It’s late in the night, and you’re staring at the ceiling again. The question that haunts so many Christians echoes in your mind: Am I really saved? Maybe you’ve struggled with sin lately, or your prayers feel like they’re bouncing off the ceiling, or you just don’t feel as close to God as you used to. The doubt creeps in: Do I actually have the Holy Spirit living in me?

The question of assurance has kept believers awake for centuries. But here’s the good news: Scripture gives us solid ground to stand on. We don’t have to wonder if we’re truly God’s children.

 

THE FOUNDATIONAL TRUTH: IF YOU BELIEVE, YOU HAVE THE SPIRIT

Let’s start with the most important truth in this entire discussion. Romans 8:9 puts it plainly: “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.”

Notice what Paul is saying here. He’s not giving us a maybe or a possibility. He’s stating a fact: no one belongs to Christ without having His Spirit. But here’s the flip side that brings tremendous comfort: if you belong to Christ, you absolutely DO have His Spirit dwelling in you.

There’s no such thing as a Spirit-less Christian. It’s impossible. The moment we place our faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in our hearts. Ephesians 1:13-14 tells us we were “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit” the instant we believed. Not weeks later, not after a special experience, not after we cleaned up our act—immediately.

This means we don’t need to seek a “second blessing” or wait for some dramatic spiritual experience. If we’re believers, we already have everything we need. The Spirit is already home. In us.

 

THREE BIBLICAL TESTS OF THE SPIRIT’S PRESENCE

But how can we know for sure? Scripture gives us three reliable ways to test whether the Holy Spirit is truly dwelling in you.

The Inner Witness Test: Romans 8:16 speaks of the Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God. This isn’t about emotional highs or spiritual goosebumps. It’s about a deep, settled confidence that we belong to God—even when we don’t feel particularly spiritual.

This inner witness is like a quiet voice that says, “You’re His.” It’s not always loud or dramatic. Sometimes it’s barely a whisper. But it’s there, especially when we’re honestly seeking God and examining our hearts.

So how do we distinguish this from wishful thinking? The Spirit’s witness always drives us toward Christ, never away from Him. He creates humility, not pride. He produces peace, not anxiety about our performance.

The Transformed Life Test: The Holy Spirit doesn’t just take up residence and do nothing. He transforms us from the inside out. Here are the key signs to look for:

• We’re bothered by sin in a new way. Before salvation, sin might have felt natural, even enjoyable. Now it grieves us. We don’t just fear the consequences—we hate how it offends God. This conviction isn’t condemnation; it’s the Spirit’s loving correction.
• God’s Word becomes precious to us. We find ourselves hungry for Scripture in a way we never were before. Even when reading feels difficult, there’s something in us that knows we need it. The Bible isn’t just an ancient book anymore—it’s food for our souls.
• We love other believers. This is one of the strongest evidences John mentions in his first epistle. We find ourselves drawn to God’s people, even the difficult ones. We want to fellowship and worship with them, serve alongside them, and bear their burdens.
• We’re becoming more like Christ. The change may be slow, and we may not even notice it ourselves. But over time, the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control—become more evident in our lives.

The Perseverance Test: Here’s something crucial: true believers keep believing. Even through dark nights of the soul, seasons of doubt, or times when God feels distant, genuine faith endures. The Spirit sustains that faith even when our emotions fail us.

This doesn’t mean we’ll never struggle with doubt. Some of the greatest saints in history wrestled with assurance. But if we’re still seeking God, still wanting to follow Christ, still grieved by our sin—that’s the Spirit’s work. He doesn’t let His children go.

 

WHEN DOUBTS COME: FEELINGS AREN’T FACTS

Let’s be honest: sometimes we just don’t feel saved. Our emotions are all over the place, prayer feels empty, and we wonder if God is even listening. In these moments, let’s remember this crucial truth: our feelings aren’t the facts.

The Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives doesn’t depend on how we feel about it. He’s not there on our good days and absent on our bad ones. Satan’s primary attack on believers is to make them question their salvation. We mustn’t let him win.

Some believers struggle more with assurance than others. Maybe they’re naturally introspective, or they’ve been hurt by legalistic teaching, or they’re going through a particularly difficult season. None of these things disqualify us from salvation.

But we also need to address the elephant in the room: the danger of false assurance. After all, Jesus did warn us: some folks who claim to know Him will be told, “I never knew you.” This isn’t meant to terrify genuine believers—it’s meant to wake up those who think they can live however they want as long as they prayed a prayer once.

True saving faith produces real change. If there’s no evidence of the Spirit’s transforming work in our life—no conviction over sin, no love for God’s Word, no desire for holiness—then we indeed need to examine whether our faith is genuine.

 

THE ULTIMATE GROUND: IT’S NOT ABOUT US

Here’s the most liberating truth of all: our assurance doesn’t ultimately depend on our performance. It depends on Christ’s finished work and the Father’s eternal purpose.

