He’s like the electric power and 5G signal that makes the cell phone in your pocket useful.
Without the Holy Spirit, you are spiritually dead (e.g., you’d rather scroll on TikTok than read your Bible). With the Holy Spirit, you have spiritual life and can live for God (e.g., you realize that you’re wasting your time scrolling, put your phone away, and pull out your Bible. And the Bible is actually interesting!).
But … the Holy Spirit is far more than an impersonal power. The Holy Spirit is actually the mighty third person of the Godhead. He is God just as much as Jesus and God the Father are.
Look at all the things that the Bible tells us about the Holy Spirit. He:
• Is all-powerful, omnipresent, and eternal (Luke 1:35; Psalm 139:7–10; Hebrews 9:14)
• Created the earth, resurrected Jesus, and gives spiritual life (Genesis 1:2; Job 33:4; 1 Peter 3:18; John 3:5–8)
• Knows everything and inspires prophecy (1 Corinthians 2:11; 2 Peter 1:21).
• Makes choices with His mind (1 Corinthians 12:11; Romans 8:27; Acts 15:28)
• Loves us and is hurt when we sin (Romans 15:30; Ephesians 4:30).
Those are not the characteristics of a “force.” This is a personal God you can know and have a relationship with!
Your Friend, the Holy Spirit
The disciples were devastated.
Jesus, their best friend and teacher, had just told them that He was leaving and that they couldn’t go with Him. They felt lost, scared, and abandoned. Jesus understood their feelings, and He gave them a special promise: “I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever” (John 14:16).
Can you imagine how comforting that must have been? Jesus was going to send someone—a Helper—who would always be with them. Just like Jesus had been their friend and teacher, the Holy Spirit would do the same things. He could be with all of them, all of the time, even when they traveled to faraway places. They would never be alone because the Holy Spirit would be with them.
The Holy Spirit wants to be your friend too. If you invite Him into your heart, He will be your personal guide for all of life’s challenges (John 16:11, 12). He will comfort you when you feel discouraged about your grades or relationships (John 14:18). He’ll help you enjoy the Bible and prompt you to make godly choices. He’ll fill you with love for God and other people (Romans 5:5). He’ll even give you compassion for the really annoying people in your life!
Why We All Need the Holy Spirit
We all do! Every Christian needs the Holy Spirit to live within them. If the Holy Spirit doesn’t live in us, we aren’t even Christians: “Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Romans 8:9).
Why is it so important to have the Spirit? Here’s an example that might help: Imagine a glove lying on the table. It can’t do anything on its own until you slide your hand inside. Suddenly, the glove comes to life and can accomplish all kinds of amazing things. Is the glove doing all those things? Or the hand inside?
The same is true of you. On your own, you can’t do anything of value. That’s because God didn’t design you to work on your own. He designed you to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
When He fills you, you come to life spiritually. You have more love for God and others. You start wanting to follow God. His guidelines begin to make sense. He gives your life purpose and value. And He works through you to help the people around you get to know Jesus.
None of that could ever happen without the Holy Spirit. So why not invite Him to come and live inside of you today?
Simply pray: Dear Father in Heaven, I realize I need the Holy Spirit in my life. Please take all the sin out of me and fill me with your Spirit. Thank you! In Jesus’ name, Amen.