Here are the reasons why we need the Holy Spirit as believers.
We need the Holy Spirit to teach us the word of God.
Jesus told his disciples that after his departure, God would send them the Holy Spirit, who would teach them all things and help them remember all things he had taught them during his three-year ministry on earth (John 14:26).
In John 16:13, Jesus again told his disciples that the Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth after he had returned to his Father.
Thus, the Holy Spirit is the only one who can teach us the word of God since He searches and understands the deep things of God (1st Corinthians 2:10). The word of God cannot be taught using the wisdom of men but only by the Holy Spirit, who teaches by comparing spiritual things with spiritual (1st Corinthians 2:13).
There are many false teachers of the word out there propagating false teachings concerning the word of God (2nd Peter 2:1-3; 1st Timothy 4:1-3). For us to be able to escape their craftiness, we need the Holy Spirit. He will help us not to be tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:14).
We need the Holy Spirit because He is a comforter.
Jesus told his disciples not to be troubled because of his departure. This is because God would send them the Holy Spirit, who would be their Comforter (John 14:26).
Given the turmoil present in the world, we need the Holy Spirit to comfort and reassure us that all is well regardless of what is happening around us. There are days when you feel overwhelmed by the situations that you are going through. You may feel that no one cares and that you are all alone. It is during such times that the Holy Spirit will minister to you and assure you that you are not alone. He will bring to your remembrance the promises of God that he has in store for your future. Such reassurances will help you come through the depressing situation victorious.
We need the Holy Spirit to help us overcome the lust of the flesh.
We need to walk in the Spirit in order to overcome the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). The flesh is always set against the Spirit and the things of God. Therefore, we need the Holy Spirit to help us overcome the works of the flesh, including adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, and revels (Galatians 5:19-21).
On your own, you cannot overcome the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes. The Holy Spirit alone can help you overcome the flesh. The Bible gives us many examples of mighty men of God who were overcome by the lust of the flesh and fell into sin. This includes Samson, King David, and King Solomon, among others. That means you too can be overtaken by the lust of the flesh and fall.
We need the Holy Spirit to be effective witnesses of Jesus Christ.
Before Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, he instructed his disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Holy Spirit so that they could become his witnesses to the world (Acts 1:4-5). After days had passed, the Day of Pentecost came, and the Holy Spirit came upon all the brethren who had assembled in the upper room in Jerusalem. After this outpour by the Spirit, we see a bold Peter confidently witnessing to the crowd about the Messianic mission of Christ Jesus while he was on earth (Acts 2).
For us to be effective witnesses of Christ Jesus, we need to be infilled with the Holy Spirit so that we can do so boldly without fear and intimidation. The Apostle Paul tells the Corinthians that he did not go to them with eloquence of speech but with demonstration of the Spirit and of power as the Holy Spirit enabled him (1 Corinthians 2:4).
As a believer, you need the Holy Spirit to become effective in sharing the word of God with other people. This is because some people are too hostile to approach, and that may deter us from witnessing to them for fear of getting a backlash. However, with the Holy Spirit, we can overcome the fear of man and become effective witnesses to the world.
We need the Holy Spirit to convict the world of sin.
After sharing the gospel of good news with unbelievers, it is the work of the Holy Spirit to convict them of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment (John 16:8-11). It is never our work to convince anyone about salvation. Nevertheless, after we have sown the seed of the word of God through preaching, we should leave the rest of the work to the Holy Spirit.
There are brethren who after sharing the word of God with other people will go about pressurizing them to surrender their life to Christ. If this fails to happen, they get discouraged. What these brothers should know is that only the Holy Spirit can convict someone of their sin and lead them to salvation.
We need the Holy Spirit to teach us what we ought to pray for.
The Bible teaches that due to our human weaknesses we do not know what we are supposed to pray for as required. However, the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us with groaning that cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26-27).
For us to pray effectively, we need to be guided by the Holy Spirit. Most of the time we pray for things that seem important to us, but to God, they are not. However, how do you distinguish between the important things and the unimportant things? Only the Holy Spirit knows the plans God has for you and will therefore guide you to pray in that direction. The Bible says the heart of a man plans many things, but only the counsel of God shall stand (Proverbs 19:21).
Therefore, no matter how we pray about anything, as long as we are praying amiss, we will never get the answer to our prayer (James 4:3).
We need the Holy Spirit to walk in wisdom.
The Bible tells us the presence of the Holy Spirit that was in Jesus as he grew up filled him with wisdom and the grace of God (Luke 2:40).
According to 1st Corinthians 12:8, the Holy Spirit gives the gift of the word of wisdom to believers. This helps the believer to know what to do in a particular situation.
The Bible teaches that wisdom is the principal thing that we should get (Proverbs 4:5). Only the Spirit of God can give us wisdom to make the right decisions in the face of many options available to us.
We need the Holy Spirit to walk in knowledge.
In Daniel 1:17, God by His Spirit gave Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom.
In 1st Corinthians 12:8, we also learn that the Holy Spirit gives believers the gift of the word of knowledge. A believer who operates in this gift is able to know a matter that is hidden from the natural eye. In other words, the gift enables the person to unravel mysteries only known to God.
Jesus told his disciples that they would know the truth and the truth would set them free (John 8:32). This word also applies to us as it did to them. The Holy Spirit enables us to know or discern what is true and respond accordingly.
