Discernment and Testing the Spirits

Key Scripture

Context

The world is full of voices claiming to speak for God. Some are false prophets offering false teachings. Some are demonic spirits speaking lies. Some are well-meaning people who have been deceived. Some are people seeking to control others by claiming spiritual authority. How do you know what is true? How do you know what to believe? How do you know what spirit is speaking?

God calls believers to discernment. Discernment is the ability to tell the difference between truth and falsehood, between what comes from God and what comes from the enemy, between genuine spiritual insight and deception. Discernment is not something you are born with. It is something you develop over time as you grow in faith, study Scripture, and rely on the Holy Spirit.

You need discernment in every area of life. You need it when choosing a church. You need it when listening to teachers. You need it when evaluating spiritual experiences. You need it when testing supernatural claims. You need it when deciding what to believe. This study is about developing biblical discernment and learning to test the spirits.

What Does the Bible Say?

We Are Called to Test the Spirits

This is a command. Do not believe every spirit. Test the spirits. Many false prophets have gone out into the world. This was true in the first century and it is true today. Your responsibility is to test what you hear against the standard of God's Word.

You are called to prove all things. This means test them. Examine them. Put them to the test against Scripture. Then hold fast to that which is good, which is true, which aligns with God's Word. You have a responsibility to be discerning.

The Test of Doctrine

One test is the confession of Jesus Christ come in the flesh. A true spirit confesses that Jesus is the Son of God who came in human flesh, died, rose again, and is returning. This is foundational. If a teaching denies the incarnation, the deity, the resurrection, or the return of Jesus, it is not from God. The spirit behind that teaching is antichrist.

The doctrine of Christ is the foundation. Those who teach that Jesus did not come in the flesh, who deny His incarnation, His deity, or His resurrection, are deceivers. Do not support them. Do not give them a platform. Do not financially help them spread false doctrine.

The Test of Scripture

The Bereans were praised for testing what they heard against Scripture. When Paul came and preached, they did not just believe him because he was an apostle. They searched the Scriptures daily to see if what he said was true. This is discernment. This is the proper way to evaluate teaching. Compare it to Scripture. Does it align with God's Word? If not, reject it.

When people claim to speak for God, test their words against Scripture. Ask yourself: Does this align with the Bible? Does this point me to Jesus? Does this reflect God's character? If it does not, reject it regardless of how impressive the person is or how much power they seem to demonstrate.

The Test of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus Christ. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you will confess that Jesus is Lord. If someone is speaking against Jesus or calling Him accursed, they are not speaking by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit always elevates Christ.

The spirit of truth speaks God's truth. The spirit of error speaks the world's lies. When you know God, you will recognize the voice of God. When you hear the spirit of truth, you will know it because it aligns with Scripture and it points you to Jesus and it comes from God. The spirit of error will pull you away from God's truth.

The Importance of Growing in Wisdom

Discernment comes through growth. When you are a new believer, you need milk, the basic truths of God. But as you grow, you should move to strong meat, the deeper teachings of Scripture. Those who remain immature cannot discern good from evil. Those who are mature, who have studied and grown, can discern.

If you lack wisdom, ask God for it. He gives liberally. He does not scold you for not having it. He gives wisdom to those who ask. This is the beginning of discernment. Ask God to give you wisdom to distinguish truth from falsehood, to understand His Word, to recognize His Spirit.

The Test of Fruit

You can test a prophet or teacher by their fruit. What kind of character do they have? Are they humble or proud? Are they obedient to Scripture? Do they love God and love people? Or do they seek money, power, and control? False prophets often come in sheep's clothing, looking good on the outside. But you can recognize them by their fruit. Watch their life. Watch their teachings. Watch their character.

Testing Experiences and Manifestations

You can test whether something is from the Holy Spirit by whether it leads to obedience to God's commandments. If an experience or manifestation leads you to love God more, to obey His commands, to follow Christ more faithfully, then it is likely from the Holy Spirit. If it leads to disobedience, pride, control, or anything contrary to Scripture, then it is not from God.

Satan can masquerade as an angel of light. He can make false teachers appear to be righteous. He can create impressive manifestations and false signs. This is why you cannot judge by outward appearance alone. You must test everything against Scripture. You must discern by the Spirit. You must be careful and wise.

