How to Activate the Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Unleashing Their Divine Potential

Part 6 of 8 by Don Bell | ⏱️ 14 minute read

Knowing how to activate the gifts of the Holy Spirit is the vital next step after unlocking their potential, building upon the principles we explored in Part 5. Now, it is time to move from intellectual understanding to spiritual implementation, from dormant potential to active power.

Through practical exercises and sound biblical principles, you will learn how to cooperate with the Holy Spirit to use these supernatural abilities. This hands-on guide is designed to help you step confidently into the realm where God operates.

Unleashing the Power: Moving from Potential to Manifestation

Just before Jesus ascended to Heaven, He commanded His followers not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for the Promise of the Father — the baptism with the Holy Spirit, a powerful encounter where God fills believers with His presence and power for service.

Jesus says, "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).

The Greek word δύναμις (dynamis) means "miraculous power." Jesus explains that after you have received the baptism with the Spirit, this miraculous power will come upon you whenever the gifts of the Spirit need to be exercised.

The fullness of the Spirit is for service; it enables you to do the works of Jesus and draw people to Him. It's meant to build up the Body of Christ (the worldwide community of believers) and advance God's Kingdom by bringing His love and power to others.

To understand how this power operates in our lives, let's examine how Jesus Himself received and walked in the Holy Spirit's empowerment.

Following Jesus' Example: The Pattern for Spirit-Filled Ministry

We read in Scripture, "When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, 'You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased'" (Luke 3:21–22).

Afterward, Scripture says, "Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil" (Luke 4:1–2).

The Greek word πειράζω (peirazō) can mean "to tempt" or "to test" — to try someone, whether to entice them to sin or to discover how they will behave in certain situations.

The Testing That Precedes Ministry

The Holy Spirit led Jesus into a place of solitude where He fasted and prayed while having His faith tested in preparation for ministry. That being the case, how can we expect the Holy Spirit to lead us into ministry situations without the testing of our faith?

James, the brother of Jesus, writes, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing" (James 1:2–4).

Building Proficiency Through Faith and Practice

This patience means patient continuance, constancy, and cheerful endurance under pressure — attributes needed when exercising the gifts of the Spirit. Proficiency in the gifts comes with a cost:

1. You must build yourself up in faith by praying in tongues (Jude 20).
   
2. You must make yourself available to be led by the Holy Spirit.
   
3. You must step out in faith each time you exercise a gift of the Spirit.

Trust the Holy Spirit to start you ministering slowly and as you gain experience, He'll reward you with greater responsibility. Scripture says, "But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil" (Hebrews 5:14).

Paul urges, "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?" (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Paul speaks from experience. When you know beyond any shadow of doubt that Jesus Christ is in you, you also know the Holy Spirit is in you with all nine of His gifts ready to be activated. When you're filled with the Holy Spirit, you don't just have a part of Him; you have all of Him, including His gifts.

After Jesus was tested in the wilderness, Scripture says, "Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee" (Luke 4:14). Similarly, once you understand how to activate the gifts of the Holy Spirit and make yourself available for His purposes, you have the same power of the Spirit (dynamis) that Jesus had.

Unwrapping the Nine Gifts: Understanding Your Spiritual Arsenal

Being filled with the Holy Spirit is like receiving one huge gift with nine smaller gifts inside it. While that's oversimplifying, you get the picture. To further clarify: each of the nine gifts is contained within the one large gift.

Learning how to activate the gifts of the Holy Spirit is as simple as opening (activating) the gifts, one at a time, and you have all nine gifts to open. Each time you exercise a gift of the Spirit, you are opening a gift, and Jesus is patiently waiting for you to open them all by faith as they're needed. It's just like that!

The Tragedy of Unused Gifts

This same principle of receiving versus truly using applies to our spiritual gifts. Jesus gave us His Spirit to empower us with nine supernatural gifts for doing His works. While these gifts are freely available, they require our willingness to receive and activate them through faith. He will never force these gifts on us.

Some believers have limited themselves by using just one or two gifts, often choosing those that feel more comfortable or less controversial. However, God invites us to embrace the complete range of spiritual gifts, each serving a unique purpose in blessing others and advancing His kingdom. Since Jesus paid a tremendous price to make these gifts available, let's faithfully respond by using them in love to serve and bless those around us.

Once we understand that these gifts are already ours to receive, the next question naturally arises: Who actually operates these gifts — God or us?

Partnering with the Holy Spirit: Understanding Your Role

Believers exercise the gifts of the Spirit, not God, yet it's the Holy Spirit who empowers. This is an important concept to grasp, and once understood, you will have greater confidence in knowing how to activate the gifts of the Holy Spirit and begin exercising them.

Carefully consider the following Scripture with an open heart and mind. Paul writes, "For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets" (1 Corinthians 14:31–32). That is, our human spirit is subject to us.