Let’s stop trying to feel saved. Instead, let’s believe we’re saved based on God’s promises. Our salvation doesn’t rest on the strength of our faith but on the strength of our Saviour. Christ didn’t die for us because we were good enough; He died for us because we weren’t.

Romans 8:28-30 gives us the most secure foundation for assurance. If God chose us before the foundation of the world, called us to faith, justified us in Christ, then He will glorify us. It’s not a maybe—it’s a certainty. As Paul says in Philippians 1:6, “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.”

This doesn’t make us careless about sin or indifferent to holiness. It makes us secure enough to fight sin without fear and humble enough to recognise that our standing with God never depended on our fighting in the first place.

 

THE HOLY SPIRIT’S INDWELLING: THE NEXT STEP

If we’ve read this far, let’s take a moment right now to pray. Let’s ask God to give us assurance of His Spirit’s presence in our life. Let’s confess our doubts and fears. Thank Him for the work He’s already done. And remember: He’s not waiting for you to get your act together. He’s waiting for you to trust He already has.

The Holy Spirit isn’t playing hide and seek with us. He’s not waiting for us to be good enough or spiritual enough. If we belong to Christ, He’s already there, already at work, already transforming us into the image of His Son.

That’s not just wishful thinking. That’s the promise of God.

”The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we’re children of God.” – Romans 8:16

 

THE HOLY SPIRIT’S INDWELLING: RELATED FAQs

Can someone have the Holy Spirit but lose their salvation? Reformed theology holds firmly to the perseverance of the saints—those truly indwelt by the Holy Spirit cannot lose their salvation. Joel Beeke emphasises the Spirit’s sealing work guarantees eternal security, though believers can grieve or quench the Spirit through sin. The Spirit may withdraw His felt presence as discipline, but He never abandons His people permanently.

• What’s the difference between the Holy Spirit being “with” someone versus “in” someone? Before Pentecost, the Spirit came upon people temporarily for specific tasks (like judges and prophets), but didn’t permanently indwell them. Since Christ’s ascension, every believer receives the permanent indwelling of the Spirit at conversion. This distinction explains why David prayed “do not take your Holy Spirit from me” (Psalm 51:11)—a prayer unnecessary for New Testament believers who have the Spirit’s permanent residence.
• How do Reformed scholars view the “baptism of the Holy Spirit”? Most Reformed theologians, including Sinclair Ferguson and Michael Horton, reject the Pentecostal/Charismatic teaching of a separate “baptism” experience after conversion. They argue Spirit baptism occurs at regeneration (1 Corinthians 12:13), making every believer already “Spirit-baptised.” What some call “Spirit baptism,” Reformed scholars typically describe as ongoing sanctification or special seasons of spiritual renewal.

Can unbelievers have some influence from the Holy Spirit? Yes, Reformed theology distinguishes between the Spirit’s general operations (conviction, restraining sin, cultural influence) and His special saving work (regeneration, indwelling). The Spirit convicts all people of sin (John 16:8) and restrains evil in society, but only believers experience His regenerating and indwelling presence. This explains why unbelievers can feel spiritual conviction without being converted.

• What about believers who claim they’ve never felt the Spirit’s presence? Reformed scholars emphasise the Spirit’s presence is an objective reality independent of subjective feelings. RC Sproul often taught assurance comes from God’s promises, not personal experience. Some believers have naturally less emotional temperaments or come from backgrounds that didn’t emphasize feelings, yet they possess the Spirit fully. The evidence lies in spiritual fruit and perseverance, not emotional experiences.
• How should we view speaking in tongues as evidence of the Spirit? Contemporary Reformed scholars generally take either a cessationist position (tongues ceased with the apostolic age) or a cautious continuationist view. Both camps agree tongues are not necessary evidence of the Spirit’s indwelling, contrary to classical Pentecostal teaching. Joel Beeke argues the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) provides more reliable evidence than any spiritual gift, including tongues.

What role does church membership play in confirming the Spirit’s indwelling? Reformed theology strongly emphasises the church’s role in confirming genuine conversion and the Spirit’s work. The local church, through pastoral care and mutual accountability, helps believers grow in assurance and identifies authentic spiritual fruit. Church discipline also serves to restore those who may be grieving the Spirit. Isolated Christianity, while possible, lacks the biblical pattern of community discernment that helps confirm the Spirit’s transforming work.

 

THE HOLY SPIRIT’S INDWELLING: OUR RELATED POSTS

• Before Pentecost: Did the Holy Spirit Indwell OT Believers?
• What Does it Mean to Grieve the Holy Spirit?
• Is the Holy Spirit God?
• The Inner Witness: How the Holy Spirit Assures Us of Sonship
• What Does It Mean to be Baptised in the Holy Spirit?
• When Words Fail: How the Holy Spirit Helps Us in Our Prayers