Isn’t there something magical about a campfire under the stars? Wood crackles and pops as flames dance on a cool, dark night. The light draws people to gather and enjoy the warmth. It creates a sense of connectedness among those who savor the glow together—especially on a chilly evening.
For the past few years I’ve enjoyed participating in this nightly ritual on our church’s annual mission to Mexico. The temperatures were especially cold on this spring’s trip, so gathering around the campfire was even more enticing. At the end of each evening, the only way to encourage the students to return to their tents was to douse the flames. As buckets of water poured out, steam hissed, rising with plumes of smoke from the quenched fire. Once the water extinguished the flames, everyone scattered to seek warmth zipped inside tents and nestled in sleeping bags.
This image of fire makes me think of the Holy Spirit, often characterized as fire in the pages of Scripture. Acts 2 provides the most obvious example of this: “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” (Acts 2:1-4, NIV)
Although we no longer see actual flames on our heads, followers of Jesus still have the fire of the Holy Spirit living within us. And just like a campfire, we can stoke the flame of the Spirit, or squelch it. That’s why Paul includes such specific and clear instructions in Ephesians 4 for how to walk worthy of our calling. He says: “And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30, NLT)
Paul follows this statement with some pointed commands:“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32, NLT)
Paul makes similar statements elsewhere in Scripture: “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22, NIV)
Jesus promises that once the Spirit enters our lives, He never leaves. He says to His disciples, “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” (John 15:15-17, NIV) Don’t miss that first part– the way we show Jesus we love Him is by obeying His commands. This lays the foundation for Paul’s admonishing us to walk in a manner worthy of our calling (Ephesians 4:1).
So, what does obedience look like? How do we avoid grieving the Spirit who lives within us? According to these passages, it has everything to do with how we live—our mindsets, the choices we make, and the way we treat others. Bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, slander, and contempt have no place in the lives of authentic followers of Jesus. Instead, we’re called to be characterized by kindness, tender heartedness, and forgiveness. We’re urged to reject evil and embrace good.
While I could list many examples and scenarios to illustrate these principles, I think your time would be more wisely spent inviting the Lord to search your heart to make this personal. Consider slowing down and creating mental space to be quiet in His presence. Pause and ask God to show you if there are ways you’re grieving or quenching His Spirit in your life. Give Him permission to reveal any attitudes or perspectives you’ve adopted that dishonor Him. Let Him shine a light on your behavior toward others that grieves His heart.
As the Lord brings specific sins to mind, confess them to Him and cancel permission for the enemy to use them as an access point in your life any longer. Command any darkness or evil to leave and invite the Holy Spirit to come and expand His presence in your life.1
There’s no way to succeed in walking worthy of Christ by trying harder on our own strength, but with confession and repentance, we’ll experience refreshment from the Lord (Acts 3:19). Conclude your prayer time with worship by praying the lyrics of “Rest on Us.” Click below to listen.
This is the final post in my Ephesians 4 summer series on walking worthy of Jesus. Don’t miss my new series on the book of Acts this fall and winter.
1. Inspired by Tim Hughes’ sermon, “Are You Hungry?” Park Hill Church Podcast, August 6, 2023. Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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