Understanding the Passage

Discernment is not a spiritual gift that only some people have. All believers are called to test the spirits. All believers are responsible for evaluating what they hear and believe. You cannot simply accept someone's authority because they claim to be spiritual or because they seem impressive. You must test their words and their character against Scripture.

The foundation of discernment is knowing Scripture well. If you know the Bible, you will recognize when someone teaches something contrary to the Bible. If you are ignorant of Scripture, you are vulnerable to deception. This is why studying the Bible is so important. This is why knowing God's Word protects you.

Discernment is also about relying on the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit teaches you truth. The Holy Spirit opens your eyes to see deception. The Holy Spirit gives you wisdom. As you grow in your relationship with God, as you spend time in prayer and in Scripture, the Holy Spirit develops in you the ability to discern good from evil.

Humility is important for discernment. You must be humble enough to admit you could be wrong. You must be humble enough to question what you believe. You must be humble enough to accept correction. Pride blinds people to error. Humility opens your eyes to truth.

What This Means Today

You live in a time of great deception. There is much false teaching. There are many voices claiming to speak for God. You must be discerning. Do not believe everything you hear. Do not accept something just because a famous pastor teaches it. Do not follow someone just because they seem powerful or impressive. Test everything against Scripture.

When you hear a new teaching, ask yourself these questions: Does this align with Scripture? Is Jesus Christ lifted up and honored? Does this lead to obedience to God's Word? Is this consistent with what I see taught throughout the Bible? Does this draw me closer to God or further away? Does this teacher exhibit fruit of the Holy Spirit in their life and ministry?

Study Scripture yourself. Do not rely solely on what others tell you the Bible says. Read it for yourself. Understand it for yourself. Compare Scripture with Scripture. Let the Holy Spirit teach you. This is your responsibility as a believer.

Be careful about experiences and manifestations. Just because something seems spiritual or supernatural does not mean it is from God. Test it. Judge it by Scripture. Is it consistent with God's Word? Does it point to Jesus? Does it produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit? If not, be cautious.

Grow in your relationship with God. Spend time in prayer. Study Scripture. Obey what you learn. As you grow closer to God, the Holy Spirit will develop in you the ability to recognize His voice and to discern His truth from error and deception.

Be humble. Recognize that you could be wrong. Be willing to learn. Be willing to change your mind if Scripture shows you error. And at the same time, stand firmly on the truth of God's Word. Let Scripture be your final authority, not tradition, not the opinions of others, not your own desires.

Reflection Questions

1. 1

   Can you think of a time when you were tempted to believe something that turned out to be false? What helped you discover it was false?

2. 2

   How well do you know Scripture? Are there areas where your knowledge is weak? What can you do to grow in understanding God's Word?

3. 3

   Who are the teachers and leaders you follow? Have you tested their teachings against Scripture? Are their lives consistent with what they teach?

4. 4

   How does the Holy Spirit speak to you? How do you distinguish between the voice of God and other voices?

5. 5

   What would grow your discernment most? More time in Scripture? More time in prayer? Learning from mature believers? All of these?

Prayer

Living the Word

1. 1

   This week, identify one teaching or teacher you follow. Evaluate whether their teachings align with Scripture. Read the passages they reference. See if the Bible really says what they claim it says.

2. 2

   Choose one passage from this study that stands out to you. Memorize it. Let it guide your discernment going forward.

3. 3

   Commit to reading Scripture daily this week. As you read, ask yourself: What is God teaching me? How does this help me grow in discernment?

4. 4

   Think about an area where you lack wisdom or discernment. This week, ask God to give you wisdom in that area. Watch for His answer.

5. 5

   Find a mature believer you trust. Ask them how they have learned to be discerning. Learn from their experience and wisdom.

Related Studies

Study 1: Who Is Jesus? - Understanding the doctrine of Christ is foundational to discernment

Study 4: The Holy Spirit - The Holy Spirit guides us into truth and helps us discern

Study 6: Prayer - Prayer develops intimacy with God and helps us recognize His voice

Study 10: Spiritual Warfare - Understanding spiritual warfare helps us recognize the enemy's deception

Study 11: Authority in Christ - Understanding true authority helps us evaluate false claims of authority

Key Cross References

Deuteronomy 18:20-22 - 'But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously.'

Matthew 24:24 - 'For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.'

Galatians 1:6-9 - 'I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.'

Ephesians 4:14 - 'That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.'

2 Timothy 2:15 - 'Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.'

2 Timothy 3:16-17 - 'All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.'