In 1 John 4:1 we are commanded to “test the spirits” because of the existence of false prophets in the world.
1 John 4:1 says: Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. [Emphasis Added]
1 Thessalonians 5:21 says that we should “test everything” and to hold fast to what is good.
In fact, throughout most of the entire Bible, God warns His people to beware of being deceived by false prophets and false doctrines (Jeremiah 23:21; Matthew 7:15-16).
So for us to avoid deception of any kind and the lure of false teachers, the Scriptures command us to “test everything” and to “test the spirits”.
What Does It Mean to Test the Spirits?
To “test the spirits” means that we compare what is being taught with the clear and categorical teachings of the Bible. It means that every doctrine that is taught from the pulpit or anywhere else, must be compared with the truths that are written in the Scriptures.
Also there is no individual irrespective of title, social status or popularity who is above the word of God, and so all preachers and all doctrines must be consistently tested against the word of God.
To “test the spirits” also means that all things, including natural or supernatural activities and encounters, must be tested or compared with the teachings and principles of God’s word.
We live in a world where people who claim to speak for God, will make unbiblical assertions of having spiritual authority over others. Some make claims of spiritual manifestations, visions, dreams, miracles and new revelations and prophecies. Therefore all of these things must be tested and compared with the truth and principles written in the Bible.
The Bible is the final authority on all matters and it is the standard for us to discern truth from error.
Just like the example of the Bereans in Acts 17:10-11, the Christian believer is to examine the scriptures against all teachings in the following manner:
- Christian believers should not be naïve about claims of spiritual authority and to gullibly accept all such claims.
- Christian believers should not be quick to accept every message or doctrine without personally testing or researching the authenticity or truthfulness of the message through the Scriptures.
- Christian believers should indiscriminately test every message or doctrine irrespective of the title or popularity of the person who is preaching the message.
- Discerning and judging between good and evil should be a daily part of every Christian believer’s life.
Our ability to discern and test the spirits ultimately depends on the strength and depth of our relationship with God. It also depends on our knowledge and understanding of God’s word.
Therefore, having a genuine and growing relationship with God is essential to our ability to discern.
So becoming born again and then seeking to genuinely grow spiritually through prayer and the study of God’s word is essential. The more we know the character and nature of God through the Scriptures and through our relationship with Him, the more we will grow in Christ.
Furthermore, Biblical literacy and the ability to rightly divide or interpret God’s word is also essential. We must have a genuine desire to seek the truth that is found in God’s word. We must also have a desire to know God’s word above the traditions and teachings of men.
2 Timothy 2:15 says: Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
Psalms 119:11 says: I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 says that God’s word trains us in righteousness and equips us for every good work.
So Biblical literacy and understanding of God’s word is essential to one’s ability to discern and test the spirits. The more we study God’s word and learn how to interpret His word in context and categorically – the more we will be able discern false teachings.
Another essential element of learning how to test the spirits is our understanding of the true Gospel.
When we have an understanding of the true gospel message as defined in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, the easier it will become to recognize false gospels or false teachings.
Paul warns in 2 Corinthians 11:4 that the preaching of another gospel is the same as preaching another Jesus and preaching a different spirit that is not the Holy Spirit.
Furthermore, knowing and understanding the character and nature of the Holy Spirit as described in the Scriptures is also essential to being able to discern between the work of Holy Spirit and the work of evil spirits.
In Galatians 1:8, Paul says that even if an angel were to preach a different gospel that is contrary to the true gospel message then we should not accept such a false teaching. Therefore, what more if mere men were to do the same?
The Connection Between False Prophets, Demonic Spirits & Spiritual Warfare
In 1 John 4:1, this scripture connects the teachings and activities of false prophets as being inspired by evil spirits.
In 1 Timothy 4:1-2, Paul says that by departing from the faith or the true teachings of God, people automatically devote themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons which are spread through people whose consciences are seared.
1 Timothy 4:1-2 says: Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,
So according to both 1 John 4:1 and 1 Timothy 4:1, demons / evil spirits create false doctrines and they require false prophets as their mouthpieces to spread the false doctrines.
When anyone claims to be speaking for God, or on behalf of God, it is consistently necessary to discern if that person is really speaking the true message of God.
Many who claim to speak for God are sadly teaching false doctrines and thereby leading many people astray and possibly sending many to the fires of hell (Matthew 24:11).
So right at the crux of the matter – there is a spiritual battle for souls. The warfare is not of flesh and blood but it involves principalities and powers of darkness (Ephesians 6:12).
Satan is attempting to get many people to hell through the belief in false doctrines and false gospels, whilst God is offering redemption through the true gospel which offers salvation through a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ.
So just as God has genuine Christian believers who are sharing the true gospel and doctrines of God – the Scriptures teach that satan has his servants who disguise themselves as servants of righteousness who spread false teachings (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).
In 2 Corinthians 11:14 it says that even satan disguises himself as an angel of light – hence the importance of why Christians must learn to discern or test the spirits.
