145. Who Is the Holy Spirit? Understanding His Role in the Life of a Believer

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Have you ever wondered who the Holy Spirit really is? Many believers find the third person of the Trinity mysterious, abstract, or even confusing. Is He merely a force, a feeling, or something else entirely?

In this illuminating episode of the Radiant Mission Podcast, we unpack the true identity of the Holy Spirit straight from Scripture. We establish the fundamental truth that the Holy Spirit is God Himself—not an "it," not a junior version of God, and certainly not just an emotional experience. As the third person of the Trinity, He possesses a divine will, emotions, and the ability to speak, teach, and transform lives from the inside out.

We explore the profound reality that when you accept Christ, your body becomes a temple where God Himself chooses to dwell. This isn't just a theological concept but a life-changing truth that affects every aspect of your faith journey. You'll discover the difference between having the Spirit and walking with Him, and why Jesus said it was actually better for Him to leave so the Helper could come.

The conversation takes a practical turn as we discuss spiritual warfare and answer tough questions like whether a believer can have the Holy Spirit yet still be influenced by demonic forces. We clarify the distinction between the Holy Spirit who brings freedom, truth, and peace, versus other spirits that seek to manipulate, deceive, and oppress.

Whether you've been a believer for decades or are just beginning to explore faith, this episode will help you recognize the voice of the Spirit, understand His empowering presence, and experience the fruit He produces in surrendered hearts. The Holy Spirit isn't a mysterious force to fear but a divine gift to welcome. Ask Him to fill you today and watch as He transforms your relationship with God and others.

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Episode Transcript

Rebecca Twomey (00:32):
Welcome to the Radiant Mission Podcast.
My name is Rebecca Twomey andwe have been in a series called
Coffee Talk where we have beendigging into big spiritual
truths with an open Bible and anopen heart.
Today's question might be themost mysterious yet who is the

(00:55):
Holy Spirit?
For many, the Holy Spirit mightfeel abstract or even confusing
.
Is he a force?
Is he a feeling?
Is he a helper?
Is he a ghost?
In this episode, we're going toexplore who the Holy Spirit

(01:15):
really is and what the Biblesays about his identity, his
role in our lives and whyknowing him changes everything.
So let's dive in First.
The Holy Spirit is God.
We're going to start here.

(01:38):
The Holy Spirit is not an itokay.
He is a person and he is God.
He's not a junior version ofGod.
He's not a spiritual energy oran emotional experience.
He is the third person of theTrinity.
He is co-equal with God theFather and God the Son because

(02:05):
he is God.
In Acts 5, 3-4, when Ananiaslied about his offering, peter
said you have lied to the HolySpirit.
You have not just lied to humanbeings, but to God.
This verse equates the HolySpirit with God.

(02:27):
He has a will, he has emotions,he can be grieved, he speaks,
he teaches, he empowers.
The Holy Spirit isn't anoptional extra in Christianity.
He is God himself dwellingwithin us.

(02:48):
So let's talk a bit about howthe Holy Spirit dwells within
believers.
When you put your faith inJesus, you're filled with the
Holy Spirit.
He comes to live inside of you,to guide you, to transform you
and to empower you.

(03:10):
In 1 Corinthians 6.19, we aretold do you not know that your
body is a temple of the HolySpirit who is in you, whom you
have received from God?
That's mind-blowing, becauseGod is choosing to dwell in us.

(03:30):
It's not just a visit Abide, heis abiding in us.
But here's the thing it ispossible to have the Holy Spirit
yet to walk in the flesh.
That's why scripture repeatedlyurges us to walk by the Spirit

(03:53):
and not grieve him.
In Galatians 5.16,.
Walk by the Spirit and you willnot gratify the desires of the
flesh.
Gratify the desires of theflesh In Ephesians 4.30,.
And do not grieve the HolySpirit of God with whom you are
sealed for the day of redemption.
To grieve the Holy Spirit meansto sadden him, to resist his

(04:17):
work in your life.
It's like ignoring his nudges,dismissing his conviction.
His nudges dismissing hisconviction, choosing your own
way instead of his.
The Holy Spirit will neverforce himself on you.
He's always speaking and alwaysguiding, but it's up to us to
respond.
Which leads us to?
The Holy Spirit is our helperand our teacher.

(04:40):
Jesus said it was actuallybetter for him to leave because
he would send the Holy Spirit.
In John 14, 26, we're told.
But the helper, the Holy Spiritwhom the Father will send in my
name, he will teach you allthings and remind you of
everything I have told you.
The word helper here in thisverse is parakletos in Greek,

(05:05):
and it means advocate, comforter, one who comes alongside.
So the Holy Spirit teaches us,he comforts us, he convicts us
of sin and he leads us intotruth.
You never have to figure it allout alone, because the Holy
Spirit is your personal guide.

