The first martyr of the early church wasn’t remembered for a violent end but for a luminous witness. In the book of Acts, Stephen stands as a living portrait of what it means to be “full of faith and of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 6:5). His story isn’t about a man losing his life; it’s about one who had already given it. Every line of his character reveals a spirit so filled, so focused on Christ, that even the stones hurled against him only scattered the light further.
Before the crowd ever turned on him, Scripture says Stephen was “full of faith and power, [and] did great wonders and miracles among the people” (Acts 6:8). Notice the order: fullness before faithfulness. Spiritual power is never the product of crisis; it’s the result of continual communion. Stephen’s life was steeped in the Word—his long defense in Acts 7 isn’t random memory, it’s revelation through remembrance. The Spirit could speak through him because the Scriptures lived within him. And that same principle holds today. When the heart is filled daily with the Word, it will overflow with wisdom at the moment it’s most needed.
Stephen didn’t speak with arrogance but with an authority born of intimacy. His wisdom was irresistible not because it was clever, but because it was consecrated. “They were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake” (Acts 6:10). That’s what it looks like when divine truth meets a yielded vessel.
When fury erupts and stones are raised, Stephen’s reaction isn’t to defend himself but to look upward. “But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55). He looks where peace still reigns. The secret of Stephen’s strength is the direction of his gaze. While others glare with hatred, he beholds his Helper. His final words echo Calvary itself: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit… Lord, lay not this sin to their charge” (Acts 7:59–60). Like his Saviour, he dies praying for his persecutors.
It’s a profound reminder that what fills us will always reveal itself under pressure. Stephen’s calm wasn’t human composure; it was the fruit of the Spirit—love, peace, and long-suffering alive in crisis. “We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image” (2 Corinthians 3:18). He had looked at Christ so long that when the moment came, he reflected Him.
The same promise that fueled Stephen is offered still: “I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes” (Ezekiel 36:27). Spirit-filled living isn’t a rare calling for the few; it’s the normal Christian life. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God” (John 1:12). Power isn’t manufactured—it’s received and maintained by abiding. “Abide in me, and I in you… for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:4-5).
We can follow Stephen’s pattern:
- Begin filled — Present your heart as a living sacrifice each morning (Romans 12:1), ask for the infilling promised (Luke 11:13), and carry one verse into your day (Psalm 119:11).
- Behold before you react — When stress rises, pause and look upward: “Lord Jesus, help me see Thee.” Let heaven’s view temper your response (Colossians 4:6).
- Build a Scripture reflex — Practice instant obedience to the Word you recall (James 1:22). The more we act on what we know, the more we’ll hear when God speaks.
Stephen’s life reveals that true courage isn’t loud—it’s luminous. The Spirit doesn’t always calm the storm; sometimes He brightens the witness within it. When we behold Christ steadfastly, mercy will flow even toward our enemies, and our dying words—whether literal or figurative—will sound like grace. May we live so filled, so beholding, that our daily reactions carry heaven’s accent.
If Stephen’s example stirred your desire to live Spirit-filled and Scripture-anchored, take a practical next step toward memorizing God’s Word—so you, too, can “speak with wisdom and the Spirit.”
👉 Sign up for the free FAST Crash Course in Bible Memorization: http://fast.st/cc/21419
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