Another example of discerning and testing the spirits is found in Acts 16:16-19. Paul had to deal with a slave girl who was possessed with a spirit of divination. Now whilst the girl appeared to be telling the truth about Paul and Silas, and about their proclamation of the gospel – the slave girl’s utterances were being influenced by the spirit of divination that possessed her. Paul then later realized that the girl was being influenced by an evil spirit. Hence Paul had to cast out the demon and put an end to the fortune telling, because money was also being earned by her slave owners because of her divination.
So these are examples of why it is necessary to “test the spirits” or to “test everything”. There is always a connection between false teachings and the spiritual realm.
In the spiritual battle between good and evil – not all things are what they appear to be. Therefore spiritual discernment which is exercised through God’s word and by the power of the Holy Spirit is always necessary.
Conclusion
So in summary we should test the spirits or test everything
1. Because of the rise of false prophets (Matthew 24:4,11,23)
2. Because of false miracles and signs and wonders (Matthew 24:24)
3. Because of the detrimental effects of false doctrines (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
4. To warn others who are deceived so that they don’t follow false teachers (Jude 22,23)
Unlike many false teachings, the true gospel and word of God points only to Jesus Christ and what He did for mankind on the Cross (John 3:16). The gospel that God gives glorifies Jesus Christ alone and is able to transform a person to become a true and genuine follower of Christ. The true gospel causes man to decrease whilst Christ increases. The true gospel and word of God does not make us elevate men – but it leads us to elevate God. The true gospel message exposes the fake ones.
How to Test the Spirits
Spirit, soul, and body – do you know the difference?
Your spirit is that inner part of you that connects you to the spiritual world; your body or flesh is that external part of you that connects you to the physical world; and your soul is that part of you that chooses whether you are going to walk after the spirit or the flesh.
Walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7)
Faith is the means by which we live the spiritual life. Or to put it another way, you cannot live the spiritual life by relying on your natural senses and abilities.
And if you want to walk in newness of life, the spirit comes first. This is why it is helpful to think of the spirit as an antenna that connects us to the spiritual realm. The spirit receives signals from the spiritual realm (e.g., the Holy Spirit) which it transmits to the soul, and the soul exercises the body in response to the spirit’s instruction.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. (1 John 4:1a)
Since our spirits can detect signals from any spiritual source, divine or demonic, we need to test the spirits to see if what we are hearing is from God.
For instance, if we find ourselves doubting what God has said and asking, “Did God really say?” we can be sure we are hearing from the demonic realm. Since God is unchanging, he will never contradict himself. So anything that causes you to question what God has said is not from the Holy Spirit.
A word from the devil
How to Test the Spirits
Spirit, soul, and body – do you know the difference?
Your spirit is that inner part of you that connects you to the spiritual world; your body or flesh is that external part of you that connects you to the physical world; and your soul is that part of you that chooses whether you are going to walk after the spirit or the flesh.
Walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7)
Faith is the means by which we live the spiritual life. Or to put it another way, you cannot live the spiritual life by relying on your natural senses and abilities.
And if you want to walk in newness of life, the spirit comes first. This is why it is helpful to think of the spirit as an antenna that connects us to the spiritual realm. The spirit receives signals from the spiritual realm (e.g., the Holy Spirit) which it transmits to the soul, and the soul exercises the body in response to the spirit’s instruction.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. (1 John 4:1a)
Since our spirits can detect signals from any spiritual source, divine or demonic, we need to test the spirits to see if what we are hearing is from God.
For instance, if we find ourselves doubting what God has said and asking, “Did God really say?” we can be sure we are hearing from the demonic realm. Since God is unchanging, he will never contradict himself. So anything that causes you to question what God has said is not from the Holy Spirit.
A word from the devil
One of the sadder stories in the Bible concerns a man called Ananias. Ananias told a lie and died when Peter confronted him about it:
Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit …? (Acts 5:3)
The temptation to lie came from the father of lies. It did not come from the Spirit of Truth. Nor did it come from Ananias himself. “Satan filled your heart” means Satan fed him a lie and Ananias swallowed it.
He never tested the spirits.
Many outrageous claims come prefaced with the words, “God told me to…” Did he really? Are you certain? Or were you fed a lie?
“God told me to divorce my wife.” Are you sure about that?
“God told me to bet the farm on a suspect business dealing.” And how did that work out?
Growing up I had a friend who blossomed into a beautiful young woman. During her late teens and early twenties about a dozen men proposed to her saying, “God told me you were going to be my wife.”
Hmm. They couldn’t have all been right.
No doubt handsome young men have heard similar things from Christian women. “God told me you were going to be my husband.”
Playing the God-told-me-so card is one of the most dangerous things believer’s do. If you ever hear it, make sure you test the spirits to see whether it is actually from the Lord.
All sorts of ideas pass through our heads; some are good, others are not-so-good. We should not act on anything without first asking, is this from the Lord?
How do we test the spirits?
We test the spirits by asking questions:
- Does this idea (or word or message or advice) encourage me to rely on the Lord or myself?
- Does it feed my faith or my doubts?
- Does it release freedom or bind me in chains?
- Does it promote man’s agenda or bring glory to God?
- Does it glorify Christ’s righteousness or my failures?
- Does it fill me with peace or anxiety?
- Does it have the stench of flesh or the fragrance of Jesus?
Ultimately the test is: who does it point me to? Origin determines destination. Any spirit from God, will lead you to God.
