The indwelling of the Holy Spirit can be defined as a one-time event where the Holy Spirit takes permanent residence in the body of a believer. Jesus makes this clear in John 14:17 (NLT) “He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.”

Likewise, Paul affirms this truth in 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (NLT) Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. These verses make it clear that every person who puts their faith in Jesus and accepts Him as Lord and Savior receives the Holy Spirit, who dwells within them permanently.

When does this indwelling occur?

We receive the Holy Spirit the moment we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior. Ephesians 1:13 (NIV) says, And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, and 1 Corinthians 12:13 (NIV) states, For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free —and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. These verses say that all of us have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. John 14:16 NLT says, And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you which proves that the indwelling of the Spirit of God is permanent.