The Natural Law of Entropy teaches us that the norm is to move from order to chaos and, in the process, return to a natural state (e.g., steel reverts to rust, and people die and return to dust). Nothing stays good, nor is chaos avoided without help. Otherwise, the makeup industry wouldn’t be so profitable! The principle also applies to us spiritually: stay filled with God’s Spirit, walk by that Spirit, and grow spiritually … or suffer chaos and decay. And that’s the subject here.

The apostle Paul explained that we can receive God’s Spirit as a gift in response to a natural outpouring of faith and obedience (Acts 5:32; Galatians 4:6). As recipients, we become God’s children (Romans 8:14), meant to be continually ‘be being’ filled by the Spirit and to walk accordingly (Ephesians 5:18; Galatians 5:16-17). Yes, I wrote ‘be being’ on purpose, as it reflects the intent and context of the original language. So, not just a ‘once-and-done’ action, but an ongoing process of refreshing and renewal. Continual filling is rewarding; the opposite can be disastrous!

Spirit-filled Christians often feel like they’re on a ‘high.’ Strong. Victorious. Spiritually invincible. Well, until life happens … The highs can turn to lows; endurance can become drudgery. Without continual refilling and refreshing, we can feel spiritually weak or empty. In the aftermath of our spiritual emptiness, we may be tempted to ‘dabble’ in unethical or immoral behavior (e.g., sexual, physical, or financial). You’ll find a non-exhaustive list of practices that can exclude someone from God’s Kingdom in Galatians 5:19-21, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, and Ephesians 5:5. Not continually being filled by God’s Spirit can also leave space for rotten tenants.

In Matthew 12:43-45, Jesus tells a parable about a demon cast out of a person, leaving the spirit without a host. In an undesirable situation, the homeless evil spirit returned. Finding it still empty and uncleaned, it and seven of its disembodied spiritual homies move in, likely through possession. We can read about avoidable real-life examples of possession in the Bible.

Avoidable? None of these, or any other examples of demonic possession or oppression, would be possible in a Holy Spirit ‘be-being’ filled environment for someone who has received and is walking in God’s Spirit. They are not running on empty, spiritually speaking, and, by the Holy Spirit, the single spiritual tenant, they exercise love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Note that these are Spirit-driven actions, not feelings or spiritual gifts!

In summary, avoid running on spiritual empty and dabbling in things God hates, which will have negative consequences. How? Immerse yourself in the things of God and walk by His Spirit to leave no room for rotten tenants or ungodly behavior! What’s next? Let’s explore biblical finances, focusing on two things: the truth about godly prosperity and where God really wants you to put your money.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley (MDiv; DMin)