When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me. (John 15:26)
If the message you are hearing causes you to look to Christ or rely on Christ, you can be sure that you are hearing from the Holy Spirit.
2 Cor 11:3-4; Eph 6:10-18; 1 Tim 4:1-2; l John 4:1-6; Jude17-19
Another word for angel is “messenger”. Fallen angels who do the bidding of Satan are messengers telling falsehoods and lies. Their deception is all around us. It is difficult to believe that there is a demon under every rock, but it is not so far-fetched to see that they cause trouble in one spot and leave to do it again to someone else. And, let’s remember that all evil was introduced into human existence by the most evil spirit, the devil.
In the early church to whom the Apostle John wrote, the primary distortion of truth the church needed to watch out for was about Jesus. Christianity was a new religion that arose from Judaism and there were those who understood differently. Experts tell us at that time a major threat was from two opposite teachings of Gnosticism. One insisted that Jesus was divine but not human. The other side said the opposite, that Jesus was human but not divine. Believers needed to put their heads together and sort out what was from God and true and what was from false teachers.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. l John 4:1-6 |
In every age, there are those with spirits who do not know God. Together Christians are to be able to know the “Spirit of truth” (the Holy Spirit) from the “spirit of error”. Those people we know and love who do not have regenerated spirits can only live from a worldly perspective, and their spirits are erroneous. They believe what they believe wholeheartedly, just as we know with the Holy Spirit residing in us what we believe with certainty. When we talk, we sound like we know what we are talking about. But, so do they.
This is why we test the spirits together. A loved one without belief will with all sincerity tell us what they believe. Because that person is cherished by us, we may be vulnerable to trying to find truth in what they are saying so that no discord develops. Testing the spirits with other believers is God’s way for us to sort out things that sound believable or that we want to believe.
An example that most all of us have witnessed is when a believer falls in love with an unbeliever. The believer is blinded by love and will often give the other “believer status” based on something said that connects with what true Christians believe. The lover might say that he or she believes in God, and that will be enough to keep going toward marriage. That the demons believe in God (James 2:19) is conveniently forgotten. Or the unbeliever will be a really good person who loves and serves others selflessly. Since there is strong but understandable resistance to recognizing inadequate belief, the Christian at risk needs his or her Christian Inner Circle to actively test the spirit of this good-hearted suitor. Does his or her good works come from true belief in God or in good deeds apart from a thankful love for God?
While we would all wish that anyone who thinks they are a Christian sincerely believes in Christ’s death and resurrection, it is not necessarily so. Jesus told those who had cast out demons in His name that He did not know them (Matt 7:21-23).
Those Christians who love a person do not want to see heartbreak in the future. They do not want a believer to be stuck in an unequally-yoked relationship which is advised against in Scripture (2 Cor 6:14). This is a challenge for that person’s Christian Inner Circle which must test the spirits to protect the person and the church. These close Christian friends and relatives are the ones who will meet the man or woman in question and be able to see whether he or she does or does not sincerely believe that Jesus died for the sins of those who believe. They will be the ones who can test the lover’s spirit.
The other reason the Christian Inner Circle wants to test the spirit of a suitor is that they are the ones who will have to live with the consequences. If the person turns out to be hostile or uncooperative to the friend’s faith after marriage, the misery is going to spread to all of them. The person’s Christian Inner Circle will deal with the pain and disappointment for years and years. They have a stake in the future marriage and must get involved.
In this day and age a person can easily discover what are the right things to say to convince a believer to marry. But, the testing of a person’s spirit seems to be about their relationship with Jesus, not words about Him. A statement of belief can be told with great sincerity but exposed by unconcern for God. What Christian friends and family members can do is carefully watch behavior and listen to words. They can also take stock of a person’s history which might reveal a phoniness about current courtship behavior.
This example is critical because the problem is quite prevalent. Christians can easily fall in love with someone who looks like a Christian. And, if the strength of the church is somewhat in the hands of its marriages, a marriage with one spouse uncooperative in matters of faith will damage the congregation.
There is the chance that someone in a person’s Christian Inner Circle will see that the suitor’s spirit is unsaved and lead that person to Christ. In this case, testing the spirits will actually make possible the marriage so desired.
This one situation represents hundreds of situations faced by believers. And, many of them are more subtle than a questionable suitor. Both Christians and unbelievers are targeted by evil powers. Let’s not be naive about this. It is not really debatable. The Bible clearly speaks of demonic involvement in the lives of people.
If we are old enough we remember cartoons, perhaps with Donald Duck or some other character with an angel on one shoulder whispering ideas and directions and a red horned devil on the other shoulder suggesting something evil. Although humorous, those cartoons illustrate what testing the spirits is all about. Humans can be influenced by the Holy Spirit or an unholy spirit, and, therefore, we are to test the spirits together as a way of life.
This concept that someone or something other than ourselves can get into our minds is really not that strange. Perhaps you have heard of “subliminal advertising” where a message is flashed on the television that is too brief to register in conscious thought but fully capable of being read by the quick human mind in the subconscious. Billboards on the highway are the same. People don’t pay much attention to them, but the advertisers pay a lot of money to influence us by what we are not paying much attention to.
