The Anointing of the Holy Spirit: What It Means and Why You Need It

My First paragraph with boJesus did not come simply to save us from sin and leave us to figure out the rest on our own. He came with a full ministry, and one of the most overlooked parts of that ministry is the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Understanding what that anointing really means, and why it matters for your everyday life, could change everything.

What Did Jesus Say He Came to Do?

In Luke chapter 4, Jesus stood up in the synagogue in Nazareth and read from the scroll of Isaiah. He declared:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." - Luke 4:18-19

This passage outlines five foundational ministries of Jesus: salvation, inner healing, liberty, physical healing, and anointing. The first line, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me because He has anointed Me," is the one that often gets passed over. But it is the foundation for everything else He did.

What Does "Anointed" Actually Mean?

In the Greek, the word for anoint used in Luke 4 is chrio, which means to rub or smear with oil thoroughly. It is not a small dab. In the Hebrew, the word for anoint is mashak, and it is almost always paired with the word yatsak, which means to pour.

Throughout the Old Testament, anointing was never a small gesture. Jacob poured oil over an entire stone pillar in Genesis 28. Moses poured oil over Aaron's head when anointing him as priest. Samuel poured oil over Saul when he was made king over Israel.

In the New Testament, a woman broke open an alabaster flask and poured costly oil over Jesus. Historians believe it may have been a full year's wages worth of oil. The disciples were upset at the waste, but Jesus said:

"For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial." - Matthew 26:12

The point is this: to be anointed is to be thoroughly covered, rubbed, smeared, and poured upon. It is not a light touch.

If Jesus Needed the Holy Spirit, So Do You

Jesus did not do His ministry in His own strength. He did it through the power of the Holy Spirit. Acts 10:38 makes this clear:

"How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him." - Acts 10:38

If Jesus, the Son of God, operated through the anointing of the Holy Spirit, then it stands to reason that we cannot do what He has called us to do without that same anointing. Jesus Himself said in Luke 24 that His disciples were to wait in Jerusalem until they were "endued with power from on high" before going out to be His witnesses.

The Greek word for endued is nduo, which means to be clothed or covered. Jesus was telling them to wait until the power of the Holy Spirit was all over them, like clothing covering every part of them.

Why Does the Devil Hate the Anointing?

The enemy works hard to give the Holy Spirit a bad reputation. He creates confusion, fear, and negative associations around any church or believer that talks about the moving of the Holy Spirit. The reason is simple: he cannot stop it. He is powerless against the power of God.

Many churches have grieved and shut out the Holy Spirit because of fear of what people might think. The result is powerless Christianity. But the apostles, the disciples, and the early church all operated in the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul even wrote letters giving instruction on how it should be conducted in gatherings. This is not fringe theology. It is New Testament Christianity.

What Does It Mean to Be Baptized in the Holy Spirit?

All four Gospels record John the Baptist pointing to Jesus as the one who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.

"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." - Matthew 3:11

The Greek word for baptize is baptizo, meaning to immerse or submerge. One of the earliest recorded uses of this word comes from a Greek poet and physician named Nicander, around 200 B.C., who used it in a recipe for making pickles. He wrote that the vegetable should first be dipped in boiling water and then baptized in the vinegar solution. He noted that the act of baptizing the vegetable produces a permanent change.

That is exactly what the baptism of the Holy Spirit does. It produces a permanent change. Not perfection, but a deep, lasting transformation from the inside out.

Can You Be Anointed More Than Once?

Yes. In Acts chapter 2, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples in the upper room. But in Acts chapter 4, after Peter and John were released from prison, the same group of believers gathered and prayed again:

"And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness." - Acts 4:31

These were the same people who had already been filled in Acts 2. They needed to be filled again. Psalm 92:10 captures this well when David says, "I have been anointed with fresh oil."

You cannot run indefinitely on oil you received years ago. Just as a car engine needs regular oil changes to avoid friction and damage, believers need fresh oil. Fresh anointing. A fresh filling of the Holy Spirit.

What Were the Last Words Jesus Spoke Before He Ascended?

The last words someone speaks before they leave carry weight. The last words Jesus communicated before ascending to heaven were about the Holy Spirit:

"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." - Acts 1:8

He did not say go and try your best. He said wait for power. The power to be a real witness, to do what He has called you to do, comes from the anointing and baptism of the Holy Spirit. You cannot do it in your own strength.

Life Application

This week, stop trying to do life, ministry, parenting, work, and relationships in your own strength. Ask Jesus, the baptizer, to anoint you with fresh oil. Whether you have never received the baptism of the Holy Spirit or you have been running on an old filling for too long, take time this week to get alone with God and ask Him to pour out His Spirit on you. He does not force Himself on anyone, but if you ask, He will give.

Ask yourself these questions as you reflect: