Is the Holy Spirit Present in Unbelievers? The Biblical Answer

Published On: July 4, 2025

Can someone who doesn’t believe in Jesus Christ have the Holy Spirit living inside them? This question strikes at the heart of what it means to be saved. The answer shapes how we understand conversion, assurance, and the very nature of the Christian life.

The Bible’s answer is clear: No, unbelievers do not have the Holy Spirit’s indwelling. While the Spirit works in the world and even influences unbelievers, He only takes up permanent residence in those who belong to Christ.

WHAT SCRIPTURE SAYS ABOUT THE SPIRIT’S INDWELLING

The New Testament draws a sharp line between believers and unbelievers when it comes to the Holy Spirit’s presence. Paul couldn’t be more direct: “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ” (Romans 8:9). This isn’t a suggestion—it’s a defining characteristic of what makes someone a Christian.

Jesus Himself made this distinction clear. Speaking to His disciples about the Spirit, He said the world “cannot receive him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you” (John 14:17). The Spirit dwells with believers in a way that’s simply not available to unbelievers.

Paul reinforces this throughout his letters. He tells the Corinthians their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19)—not because they’re human, but because they’re believers. In Ephesians, he describes the Spirit as the “seal” and “guarantee” of our inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14), marking out those who truly belong to God.

The pattern is consistent: the Spirit’s indwelling is tied directly to faith and salvation. Paul asks the Galatians, “Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?” (Galatians 3:2). When Paul encountered disciples in Ephesus who seemed to lack something essential, his diagnostic question was simple: “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (Acts 19:2).

THE SPIRIT’S ROLE IN MAKING CHRISTIANS

The Holy Spirit doesn’t just move into believers after they’re saved—He’s the one who makes them believers in the first place. Jesus told Nicodemus that being “born of the Spirit” is essential for entering God’s kingdom (John 3:5-8). Paul explains the Spirit regenerates us, washing us and renewing us (Titus 3:5).

This creates what theologians call the “golden chain” of salvation: God elects, calls, regenerates through the Spirit, grants faith, justifies, and sanctifies. The Spirit’s indwelling happens at regeneration, which produces faith. An unbeliever, by definition, hasn’t experienced this regenerative work.

BUT WHAT ABOUT SAUL IN THE OLD TESTAMENT?

This is where some people get confused. Didn’t King Saul have the Holy Spirit, even though he clearly wasn’t a believer? Samuel tells us “the Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul” (1 Samuel 10:10), and later that “the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul” (1 Samuel 16:14). If the Spirit was in Saul, doesn’t that challenge the Reformed position?

Not at all. Here’s why the Old Testament examples don’t contradict New Testament teaching:

The Old Testament Spirit-work was fundamentally different. In the Old Covenant, the Spirit came upon people temporarily to empower them for specific tasks—usually leadership roles like prophet, priest, or king. This was empowerment for office, not indwelling for salvation.
Saul’s experience proves this point. The Spirit came upon Saul to equip him for kingship, not to regenerate his heart. We know this because the Spirit later departed from him—something that never happens to believers in the New Covenant. Moreover, Saul’s subsequent rebellion and spiritual deterioration show no evidence of the heart transformation that accompanies true conversion.
The New Covenant is different by design. The Old Testament actually promised this change. Jeremiah spoke of a new covenant where God would write His law on people’s hearts (Jeremiah 31:31-34). Ezekiel promised God would give people new hearts and put His Spirit within them (Ezekiel 36:26-27). Joel prophesied that God would pour out His Spirit on all flesh (Joel 2:28-29)—a promise Peter said was fulfilled at Pentecost.

Think of it this way: in the Old Testament, the Spirit came upon people briefly. In the New Testament, the Spirit becomes part of believers’ spiritual DNA—permanent, internal, and transformative.

THE CRUCIAL DISTINCTION: WORKING ON VS. LIVING IN

This doesn’t mean the Holy Spirit is inactive in the world or completely absent from unbelievers’ lives. Reformed theology has always recognised the Spirit works broadly through what we call “common grace.” He restrains evil, convicts people of sin, and enables them to do good works and appreciate beauty and truth.

But there’s a world of difference between the Spirit working on someone and the Spirit living in someone. The Spirit can influence, convict, and even empower unbelievers without taking up permanent residence in them. It’s the difference between a guest who visits your house and a family member who lives there.