The unseen powers of evil in the spiritual dimension cannot be seen except by their effect. Usually they do bad things, but sometimes they are behind good things. The end goal of Satan who commands these evil powers is to take away God’s glory. Some evil things are quite obvious. Others are incredibly subtle.
It is probably easier to identify hands-on involvement of demons in the lives of humans. However, the unseen evil forces mentioned in Ephesians 6 identify more subtle evil spirits that we mistakenly identify as people (“We do not struggle against flesh and blood,...). Certainly there are many aspects of secular and church culture initiated behind the scenes by the evil powers of Satan. This would be true of political and economic systems as well.
We Christians in our Inner Circles need to put our heads together to identify the spirits of evil hidden in our cultures, both secular and Christian. A thousand pages would not do justice to the list of possibilities. Nevertheless, we must test what comes from God and what comes from those not aligned with Him. Almost any situation, any choice, can be infiltrated by evil, and testing the spirits together is the answer.
Opportunity to Become More and More Like Jesus Christ
The Vance Family makes sure they eat dinner together at least four times a week. Once the oldest child became 12 years old they began discussing at one of the weekly meal times the workings of evil in societal culture as well as church culture. Mr. and Mrs. Vance know how much more important this is than music lessons or sports activities, should there be scheduling conflicts. |
We cannot be just as able as Jesus was to recognize evil powers, and certainly not alone. But, together we are able, according to Scripture, to know that what we see and hear obviously does not match up with the Holy Spirit. Anything evil is quite obviously not from God and cannot be from the Holy Spirit. Where discernment of spirits requires real effort on our part is in gray areas, where things are not so clearly evil and might or might not be the leading of the Holy Spirit.
In the early church with new spiritual reality, it was doctrine that required careful testing whether it was of God or of another spirit. When Jesus died for us and rose from the grave, a brand new spiritual reality dawned. This new, radical doctrine attracted all sorts of opposition from other doctrinal positions. Was Jesus both God and man at the same time? The Gnostics said no and presented arguments that fit in with theology and philosophy that had been around for a long time. Christians had to see through the arguments advanced, and that was testing the spirits.
Jesus is the Word, and the Bible is the word of God that can divide even soul and spirit. So, to get ready to test the spirits, it is necessary to study the Bible, and, especially, be close to our Savior.
John 1:1
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. |
All Scripture is inspired by God [breathed out by God; literal: God-breathed] and is useful for teaching, for showing people what is wrong in their lives [refuting error; rebuking], for correcting faults, and for teaching how to live right [training in righteousness] Using the Scriptures, [literal: …so that] the person who serves God [literal: God’s person] will be capable [competent], having all that is needed [fully equipped] to do every good work. 2 Tim 3:16-17 (Expanded Bible) |
But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” Mark 9:27-29 |
Within contemporary Christianity there is one huge controversy that requires testing of where each belief comes from. That is the divide between salvation by works and salvation through faith. Excluding the cults whose doctrines are clearly not in line with Scripture, the belief that one must be good enough to get into heaven is preached by some but practiced by many. How many Christians celebrate Easter and communion but reply, “I hope so” when asked if they are going to heaven? The Holy Spirit tells us we are saved by Jesus’ death and not by our own goodness (“keeping the law”), but a spirit of many church cultures causes believers to not trust that all has been done for them to enter heaven. Christians in these churches and denominations and divisions within the faith do not truly trust they are free from the bondage to sin, headed to heaven, and capable of righteous living purely out of thankfulness to and love for God. They are more concerned that they are good enough to go to heaven when they die, rather than concerned that their good works are sincere expressions of thankfulness for their unearned salvation.
While it is tempting to talk about testing the spirits in more fantastic situations like “snake handling” theology, we will focus on those things that are more normal to regular life where evil powers in the spiritual realm influence Christians, most likely through culture that has been contaminated by sinful, ungodly philosophies and beliefs. Christians have to think about situations that confront them or someone in their Christian Inner Circle, “Is this really coming from the Holy Spirit?”
Suppose, for example, that a Christian in our Inner Circle of Believers comes to us and says that someone in his or her profession has suggested he or she apply for a particular open position. The advice is being strongly considered. According to Psalm 1:1, it is somewhat suspect if the advice is coming from a non-believer, so let’s suppose that it is coming from a Christian. That person could or could not be in the Christian Inner Circle of the person receiving the advice. It really does not matter. The advice needs to be tested. Did it come from the Holy Spirit, in which case obedience is the issue and the job should be applied for whether or not the person wants the job. Or the advice, however well-meaning, could come from the “spirit of this age”, meaning a source in either secular or Christian culture (sometimes they both agree).
However, in the presence of mature believers, we do impart true wisdom—not the phony wisdom typical of this rebellious age or of the hostile powers who rule this age. Despite what you may think, these ruling spirits are losing their grip on this world. 1 Cor 2:6 (The Voice Bible) |
The spirit of this age will talk about career advancement and increased income, and job enjoyment, among lesser considerations. And this illustrates why most testing of spirits is not easy and clear. Career advancement can be good or bad for a person and only God knows and reveals such through the only Good Spirit, the Holy Spirit. Likewise more income can be good or bad, depending on whether or not the person is equipped to use it wisely or whether God wants that person rich or poor. Job satisfaction is not really a biblical concept. Accepting the job where God places us and serving as working for the Lord is biblical.
