Ephesians 5:18 - Spiritual Intoxication.

Eph.5:18: Spiritual Intoxication.

Eph 5:18 (KJV)  And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess;
but be filled with the Spirit;

The outward effects of drinking wine and being filled with the
Spirit are sufficiently similar that Paul connects them (see Acts
2:13-18). The Spirit gives true expression; the wine, unreliable
exhilaration. [Jamieson, Fausset, And Brown Commentary]

It's no accident that alcoholic beverages are often called
"spirits." Why? Because the feeling many people want alcohol to give them
is ultimately spiritual - joy, freedom, serenity, contentment. But
as we know, the way to find that feeling is to be filled not with
"spirits," but with the Spirit of God. [Life Recovery Devotional SB]

People of the world try to escape from the dreariness of their
everyday existence by seeking an alcoholic high. Paul said find that
escape through the Spirit. Let Him lift you. Let Him make life fresh
and new.  You won't even have a hangover! [The 365-Day Devotional
Commentary]

We might paraphrase, don't live under the influence of alcohol
but under the influence of the Spirit. [Victor Bible Reader's
Companion]

The Greek present tense is used to indicate that the filling of
the Spirit is not a once-for-all experience. Repeatedly, as the
occasion requires, the Spirit empowers for worship, service and
testimony. . . .When he speaks here of being filled with the Spirit and
when he speaks in Colossians of being under the rule of the peace of
Christ and indwelt by the "word" of Christ, he means to be under God's
control. [NIV SB]

Spiritual Intoxication: This passages makes a striking
comparison between being drunk with wine and being filled with the Holy
Spirit. When an individual is intoxicated, his body and mind are
controlled by the alcoholic substance. In the same way, when believers are
intoxicated with the Holy Spirit, their body and mind are controlled by God.
Rather than escaping reality with drugs and alcohol, Christians are
admonished to "get high on God." When we are filled with the Holy Spirit,
our attitudes are under his control, and our actions demonstrate his
love. [Small Group SB]

The filling of the Spirit is to be continually experienced, as
the present tense verb would affirm. Special fillings occur in times
of need for particular spiritual prowess. [Believer's SB]

Paul has taught in this epistle that all believers are sealed
with the Spirit when they believe (1:13-14; 4:30), but not all are
filled, since that depends on yieldedness to God's will (v. 17).
"Filling" describes an experience that can be repeated (Acts 2:4; 4:31),
and here, as in Acts, it is connected with joy, courage,
spirituality, and Christian character. [Ryrie SB]

A believer can never obtain more of the Holy Spirit, for he
indwells the Christian's life in all his fullness. But the Holy Spirit
can get more of the believer; that is, he can exercise complete
control of the life that is yielded to him. [Wycliffe Bible Commentary]

Believers are commanded to be filled constantly with the Holy
Spirit. Each Christian has all the Spirit, but the command here is that
the Spirit have all of him. The wise walk, then, is one that is
characterized by the Holy Spirit's control. [Bible Knowledge Commentary]

As a believer is yielded to the Lord and controlled by Him, he
increasingly manifests the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). [Bible
Knowledge Commentary]

Note the evidences of a Spirit-filled life: joy (v. 19),
gratitude (v. 20), obedience (v. 21ff). Compare Col. 3:15-17 and you will
see that when Christians are filled with the Word of God they will
have the same characteristics. In other words, to be filled with the
Spirit of God means to be controlled by the Word of God. The marks of a
Spirit-filled Christian are not unusual emotional experiences, miracles, and
tongues, but rather Christian character. [Wiersbe Expository Outlines]

How can I be filled with the Spirit?  While the Holy Spirit
lives in every Christian, Christians are not always filled with the
Spirit - living continually under the influence and control of the
Spirit. When Christians choose out of love to yield completely to the
Lord, obeying his commands and asking the Holy Spirit to direct their
lives, this filling occurs. This should be an ongoing experience, not
something that happens only once. [Quest SB]

The Bible offers a powerful alternative to drinking. Paul
contrasts getting drunk with wine, which produces a temporary "high," to
being filled with the Spirit, which produces lasting joy. Getting
drunk with wine is associated with the old way of life and its selfish
desires. In Christ, we have a better joy, higher and longer lasting, to
cure our depression, monotony, or tension. We should not be concerned
with how much of the Holy Spirit we have, but how much of us the Holy
Spirit has. Submit yourself daily to his leading and draw constantly on
his power. [Life Application SB]

Be filled with the Spirit is a command to be obeyed, not an
option for the Christian. "Be filled" is a present tense meaning "go on
being filled with the Spirit." It is also plural; all believers are to
"be filled."  The image is of a container so full that there is no
room for anything else. The Spirit-filled Christian is so given over
to the Spirit's leadership that other conflicting influences have
no place. [Passages Of Life SB]

1 Th 5:17 (KJV)  Pray without ceasing.

Micah 6:8c (KJV) ..Walk humbly with thy God.