You Exercise the Gifts, God Empowers Them

God didn't make us robots! He gives us the prophetic message, but we do the prophesying. We choose to exercise the gift or not. The same working principle applies to all the gifts of the Spirit:

• Scripture says, "And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him" (Acts 28:8).
  
  Who healed the father of Publius? Scripture says that Paul did — "Paul ... prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him" — through the power of the Holy Spirit.
• Scripture says, "Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon's, greatly amazed. So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: 'Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?'" (Acts 3:11–12).
  
  Peter acknowledged that he and John had made the man walk, but he was careful to add that it wasn't through their own power or goodness but through the powerful presence (anointing) of the Holy Spirit.

As mentioned earlier, Jesus promised we would do His works (John 14:12), and the gifts of the Spirit make this possible. Since Jesus has placed the gifts under your control, you can choose to use them or not.

The Holy Spirit's Gifts Versus Counterfeit Manifestations

The Holy Spirit will never control your actions or force you to use His gifts. In contrast, someone delivering a demonic message under forced utterance feels they have no choice but to speak. The Holy Spirit's gifts are operated in love and by freedom of choice in sharp contrast to the counterfeit. God only gives good gifts!

James writes, "Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning" (James 1:16–17).

Overcoming the Fear of Mistakes While Growing in Experience

When believers are learning to use the Holy Spirit's gifts, it's normal that mistakes will be made; this is no surprise to the Holy Spirit. Even believers who are seasoned in exercising the gifts — actively stepping out to use them — can make the occasional mistake.

Paul writes, "For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away" (1 Corinthians 13:9–10). Until Jesus returns at the last trumpet, and we are all raised and changed forever, we can only exercise the gifts in part. We don't have the capacity to manifest the full, complete work of the Holy Spirit.

Scripture indicates that we "have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come" (Hebrews 6:5). Just imagine: as we exercise the gifts of the Spirit, we are only experiencing a taste of the abilities that will be fully available when God's Kingdom is fully revealed. Until that time, we must faithfully exercise the gifts in part, according to God's plan.

Understanding that we operate with partial ability should free us from perfectionism, but for many believers who are learning how to activate the gifts, a deeper issue remains: fear of the supernatural itself.

Moving from Fear to Faith: Embracing God's Supernatural Realm

I've had believers ask, "Okay, I agree the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit are in the Bible and that Paul encourages us to use them, but do we really need them?" Often, such questions reflect an underlying concern about stepping into supernatural experiences. Believers naturally feel uneasy about the otherworldly nature of the gifts and wonder how to gain confidence in using them.

As Christians, we must embrace the supernatural realm where God's power operates. Consider Jesus' virgin birth, sacrificial death on the cross, physical resurrection from the dead, and bodily ascension into Heaven — all are supernatural events demanding acceptance by faith.

Lack of information leads to unease and misunderstanding. That's why Paul instructed the church at Corinth concerning the gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12). Once believers gain a practical understanding of what the gifts are and how to activate them, especially the gift of discerning of spirits, they'll no longer fear the supernatural. They'll eagerly embrace the gifts to do the works of Jesus and advance God's Kingdom in everyday life.

How to Activate the Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Overcoming Barriers

There are various reasons why many believers are not walking in the nine gifts of the Spirit, and we have already examined several of them. Yet one additional and underlying reason deserves our attention: the lack of clear, consistent teaching provided by church leadership.

The Farmer Who Never Tasted His Fruit

Some leaders are still discovering these gifts for themselves. As their understanding and personal experience grow, they become better equipped to share and teach others. Scripture reminds us, "The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things" (2 Timothy 2:6-7).

What does this mean? Imagine asking a peach grower at a farmers' market about his fruit, only to learn he has never tasted his own produce. Why would you commit to buying any?

Similarly, how can leaders hope to encourage others to walk in the gifts of the Spirit if they do not faithfully exercise them personally? They must first experience these gifts before they can effectively impart their value to other believers through example and instruction.

While fear is one obstacle to walking in the gifts of the Spirit, it is not the only one. For many leaders, the hesitation to teach on how to activate the gifts runs deeper still, often rooted in unresolved questions they have wrestled with for years. Three of the most common objections are worth examining honestly, because how leadership answers them will shape the spiritual enlightenment of every believer under their care.

Objection 1: Are Spiritual Gifts Still for Today?

Christian denominations vary significantly in their interpretation of the gifts of the Spirit and their relevance for today. Views represented by doctrines such as "Dispensationalism" and "Cessationism" hold that spiritual gifts fulfilled their primary purpose during the apostolic era and gradually ceased afterward.

However, Scripture itself makes no such distinction. By studying God's Word together and remaining open to the Holy Spirit's guidance, we can better understand His intentions for these gifts today. Just as the Bereans carefully examined the teachings they received (Acts 17:10–12), we can benefit from thoughtfully revisiting our understanding of spiritual gifts and their ongoing role in Christian life.

Objection 2: Is Teaching on Spiritual Gifts Necessary?