IS THE HOLY SPIRIT PRESENT IN UNBELIEVERS? THE BIBLE ‘S CLEAR VERDICT

Scripture consistently teaches the Holy Spirit’s indwelling is the exclusive privilege of believers. This isn’t spiritual elitism—it’s the biblical definition of what makes someone a Christian. The Spirit doesn’t just help Christians; He makes them Christians.

Old Testament examples like Saul don’t contradict this teaching because they operated under a different covenant arrangement. The temporary, task-specific empowerment of the Old Testament gave way to the permanent, life-transforming indwelling of the New Testament.

The question isn’t whether the Spirit is working in the world—He clearly is. The question is whether someone has been born again, regenerated by the Spirit, and brought into the family of God. Only then does the Spirit take up permanent residence.

Paul’s diagnostic question remains relevant today: “Do you have the Spirit of Christ?” If the answer is yes, you belong to Christ. If the answer is no, you don’t—yet. But the gospel promise remains: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). And when someone truly calls on Christ, the Spirit comes to stay.

IS THE HOLY SPIRIT PRESENT IN UNBELIEVERS? RELATED FAQs

What about Jesus’ teaching that the Spirit “convicts the world of sin” (John 16:8)? Doesn’t this require the Spirit to be present in unbelievers? The Spirit’s conviction of sin is part of His external work, not His indwelling presence. Contemporary Reformed scholar Michael Horton explains the Spirit works through the preached Word to convict unbelievers externally, much like a prosecutor presents evidence in court without residing in the defendant. This conviction can be resisted and rejected, unlike the regenerative work that produces faith.

How do we explain the Spirit’s role in human creativity and moral behaviour among unbelievers? Reformed theology attributes these to “common grace”—the Spirit’s restraining and enabling work that benefits all humanity without saving anyone. John Frame notes that the Spirit enables unbelievers to create beautiful art, show kindness, and pursue justice as part of God’s providential care for creation. However, these works, while good, don’t flow from a regenerated heart and can’t merit salvation.
What’s the difference between the Spirit’s “sealing” and “filling”? RC Sproul taught that every believer is sealed by the Spirit at conversion as a permanent mark of ownership, but filling refers to the Spirit’s ongoing control and empowerment in the believer’s life. The sealing is once-for-all and irreversible, while filling can fluctuate based on the believer’s obedience and surrender. Unbelievers experience neither sealing nor filling, though they may feel the Spirit’s conviction.

Can someone have temporary faith and temporarily receive the Spirit, only to lose salvation later? The Westminster Confession, distinguishes between temporary and saving faith. Sinclair Ferguson argues temporary faith is merely intellectual assent that may be accompanied by emotional experiences, but it lacks the Spirit’s regenerative work. True believers may have assurance struggles, but they cannot lose the Spirit’s indwelling because it’s tied to God’s eternal election, not human perseverance.

How do we respond to Pentecostal claims that Spirit-baptism is separate from salvation? Reformed theologians like JI Packer argue Spirit-baptism occurs at conversion, not as a separate experience. Paul tells the Corinthians “we were all baptised by one Spirit into one body” (1 Corinthians 12:13), referring to all believers, not just some. What Pentecostals call “baptism in the Spirit,” Reformed theology typically identifies as the Spirit’s filling or various gifts manifestations in already-indwelt believers.
What about Near-Death Experiences where unbelievers report spiritual encounters? Could this be the Spirit’s work? Scholars like Sam Storms acknowledge the Spirit can work in extraordinary ways to bring people to faith, including through dramatic experiences. However, such experiences must be evaluated by Scripture and their fruits. If they lead to genuine repentance and faith in Christ, they may represent the Spirit’s calling work. If they don’t result in biblical conversion, they’re likely either natural phenomena or deceptive spiritual experiences.

How do we view religious unbelievers who seem to have spiritual experiences within false religions? Reformed theology, following Calvin’s teaching in the Institutes, acknowledges Satan can produce counterfeit spiritual experiences that feel genuine. Kevin DeYoung notes religious experiences, even intense ones, don’t necessarily indicate the Holy Spirit’s presence. The Spirit’s true work always points to Christ and produces fruit consistent with Scripture. Religious unbelievers may have profound experiences, but without the Spirit’s regenerative indwelling, these experiences cannot lead to salvation.

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