In such a situation, advice offered too quickly from a trusted Christian friend, family member or spouse should be suspect. Surely there is time for those in this person’s Christian Inner Circle to pray and study what God says in the Bible. Certainly, the advisor needs time to weed out what he or she wants for the person that would cloud objective analysis aided by the Holy Spirit. And other Christians need to be drawn in to test the spirit of the advice to apply for the job. Seeing if a deceptive evil power, whether demon, or sin-contaminated culture, or some other evil spiritual power is at work is a job for many, not just one believer.
It takes self-denying love to test the spirits and keep one’s own needs out of the search for God’s truth and direction. For example, a friend who had the same attitude about advancing career and it worked out well must remember that it might not be God’s will for this person as it was for him or her. This need for objective advise is another reason that testing the spirits needs to be done preferably by two or three, with Jesus in the center of their deliberations.
Jesus asked people a lot of questions, presumably to find out what they were thinking as well as to get them to consider from a faith perspective. So, two or three friends should ask their friend what his or her thinking is about the job possibility, about why she or he would want such a job, etc. Listening with one ear tuned to the friend seeking spiritual discernment and the other tuned to the Holy Spirit, these friends can test the spirits involved. They can evaluate what they learn about motives, thoughts and feelings to spot an unclean spirit, whether that be an actual demon (which is usually not the case) or the result of evil guidance by the culture. If the person doesn’t even mention God in presenting answers, the friends must bring Him into the process. Leaving God out might not automatically rule out the leading of the Holy Spirit, but it will expose the person’s vulnerability to the evil powers in the spiritual realm.
Let’s be more conscious that we need to sort out of one another’s lives those things that bombard us from an evil perspective, generated at some point along the way by evil spiritual forces. Then, like Jesus, let’s point out that these things are not from God.
John is telling us that there are two spirits:
- God’s Spirit, which is called the Spirit of truth because it inspires truth (vv. 4:2, 6); and
- The spirit of antichrist, which promulgates falsehood, and does not acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus Christ (vv. 3, 6).
And he warns us how important it is to understand that we cannot believe everyone we hear and that we cannot believe everything that is alleged to come from God, but like the Bereans we need to check the Scriptures. We are to test the spirits, to discern whether a message is the truth that comes from God. So we are not to just accept what some teacher or preacher is saying; we are to examine what is being taught.
We know that God speaks and reveals truth, and the enemy speaks lies and is a deceiver, therefore it is very critical that we be able to discern the difference. If information comes from the Holy Spirit it is life-giving, life-sustaining, life-producing and God-glorifying. If it is not sent and energized by the Holy Spirit, it comes from seducing spirits or false prophets, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This was and continues being a huge problem and those without discernment are being victimized.
It is very sad to realize that many so-called “religious leaders” are false teachers and people are having a hard time finding a church where the Word of God is being taught faithfully. What appear to be “Christian churches” are teaching things that are not in line with the Bible. They are downplaying or removing altogether the doctrines of sin, repentance, the Trinity, Salvation by grace alone, through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ, and the deity of Jesus Christ, and replacing them by more “seeker sensitive ideas.” For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear – (2 Timothy 4:3). These false teachers are teaching their followers doctrines and practices that are not in harmony with God’s word, like “contemplative prayer” and “prayer labyrinths” which are actually taken from new age and Hindu practices are being introduced and accepted by many churches that are moving towards the Emergent Church movement today.
These teachers are hypocritical liars and are teaching doctrines of demons motivated by seducing spirits. This is an enormous problem and the world is literally drowning in a sea of demonic lies. We live in a time when we must be so close to the Father and ask Him to fill us daily with His Spirit of discernment.
John continues giving instructions on how to know the Spirit of God: “By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.” When someone comes and affirms that Jesus Christ is God in flesh that is the divine truth taught by the Holy Spirit. “But every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.” False teachers and demons deny the deity of Jesus Christ and therefore as believers and students of the Bible we recognize them as being controlled by the devil and his lies. So: “Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son.” (1 John 2:22)
The false teacher does not believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. He may accept Jesus Christ as a great teacher and a great religious leader, perhaps the greatest, but he does not believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior and the only way to God. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). He believes there are other ways to God. Beware!
The spirit of the antichrist was very much alive in John’s days and today our enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). When we think of antichrist, we think of some future person, the beast of Revelation. However, all teaching that presents untruth about Christ is the spirit of antichrist which has been in the world for nearly 2000 years and is yet to come in its final form.
Before we accept any teaching, we need to be sure of the person’s view of Christ, their view of salvation, and their view of Scripture. Do they acknowledge that: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”? (2 Timothy 3:16). Do they manifest a regenerate life? And lastly, do they submit to the Word of God? “By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” (1 John 4:6)
Wrongly Handling The Word of Truth
(Source: John Henderson)
KJV: 2 Timothy 2:14-17b – “Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth [see footnote “1”]. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. And their word will eat as doth a canker….”