We need the Holy Spirit to walk in understanding.
The Bible tells us God, by His Spirit, gave Daniel the ability to understand visions and dreams (Daniel 1:17).
The Holy Spirit enabled Joseph to explain the meaning of the dream that Pharaoh had (Genesis 41). It is still the same gift that enabled Joseph to tell the meaning of the dreams of the butler and the chief baker who were with him in custody (Genesis 40).
In today’s world, we need the Holy Spirit to help us understand things. Sometimes things happen to us, and we fail to understand the reason why they happened. So we end up confused. However, with the Holy Spirit it is possible to understand hidden things and remain at peace because all things work out together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to the purpose of God (Romans 8:28).
We need the Holy Spirit to walk in might.
The Bible speaks of how Samson killed thousands of Philistines because the Spirit of God rested upon him. However, the day Samson’s locks got shaved, the Spirit of the LORD lifted, and the Philistines overpowered and captured him (Judges 15-16).
After Prophet Samuel anointed a youthful David to replace King Saul, the Bible tells us that the Spirit of the LORD came upon him from that day onwards. Sometime later, we see David confronting the giant Goliath in battle and killing him with just a sling and a stone. This mighty deed was possible because of the Holy Spirit that was in the youthful David (1st Samuel 17:45-51).
In 1st Corinthians 2:4, the Apostle Paul teaches that he was able to perform miracles because of the Holy Spirit who was at work in him.
In our daily life, we come face to face with challenging assignments that are beyond our abilities, education, and skill. However, just like Samson, David, and Paul, we can also do exploits as long as the Holy Spirit is in us (Isaiah 40:28-31).
We need the Holy Spirit to help us carry out our duties and responsibilities with excellence.
The Spirit of God that rested upon Joseph enabled him to excel in his work in Potiphar’s house, in prison (Genesis 39), and as the second in command after Pharaoh (Genesis 41).
After the Prophet Samuel had anointed David to be king over Israel, the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day onwards (1 Samuel 16:13). Because of this, David was able to conduct his duties wisely after King Saul had appointed him captain over his men of war.
In Daniel 6:3, the Bible tells us that Daniel conducted his work in an excellent manner because the Spirit of God was upon him. For this reason, King Darius contemplated setting him over the whole kingdom. This means that Daniel would only be answerable to the king and no one else.
In our daily transactions, whether in employment or while self-employed, we need the Holy Spirit to perform our duties with excellence. Only the Holy Spirit can accurately advise one on what to do, how to do it, and when to do it to achieve success.
We need the Holy Spirit to be effective leaders whom people will obey.
The Bible tells us that after Moses laid his hands on Joshua, the Spirit of wisdom rested upon him, and all the children of Israel obeyed him (Deuteronomy 34:9).
After David had killed Goliath, King Saul appointed him captain over the men of war. The Bible teaches that David was accepted in the sight of all people and in the sight of Saul’s servants (1st Samuel 18:5). This is because of the Spirit of the LORD that came upon him after being anointed by Prophet Samuel (1st Samuel 16:13).
As leaders serving in whatever capacity in our social circles, we need the Holy Spirit to make people obey us whenever we assign them duties and responsibilities.
We need the Holy Spirit to walk in the fear of the LORD.
The Bible teaches that the fear of the LORD is to depart from evil and the evil way (Proverbs 8:13). Only the Holy Spirit can teach you to fear God. Your human efforts will get you nowhere. This is because the heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). Thus, only the Holy Spirit can enable you to shun evil. That is why the Apostle Paul teaches that one should always walk in the spirit in order to overcome the lust of flesh (Galatians 5:16-21).
According to Galatians 5:16-21, the Holy Spirit will guide you to walk in the fear of God by helping you overcome adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, and revels.
We need the Holy Spirit to help us know what to say in difficult circumstances.
Jesus Christ told his disciples that a time would come when those who opposed the gospel would get them arrested. He told them not to be afraid when asked questions, as the Holy Spirit would direct them on how to answer (Mark 13:11).
Sometimes we get caught up in difficult-to-explain situations and become stranded. It is at such times that we should become still and remain silent in order to hear from the Holy Spirit and give the right answer. Isaiah 30:21 says you shall hear a voice behind you instructing you on the way to go. That is none other than the voice of the Holy Spirit. The thing is we should learn to be still in the face of overwhelming situations. It is only after becoming still that we can hear God.
We need the Holy Spirit in order to please God.
The Bible teaches that those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:8). From Hebrews 11:6, we learn that it is not possible to please God if you do not have faith. One of the gifts the Holy Spirit bestows upon believers is faith. Therefore, we need the Holy Spirit even more to help us walk in faith so that we can continue pleasing God.
I hope this is helpful.
God bless you.
Prayer to get born again
Are you willing to become born again? Say the following prayer sincerely:
“Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner and hereby ask for your forgiveness.
I believe in my heart and confess with my mouth that you are the only begotten Son of the living God.
I believe that you were sent by your Father to the earth to save sinners like me.
I believe that you died and resurrected in order for me to receive eternal life.
I now accept you as my personal Lord and Savior.
Come into my heart and baptize me with the Holy Spirit.
Thank you for saving me.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
Amen!”
Congratulations, friend! You are now a born-again Christian!
Welcome to the family of God!