Spirit of God: 52 key verses by theme

A hand-picked set of 52 verses from 20 books of the Bible, arranged in 10 groups: The Spirit Foretold, The Spirit and Christ, Pentecost & the Outpouring, Filled, Sealed, Indwelling, Walking & Praying in the Spirit, The Fruit of the Spirit, The Gifts of the Spirit, The Comforter, Intercession & Witness and Grieving, Quenching, Resisting. Each verse is in the King James Version, with a link to read it in context.

The Spirit Foretold

The Spirit is present from creation onward, and the prophets promise a day when He is given permanently and universally.

Genesis 1:2

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Job 33:4

The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.
Psalm 104:30

Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.
Numbers 11:29

And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD’S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!
Isaiah 44:3

For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
Joel 2:28In context: Joel 2:28-29

And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
Zechariah 12:10

And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

The Spirit and Christ

The same Spirit active in creation conceives, descends on, anoints, and empowers Jesus.

Luke 4:18

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Acts 10:38

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Romans 1:4

And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
John 1:32In context: John 1:32-33

And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

Pentecost & the Outpouring

The promise of a poured-out Spirit is historically fulfilled at Pentecost, inaugurating my life in the Spirit.

Acts 1:8

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Acts 2:4In context: Acts 2:1-4

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:33

Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
Acts 2:38

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Acts 19:2

He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.

Filled, Sealed, Indwelling

The Spirit is not only poured out corporately but personally given, indwelling, and marking me as God’s own.

John 20:22

And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
Romans 5:5

And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Romans 8:9In context: Romans 8:9-10

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Romans 8:11

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
1 Corinthians 3:16

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
2 Corinthians 1:22

Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
Galatians 4:6

And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Ephesians 1:13

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Ephesians 5:18

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

Walking & Praying in the Spirit

The Spirit is the ongoing sphere in which I conduct my moral life and my prayer.

Romans 8:4In context: Romans 8:4-6

That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Romans 8:14In context: Romans 8:13-14

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Galatians 5:16

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Galatians 5:25

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Galatians 6:8

For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
Ephesians 6:18

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Philippians 3:3

For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
Jude 1:20

But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

The Fruit of the Spirit

The Spirit produces one moral character in me, not the many fragmented works of the flesh.

Galatians 5:17

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Galatians 5:22In context: Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

The Gifts of the Spirit

The same Spirit distributes a diversity of gifts to me, to build up the whole body.

1 Corinthians 12:4

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:7

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
1 Corinthians 12:11

But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
Hebrews 2:4

God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

The Comforter

Jesus names the Spirit as His replacement presence, the Comforter and Spirit of truth.

John 14:17

Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
John 14:26

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 16:13

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Intercession & Witness

The Spirit actively prays for me, confirms my adoption, and testifies about Christ.

Romans 8:16

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Romans 8:26In context: Romans 8:26-27

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
John 15:26

But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
1 Corinthians 2:10In context: 1 Corinthians 2:10-11

But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
Hebrews 10:15

Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,

Grieving, Quenching, Resisting

The Spirit is a person who can be resisted, grieved, and quenched, not a force.

Isaiah 63:10

But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.
Ephesians 4:30

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
1 Thessalonians 5:19

Quench not the Spirit.
Acts 7:51

Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
Matthew 12:31In context: Matthew 12:31-32

Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.