Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Two factors involved in this verse:
First: The immediately preceding context confines the primary application to behavior, just as the following context relates the “filled” believer to the fellowship of believers.
Second: The imagery stresses control of the behavior by the Holy Spirit – contrasted by being filled with intoxicating drink behavior.
Filling and baptism
Filling is not synonymous with baptism of the Spirit (1 Cor 12:12-14; Eph 4:5), since all believers are baptized into the body of Christ but not all are filled with the Spirit. Filling of the Spirit is not equal to or subsequent to speaking in tongues since some were said to be filled with the Spirit yet never spoke in tongues (Lu 1:15, 41; 4:1). Paul, Stephen and Peter were filled on differing occasions (Acts 13:9; 2:4; 4:8, 31; 7:55). The filling with the Spirit appears to give the one filled a special endowment of words, boldness or recall to honor the Lord or speak to those opposing God’s work. It gives a Godly or God-like behavior as opposed to a devil-like behavior when filled with alcohol.
Some passages equate it with power (Acts 1:8; Ro 15:13; 1 Thes 1:5); others to wisdom (Col 1:9-11; Phil 1:9; Col 3:15-17).
Four evidences in the text
Our text lists four evidences of the Spirit’s filling: 1) songs of praise; 2) personal singing and melody in our hearts; 3) thanksgiving; 4) voluntary submission to one another in the Lord.
Since the Spirit distributes gifts to believers for the purpose of building the body of Christ, it stands to reason that being filled with the Spirit is designed to enhance and stimulate the ministry of believers to one another and to unbelievers. It also enhances the personal awareness of the goodness of God and our personal joy in Christ.
Singing is also involved and it expresses the singing of hymns and spiritual songs. This type of singing is completely the opposite of what many churches use today so they might “inspire” the people to worship God. Too often those who try to use worldly music try to force people into behavior that is neither godly nor according to their personality – the Holy Spirit always allows us to be our self.