(05:25):
Now, something particularlyawesome is that the Holy Spirit
empowers us for ministry.
So the disciples had walkedwith Jesus for three years.
Us for ministry.
So the disciples had walkedwith Jesus for three years, but
Jesus told them not to doanything until they received the
Holy Spirit In Acts 1.8,.
But you will receive power whenthe Holy Spirit comes on you

(05:47):
and you will be my witnesses.
This is a really strongreminder, you guys, that the
Holy Spirit gives us power.
He gives us gifts of wisdom,healing, discernment, prophecy
and, of course, much more thanthat.
Refer to 1 Corinthians 12 formore.
He also gives us boldness, thekind that Peter had when he

(06:12):
preached and 3,000 people cameto Christ.
So you don't have to operate inyour own strength.
God empowers you with hisspirit to do what he's called
you to do.
Which then leads me to the HolySpirit producing fruit in our
lives.
As we walk with the Holy Spirit, he begins to shape our

(06:33):
character.
It's not just about spiritualgifts, it's about spiritual
fruit Galatians 5, 22 through23,.
But the fruit of the spirit isa love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

(06:53):
Those aren't things that wemanufacture on our own.
They are the natural result ofstaying connected to the Spirit.
The more time we spend with Him, the more time our lives
reflect His presence.
So let's talk about a burningquestion that's probably on your
mind and has been since I'vebeen talking about the Holy

(07:16):
Spirit, and that is the natureof the Holy Spirit.
What even is a spirit?
In scripture, a spirit refersto a non-physical being or force
, one that exists in thespiritual realm and influences

(07:36):
the physical world.
So when we say Holy Spirit,we're talking about God's own
spirit, the divine, eternal,uncreated presence of God that
moves, speaks, leads andempowers.
This is very different fromother spirits, which are often
described as unclean, deceptiveor demonic.

(07:57):
The Holy Spirit is the onlyspirit that is perfectly holy,
righteous and in total alignmentwith the will of God.
Other spirits may masquerade asgood, but their fruit reveals
their source, and while otherspirits seek to manipulate,
deceive or oppress, the HolySpirit brings freedom, truth and

(08:22):
peace to very, very distinctlydifferent things.
So let's talk a little bit aboutthe Holy Spirit and spiritual
warfare.
Because we live in a spiritualworld.
There is constant warfarehappening around us, a battle
between light and darkness.
This is why having the HolySpirit is essential.

(08:44):
He helps us discern truth fromlies, resist temptation and
stand firm against spiritualattack.
In Ephesians 6.12, we are told,for our struggle is not against
flesh and blood, but againstthe spiritual forces of evil in
the heavenly realms.

(09:04):
We have explored this topicquite a bit on this podcast.
So if you want to dive a littlebit deeper into spiritual
warfare or demons and are theyreal, check out episodes 139 and
then all the way back toepisodes three through six.

(09:24):
That was our first ever deepdive into spiritual warfare.
If you haven't heard thoseepisodes yet, they are worth the
listen, and we also are goingto be talking a little bit more
about some of this in somefuture episodes, so stay tuned.
Another big question that'soften asked is can a believer
have the Holy Spirit and stillbe influenced by demons?

(09:45):
And this is a really importantquestion and often misunderstood
question, and oftenmisunderstood.
If you have been born again,then you have the Holy Spirit.
You cannot be possessed bydemons because you belong to God
and his spirit dwells in you.
1 John 4, 4,.
Who is in you is greater thanhe is in the world.

(10:07):
But can a believer beinfluenced or oppressed?
And the answer to that is yes,especially if we're not walking
closely with the Lord.
When we tolerate sin, we believelies or we open spiritual doors
through things likeunforgiveness, cult practices or

(10:28):
habitual rebellion, we aregiving the enemy a foothold.
The Holy Spirit may still bepresent, but if we ignore him,
we grieve him and we allow otherspirits to influence our
thoughts, emotions and actions.
And that is why scripture urgesus to be sober-minded, why

(10:56):
scripture urges us to be soberminded, take every thought
captive, walk in obedience andbe filled continually with the
spirit.
So, as we close with today'sconversation on who is the Holy
Spirit, he is God dwelling in us.
He is our helper, he is ourcomforter, our teacher and our
empowerer, and he is the forceof truth and light in a world

(11:17):
full of deception.
He wants to be active in yourlife, not just in theory, but in
experience Romans 8, 11.
And if the spirit of him whoraised Jesus from the dead is
living in you, he who raisedChrist from the dead is living
in you, he who raised Christfrom the dead will also give
life to your mortal bodiesbecause of his spirit who lives

(11:40):
in you.
Some reflection questions as weclose today Am I walking by the
spirit or by my flesh?
By the Spirit or by my flesh?
Have I been grieving the HolySpirit by ignoring His voice?
Where do I need His power,guidance or comfort in my life
right now?
Do I see the fruit of theSpirit growing in me or have I

(12:06):
plateaued?
The Holy Spirit is not a forceto be feared, but a gift to be
welcomed, you guys.
So ask him to fill you today.
And if this episode was helpfulor gave you clarity, please
share it with a friend.
You never know who might needthe reminder that God is not far

(12:27):
away, that he is within reach.
Thank you so much for being onthis journey.
If you would like to stayconnected outside the podcast,
you can find us on Instagram atthe Radiant Mission, on Facebook
at the Radiant Mission Podcast,and you can also watch this in
video format on YouTube bysearching for my name, rebecca

(12:47):
Toomey, and that's spelledT-W-O-M-E-Y.
Today, I'm going to leave youwith 2 Timothy 1 14.
Guard the good deposit that wasentrusted to you.
Guard it with the help of theHoly Spirit who lives in us,
wishing you a radiant week andI'll see you next time.

(13:08):
Bye everyone.