On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4-5)
What is this mysterious “baptism with the Holy Spirit, and what does it does it do for the believer? I’ve heard much debate over the years by people who want to make the scripture more complicated than it has to be about how the Baptism of the Holy Spirit was only for the church of Acts, and about how the endwelling of the Holy Spirit happens subsequent to salvation, and how there is no separate Baptism at all. Sometimes, it’s just best to read the scripture and see what you come up with.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
Here we see Jesus discussing the ramifications of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, namely that when it is received we would be empowered to become witnesses to the ends of the Earth. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is about power. It’s a gift of grace, sent from the father, that enables us to live victoriously.
When you receive it, you receive a measure of the supernatural ability of Jesus as well:
But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is an essential tool to the combat intercessor. Some of its more relevant applications include discerning of spirits, by which the intercessor learns what spirit he is engage with, and word of knowledge, which may include directions for attaining spiritual victory over a given foe. Of course, the gift of the baptism of the Holy Spirit has much more practical and wider application as well.
Frankly, my intention for writing this post is two-fold: First, to promote the fact that Baptism in the Holy Spirit is an absolutely necessary tool for the combat intercessor. Second, to provide a basic starting point for curious Christians who are not baptized with the Holy Spirit to begin their own, personal, in-depth study on the topic.
It certainly is not my intention to have a debate about the merits or existence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit here for several reasons. First, I am personally baptized in the Holy Spirit. I speak with other tongues. I frequently prophesy. I operate in discerning of spirits gift. My wife is a prophetess. My kids prophesy to me before they go to sleep at night. I have plenty of evidence of the power of that baptism in my life, and I’m not interested in hearing a heady, contorted, academic debate about something I know to be real. Second, I believe that the “all flesh” thing hasn’t come to completion yet, and when it does, there won’t be any debate.
See some other cool Basic Training posts and get started on becoming a combat soldier for God.