NET: “Remind people of these things and solemnly charge them before the Lord not to wrangle over words. This is of no benefit; it just brings ruin on those who listen. Make every effort to present yourself before God as a proven worker who does not need to be ashamed, teaching the message of truth accurately.[1] But avoid profane chatter, because those occupied with it will stray further and further into ungodliness, and their message will spread its infection like gangrene.”
There are two groups of people who mishandle God’s Word and its message: heretics and misinformed Christians. Both are equally detrimental to the truth. Any straying in that direction will have the same bad effect.
I may lose some friends and admirers here, but that is nothing new. Knowing Christ in His truth means more than any of that. Being able to go into eternity and of standing before His judgment seat without fear of being indicted for carelessness is very important. Therefore, I say:
I can see no difference, for instance, between someone’s saying that the Bible is partially inerrant and contains the inspired Word of God and someone else saying that we must unequivocally accept the notion that only one English translation is valid, and even inspired as a translation. Both notions are grossly erroneous and are bold denials of the true nature and authority of the Scriptures. Both construe words and miss the revelational significance of The Word. Both wrong ideas come from the same source—human reasoning based on false presumptuous suppositions. Something like that never comes from the Holy Spirit who is here to guide us into all truth.
Whatever happened to “test the spirits”? A fine article on that very question has been published by folks I consider as friends.[2] Their opening paragraphs say:
“And he [John the Apostle] warns us how important it is to understand that we cannot believe everyone we hear and that we cannot believe everything that is alleged to come from God, but like the Bereans we need to check the Scriptures. We are to test the spirits, to discern whether a message is the truth that comes from God. So we are not to just accept what some teacher or preacher is saying; we are to examine what is being taught. [Comment: We do that much when we visit a doctor!]
“We know that God speaks and reveals truth, and the enemy speaks lies and is a deceiver, therefore it is very critical that we be able to discern the difference. If information comes from the Holy Spirit it is life-giving, life-sustaining, life-producing and God-glorifying. If it is not sent and energized by the Holy Spirit, it comes from seducing spirits or false prophets, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This was and continues being a huge problem and those without discernment are being victimized.”
They also say a little later: “These false teachers are teaching their followers doctrines and practices that are not in harmony with God’s word….These teachers are hypocritical liars and are teaching doctrines of demons motivated by seducing spirits.”
If it was possible to hang signs on false teachers, that would make it easier to tell the difference. The worst possible kind of false teacher, however, is the one who agrees with God’s revealed Word in ALMOST every detail or who adds to the Scriptures false notions those Scriptures do not state or support. It is just fine to quote good stuff, but even the best must align with the truth of the Bible. Earlier teachers may have said some great things but unless they got their ideas from the Scriptures, they are automatically questionable.
I have little problem with differences in understanding as long as the issues are couched in the authority of the Scriptures by all concerned. I will never agree, for instance, with the Five-Points of Calvinism but will always view those who do as coming from an understanding, not a manipulation, of the Scriptures. That is much different than superimposing human notions onto the Scriptures. Besides, when we all get to Heaven, the Calvinists will finally realize how right I had been all along.
Returning to a more serious tone [sorry about the bad humor, but not enough to remove it], it is of vital importance that we carefully and prayerfully handle the Word of God as we should. We are flawed and will make mistakes, but miscalculations and deceptive inaccuracies are not the same. We must have a reverence for the Word of God that complements our reverence for the God of the Word. God did not speak in English, Japanese, or German. Unless speaking audibly, as He did a few times in ancient history, He never spoke in any human language. He spoke to hearts and spiritual understanding, just as he does today.
His Word comes to us through the leadership of the Holy Spirit, not in languages per se. Languages are only vehicles and nothing more. Languages are limited and imperfect. His Word is neither. His Word IS the accurate message if truth in every detail and in every matter whereof it speaks. It needs no modification and it is not limited to the English language or any other language. God’s Word soars beyond translations and commentaries. God’s Word transcends human comprehension but fits human knowing when the human heart is right with God.
If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
— Luke 16:11
One of the biggest issues people face — and one that people pray to get victory over in their lives — is in the financial realm. If getting your finances into shape is one of your desires, I’m certain this Sparkling Gem will be very important for you.
As we first saw in the January 5 Sparkling Gem, how you handle your finances is a very spiritual issue. According to Luke 16:11, your finances — how you manage and respect them — is a test God uses to assess whether you’re ready for higher levels of blessing, prosperity, responsibility, and greater authority. In this verse, Jesus clearly taught that God watches how you manage your money, and that is what helps Him determine if you are ready for promotion. This is precisely what Jesus meant when He said, “If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?”
*[If you started reading this from your email, begin reading here.]
It is very important for you to understand what Jesus is telling us in this verse. In the Greek, the word “faithful” is the word pistoi, which expresses the picture of a person who is known to be faithful, responsible, conscientious, and trustworthy. This is in comparison to a person who is impetuous, thoughtless, rash, irresponsible, and therefore not trustworthy. Therefore, this verse could be taken to mean: “If you are impetuous, thoughtless, rash, irresponsible, and untrustworthy with unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?”
Whatever this “unrighteous mammon” is in this verse, it is so important that managing it unwisely has the power to disqualify us from receiving true riches from God. So it is very important that we understand what the “unrighteous mammon” is that Jesus is speaking about in this verse!