Some Church leaders believe teaching about spiritual gifts isn't necessary — that these gifts will naturally start to operate in believers' lives through the Holy Spirit's influence alone. However, this raises an important question: if teaching isn't necessary, why did the apostle Paul invest significant time explaining these gifts and instructing believers in their operation?

Some quote this verse: "The anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you" (1 John 2:27). However, when read in context, verse 27 exhorts believers to beware of false teachers and stand firm in the truths they've already learned — truths they had already been taught. It's not saying we don't need teaching; it's warning against abandoning sound doctrine for deceptive alternatives.

Divine revelation and sound teaching on how to activate the gifts of the Holy Spirit work together. As leaders, we shouldn't be those who "shut up the kingdom of heaven against men" by withholding instruction, or by avoiding the gifts ourselves (Matthew 23:13). Instead, let's be leaders who advance the Kingdom by throwing open its gates, addressing how to activate the gifts of the Holy Spirit in our gatherings, and inviting believers to experience everything that God offers.

Guide your congregation in discovering how to unlock spiritual gifts and use them effectively, offering both encouragement and loving correction when needed. Provide clear instruction and practical demonstration to help unlock their spiritual potential, or seek God's guidance in finding someone who can demonstrate and teach the gifts effectively.

Objection 3: Is There Space for Both Order and Freedom?

Christian leaders naturally want to ensure spiritual gifts operate in an orderly manner that honors God and builds up the Body of Christ. This desire aligns with Scripture: "Let all things be done decently and in order" (1 Corinthians 14:40).

However, this legitimate concern shouldn't prevent us from exercising the gifts of the Spirit. Balancing the spontaneous movement of the Holy Spirit with the structure of planned services is a challenge, but the example of the Early Church proves it's possible to create space for both order and spiritual freedom without quenching the Spirit.

Through sound biblical teaching and mature spiritual oversight, believers can learn to flow in their supernatural abilities while maintaining reverence and effectiveness. The key is creating an environment of trust where the gifts can flourish within biblical boundaries, allowing the Holy Spirit to move freely while preserving proper order in our gatherings.

Activating Your Spiritual Gifts Through Hunger

Beyond addressing theological objections and structural concerns, the most powerful catalyst for activating spiritual gifts is simply this: hunger for God Himself.

Jesus promises, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). Those who hunger and thirst shall be filled — filled means filled! This filling comes through the Holy Spirit with His gifts. If you have the Holy Spirit, you have His gifts!

The Holy Spirit's gifts are not lost relics of the Early Church or optional extras to choose from. They are essential tools given by the Holy Spirit to strengthen the Body of Christ and minister to a waiting world in need.

We are so used to the natural world that the supernatural aspect of the Kingdom can feel strange and unnatural. But the more we pray in tongues and exercise other gifts of the Spirit, the more living by the Spirit's guidance begins to feel normal.

This hunger, however, must move us beyond desire into action. Knowledge and longing are not enough — we must become doers.

Transitioning from Hearing to Doing: Living Out Your Gifts

We are all called to exercise the gifts of the Spirit to do the works of Jesus. We read in Scripture, "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22). We need to ask ourselves: "Am I a doer? Am I doing my part?"

Paul asks, "How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification" (1 Corinthians 14:26).

By understanding how to activate the gifts of the Holy Spirit and doing the works of Jesus as God intended, signs will follow you, people will recognize the presence of Jesus and be drawn to Him, and you will see the Kingdom of God advance.

Begin Operating in the Gifts Today

Begin exercising the gifts of the Spirit, and you'll increasingly find the Lord working through you to meet the needs of those around you. As an added benefit, you'll find your place in the Body of Christ.

Proverbs says: "A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men" (Proverbs 18:16). You'll be amazed at the opportunities you'll have to share the gospel of the Kingdom and lead people to the knowledge of Christ!

Your Next Steps: Continuing Your Journey in Spiritual Growth

Your gifts are now awakened, activated, and ready for use. But activation without exercise is like owning a car you never drive. In Part 7, we'll move from activation to application.

You'll learn the practical "how-to" of exercising these gifts in real ministry situations: in your church, your workplace, your neighborhood, and your home. I'll share guidelines for operating in the gifts with wisdom, love, and order.

You'll also discover why the nine fruits of the Spirit must accompany the nine gifts, and how to test whether a manifestation is genuinely from God. This is where theology becomes ministry.

Continue to Part 7: How to Exercise the Gifts of the Spirit: Practical Ministry Guidelines

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About the Author

Don Bell is the creator of the Kingdom Anointing website and a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ. He shares insights from his spiritual journey to encourage ordinary believers to seek God's Kingdom and walk in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

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Hi, I'm Don

Welcome! Like you, I'm an everyday believer whose life was transformed by a personal encounter with the Holy Spirit. Kingdom Anointing™ exists to help fellow believers like you build unshakeable faith, walk boldly in the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit, and step fully into your God-given destiny in the Kingdom of God. Join me on this journey — the best of what God has for you is still ahead!