The city of Ephesus in ancient times was known for a festival in which they would worship a false god called Bacchus. Bacchus was the god of wine, and their worship involved rampant drunkenness. The first century Ephesian believers that Paul wrote to knew all too well the effects of being “drunk with wine,” yet the Holy Spirit chose to use that imagery to explain an important truth about how He works in our lives.
When you are sober, your God-given ability to reason stops you from blindly following the impulsive desires of your flesh. When you are drunk, you don’t think things through properly. You don’t think about the consequences of your actions, but instead you do what you feel like doing at any given moment. People who are drunk are more likely to do things that will hurt themselves and hurt others. The more drunk one becomes, the worse it gets. That is why the Bible is crystal clear about avoiding intoxicating substances. (Proverbs 20:1)
The Holy Spirit has the exact opposite effect in our lives. When we are under His influence, we are controlled by God’s desires and the desires of our flesh are inhibited. This is the concept known as the filling of the Spirit. Just like the unbelievers in Ephesus would fill themselves with their “god” and then behave horribly as they were “under the influence,” believers are to be filled with the Spirit and behave according to His influence. As Christians, we should be “filled with the Spirit,” (Ephesians 5:18) allowing Him to influence every part of our life.