God the Spirit

Comforter and Guide

Everything about God is mysterious and beyond human understanding. But the Spirit seems to be especially mysterious. Most people have at least some idea and understanding of what “father" means. Most people can relate to his “son” Jesus by reading stories about him in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

But Spirit?

What does that even mean? We use that word for many different things today. School “spirit” is about energy and excitement. Christmas “spirit” is about joy and generosity. Doing something with the right “spirit” refers to a person’s attitude. People with an entrepreneurial “spirit” are driven by new ideas and challenges.

Today people usually use “spirit” to refer to an attitude, an essence, or a defining characteristic about someone. But those don’t come close to explaining who the Spirit is.

One way to begin understanding the Holy Spirit is to remember that he is also called “God’s Spirit” and “the spirit of Christ” in the Bible. The Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ is the presence of God that fills our lives and binds us together with him and with one another.

That still leaves a lot mystery and supernatural unknowns.

Fortunately, the Bible does say some very specific things about the Spirit. We can at least start with those, and then keep learning more as we continue to follow Jesus.

Read & Reflect

Read as many of these verses as you have time for. Write down and discuss everything you learn about the Spirit. How do these verses help you understand who the Spirit is and what he does?

John 14:26
John 15:26
Acts 1:8
Acts 5:32
Romans 8:26
1 Corinthians 2:10-13
1 Corinthians 3:16
1 Corinthians 6:19
1 Corinthians 12:4-6
2 Corinthians 1:22
2 Corinthians 3:17
Galatians 5:16-18
Ephesians 1:13-14
Psalm 139:7

Extra Info

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The Bible tells us that God’s Spirit is not the only unseen spirit. Reality extends far beyond what we see with our eyes. Paul wrote these words to one of the first churches:

“Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:10-12)

We should "wear" these things every day:

belt of truth
armor of God’s righteousness
shoes of peace
shield of faith
helmet of salvation
sword of the Spirit (the Word of God or the Bible)

See Ephesians 6:10-18 for the whole passage.

Extra Verses

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Romans 8:1-17

Extra Things

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Watch and listen to the videos below for more about the Spirit.

Resources for people who help others become more like Jesus.

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2103 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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