The word “unrighteous” comes from the Greek word adikia, which in this verse is used to convey the idea of something unspiritual, common, worldly, or something that belongs to the realm of human beings. The word “mammon” is the word mamonas, a very old Greek word that denotes money or wealth. When these words “unrighteous mammon” are used together as they are in this verse, it denotes common, worldly money, along with all of its buying power in this earthly sphere.
Furthermore, when Jesus referred to “true riches,” the word “true” is the Greek word alethinos, which means real, bona fide, genuine, indisputable, or authentic. You see, money, which seems so powerful in this earthly realm with all of its buying power, is nothing compared to the power of God. Heavenly power and heavenly riches far surpass the power and authority of money. For those who have proven themselves faithful and reliable, God will upgrade the level of spiritual power and authority that operates through them. But according to Jesus’ words in Luke 16:11, before God upgrades this level of spiritual power and authority in a person’s life, first He watches to see how he or she manages money — that’s the big test!
In other words, if you are not faithful, responsible, conscientious, and trustworthy with money — which is a lower form of power in this earthly realm — why would God promote you to greater levels of spiritual power, responsibility, and authority?
How you manage your money and what you do with it is far more important than you may have ever realized. It’s good that you want to get your finances in shape and get out of debt, but you need to know that how you handle your money is a big test. If God finds you faithful with money, the lowest form of power in the world today, He will know you can be trusted with real spiritual riches that are unequaled in power.
Taken together, a correct interpretative translation of Jesus’ words in Luke 16:11 could be rendered:
“If you are impetuous, thoughtless, rash, irresponsible, and untrustworthy with regular ol’ money and all of its buying power in this earthly realm, who will commit to your trust the indisputable, true, bona fide riches?”
By listening to the Spirit of God, using common sense, exercising self-control, and planning your purchases in advance, you can live a life that is more debt-free than the way you’re living right now. It will take determination to do it, but if you really want to become free of debt — and remain free forever — it is possible to achieve it.
But most importantly, you need to know this: If your spending habits are so out of control that you don’t tithe and cannot give to other works that the Holy Spirit prompts you to support, you’re failing the test God uses to determine whether you’re ready to be promoted into higher realms of spiritual power, responsibility, and authority. Your money is the big test that God uses to determine if you are ready for that next big promotion! Since this is what Jesus meant in Luke 16:11, doesn’t it make sense that you should take a fresh look at how you’re using and managing your money?
So let me ask you this question: Since God is looking at how you manage your money, do you think He finds you faithful and therefore ready for a big promotion — or do you think God finds you lacking and therefore not ready for the next step up in His good plan for you?
Most of the world — including the Christian community — longs for more financial freedom and less debt. Especially at this time when so many people have been hit across the world with financial crisis, God’s people are asking Him for wisdom and resolutions to very pressing financial challenges.
The fact is that most of the world is in some sort of financial debt. This means there are very few people who are financially free. Nations, families, and churches are all in debt. But just because the rest of the world has fallen into this trap, and lives like this doesn’t mean you have to fall into this same pattern and become trapped by debt that dominates your life. You can make the decision once and for all to be financially freer than you’ve ever been before. If you will stick with your decision, God will help you reach your goals and make that freedom a reality in your life.
And by proving yourself faithful with “unrighteous mammon,” God will know that you qualify for higher levels of spiritual power. It may seem to be a very simplistic view about money and divine power, but this is exactly what Jesus taught!
MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father, I take a fresh look at how I handle my finances. It is not Your will for me to be in bondage to anything — including and especially to debt. I make the decision once and for all to be financially freer than I’ve ever been. Holy Spirit, I ask You to reveal to me the ways I can exercise more wisdom and restraint in financial matters, so that you can count me trustworthy with the true riches of Your Kingdom.
How to Discern Spirits
“We can be triumphant in every area of life, especially as we discern the spirits!”
Discernment is the ability to see into the spirit world and to perceive the operation of that spirit world. The Bible tells us:
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1 NKJV).
This is a command, not a suggestion or an option. For believers, it is clearly an order, and gives no “wiggle room” for any of us to leave to mere chance this crucial dimension of the spirit world that surrounds us.
Developing a close relationship with God is essential to a successful and productive life in every area—spiritually, emotionally, physically, relationally, and financially. The secret is really no secret—spending time in the Word and in His presence, and learning to listen to His guidance.
Being sensitive to the Holy Spirit will allow you to discern between His voice and the enemy’s voice. That discernment can mean all the difference in the world for you and those around you:
By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. (1 John 4:2-3)
Knowing the Spirit of God is the key you and I need as we “try” or “test” the spirits. Knowing the Holy Spirit enables you to recognize other spirits. As you know Him better, you will be able to know the operation of other spirits, for truth is found only in the Holy Spirit.
If you know Him, you will know them, because you must compare them to the truth found in God’s Word and His Spirit.
