Those words should be taken in the context of their utterance, not outside of them. Now, the context gives account of two crucial points of which the second is superior to the first:
a) that John is not a Messiah, for he is not worthy of untying His shoe-laces,
and
b) that the one who is the Messiah, Jesus, is not Messiah in a way expected by Jews (earthly, political), but someone totally different, thus debunking the habitual expectation and understanding of Jews by saying that "He will baptize with Holy Spirit and Fire" (Luke 3:15), which means that He will bring an ontological change within the very human heart, consuming in it the infection of sin and its consequence, death (that ruled over humanity since the fall of Adam) by the consuming fire of Holy Spirit (Hebrews 12:29). Now, such a Messiah-ship is already transcending all national, ethnic, cultural boundaries, but includes all humanity.
It is a new understanding of restoration of Kingdom, for now it means the cleansing of heart from the influence and drive of sin and demons, so that man may himself become a throne and dwelling place of the Father and the Son (John 14:23) together with the Holy Spirit that will become a source of infinite rivers of grace flowing from it (John 7:38).
Thus, this passage is about divinity of Jesus and the advent of the new Trinitarian life for all humanity.