Three Realms of Discernment
God places such an importance on discernment as one of the spiritual gifts:
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant… There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. (1 Corinthians 12:1-11)
Here are three quick examples in the Bible of the realms of discernment:
1. The Spirit of God
“And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, ‘Alas, my master! What shall we do?’ So he answered, ‘Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, and said, ‘LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’ Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:15-17 NKJV)
The city of Dothan was completely surrounded by well-trained enemy forces. The prophet Elisha had the God-given ability to see into the spiritual realm, but his servant Gehazi did not. Elisha prayed for his assistant, and God opened his eyes to see the Almighty’s spiritual forces amassed on the hillsides around them!
2. The Spirit of the Enemy
“Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, ‘These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.’ And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ And he came out that very hour. But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.” (Acts 16:16-19 NKJV)
Paul was followed by a woman who was actually speaking the truth. Some believers might have said she was of God, but Paul rebuked the evil spirit and commanded it to come out of her.
3. The Human Spirit
Genesis 27:22-23 tells the sad story of how Isaac, a mighty prophet of God, lacked discernment to tell which one of his sons came to receive the blessing. He depended on his natural abilities (what he felt, tasted, and heard) instead of God’s direction.
Jeremiah 28:1-3 and 15-17 also points out how the prophet Jeremiah discerned that a prophecy given by Hananiah regarding the sacred vessels was spoken from the false prophet’s own spirit, rather than from God’s.
Again, knowing the difference between the prompting of the Holy Spirit, the evil one, or one’s own spirit is crucial. But how do you learn, especially when it comes to false voices?
Guide on How to Discern Evil Spirits
Start by understanding this:
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
One way brings thievery, murder, and destruction. The other way causes life and abundance!
And you can begin to learn the difference by recognizing satan’s wiles in many forms. Here are the ones the enemy of your soul uses most often:
- Regression: This means to draw back or pull away. The first thing to look for in recognizing demonic spirits is spiritual or emotional withdrawal. This person will also begin to lack hunger for the things of God. He or she will withdraw from church, God’s people, and His Word. This is very common, obviously, as most believers have been affected by drawing back and leaving one’s “first love” (Revelation 2:4).
- Suppression: Next, the person begins to suppress everything, unable to express emotions, rejoice in the Lord, or praise God. He or she becomes emotionally isolated and joyless.
- Depression: The next step away from God often involves a downward spiral toward depression. The spirit becomes broken and crushed. Unable to break through emotionally or spiritually, the natural tendency is then to become even more despondent, even to the point of giving up.
- Oppression: Somewhere between depression and oppression, demonic activity becomes noticeable. Satan will use any situation he can for his ultimate purpose, which is to “steal, kill, and destroy.” Depression is a big door that opens wide to allow more demonic activity. If depression isn’t dealt with, demonic forces can often gain more and more control of a person’s mind. A person can even become so weighed down and oppressed that he or she is unable to function as the devil binds one’s mind with past failures, sin, and guilt.
- Obsession: When someone becomes preoccupied with an idea, emotion, hurt, or anger, the doors are opened to oppression. Satan can gain a powerful stronghold when the focus is on a lie or half-truth.
- Possession: Obsession leads to possession, a condition where a person comes under total and complete control of a demonic force.
Here is the danger: regression, suppression, depression, oppression, and obsession are all centered on the emotions, which can affect both body and soul. However, possession is spiritual.
If a person doesn’t deal with the first five levels, the forces of evil will move from the body and mind into the spirit, seeking to seize control of that person’s entire life.
The good news is that at any point in this cycle, even with possession, a person can receive deliverance!
Strategies for Battling Evil Forces with the Discernment of Spirits
We do not wage war naturally:
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).
The secret is using spiritual weapons of war:
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3-6)
The gift of discernment enables you to battle in the spiritual realm. It is a gift from the Holy Spirit imparted into your life and developed as you grow more intimate with Almighty God.
Here are three ways to develop discernment:
1. Prayer and the Word
The most powerful spiritual weapon in a believer’s arsenal is prayer, and prayer is fueled by the Word of God. The Word gives you the ability to discern between good and evil: “And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean” (Ezekiel 44:23). Prayer reveals things you don’t understand in the natural: “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3). Prayer moves you from the carnal to the spiritual, and the Word gives you the power and insight you need when you move into the supernatural.
2. Praise
My dear friend Kenneth Copeland says, “Praise is the big gun of faith.” Satan is crippled when you praise the Lord. Remember when Paul and Silas, imprisoned in a Philippian jail, began “praying and singing hymns” (Acts 16:25)? The result? “Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed” (Acts 16:26). It was no mere coincidence. Praise became their weapon. It can for you, too, no matter what breakthrough you need. Learn to activate the power of praise in your life!
3. Power of the Spoken Word
We are told, “Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you’”(Numbers 14:28). You have the power of life and death in your tongue (Proverbs 18:21). Give no place to the devil (Ephesians 4:27), especially through the power of your speech. Start confessing God’s power and He will act upon what you speak. You overcome demonic forces by the blood of the Lamb and by the spoken word (Revelation 12:11).
As believers, we don’t have to be subject to satan’s wiles. We can rise above his falsehoods and deceptions.
How?
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. (1 John 4:5-6)
With His help, you can be an overcomer every day, for “thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). We can be triumphant in every area of life, especially as we discern the spirits!
That is my earnest prayer for you today and always!
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