DON'T BE EASILY DECEIVED...TEST THE SPIRITS
Heeeeyyyy y’all, welcome back. Here we are with another weekly blog post and this week I feel led to blog about the importance of testing the spirits. This subject goes hand in hand with my last blog post “The Gift of Discerning of Spirits,” so if you have not read that post yet, I strongly encourage you to check it out. But let’s dive right in. Why do we need to test the spirits? Why can’t we just believe what people say, especially if they call themselves Believers and they say they believe in God, they go to church, they know the scriptures or because they mention God in their social media bio? Oh yea, buckle up, because we are definitely going there today. It is my prayer, that once you come across this blog post and read it, that you are better equipped in understanding the necessity of testing each spirit and that you will not be easily deceived. Amen.
1 John 4:1 says, “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.” Do NOT believe every spirit, but TEST the spirits….that means we have an active part to play in this and we are being warned against believing every spirit. We become easily deceived when we are too comfortable or easily impressed with platforms, performances, and personalities, which stops us from asking the very important question, “God is this person of you!!!” Let me bring that back real quick, did you catch it…God is this person of you!! Let’s be honest, how many of us are asking that question or are we simply taking people at face value? Oh they look good, or they sound good, or they have a huge following so they must be legit, or they are saying all of the things I want to hear so that must be God, or they have a mega church so the presence of God must be there, or they know some scripture, or they sell out their conferences, or they told me I am going to get a house and a car or they knew my name without me telling them, or (insert whatever stops you from asking, God is this person of you). Do NOT believe every spirit, but TEST the spirits. Disclaimer: I am not discussing this subject to cause people to be suspicious of everyone but I am shedding a light on the need for an increase in discernment. Now, guess how we test the spirits…that’s right, by the gift of discernment. We must have the spirit of truth in order to be protected from the spirit of error. It is the Holy Spirit that leads us into all truth. And we also test the spirits against the word of God.
It is the responsibility of EVERY Believer (Christian: follower and disciple of Christ) to test the spirits, to know whether they are of God or not. PERIOD. Let that sink in please…it is our responsibility. To test means: to compare what is being taught with the clear teaching of the Bible. Please understand this, you will not pass the test or be able to test the spirits if you are not in the word of God and studying the word of God/examining the scriptures for yourself (because discerning Christians diligently study the scriptures). In fact, when it comes to diligently studying the scriptures, The Bereans were called noble for doing so (see Acts 17:10-11). So, if you were looking for a sign because you feel like God is silent right now, this is it, this is your sign. Get in the word of God, not because I am saying so but because it is our responsibility as Christians.
We also test the spirits by judging all prophecy. Hold the prophecy and the spirit up against the word of God. In other words, is what they are saying and teaching in alignment with the scriptures? The word of God is a lamp and a light to our path. The spirit on assignment to deceive will know scripture, they will even quote bible verses, they may even claim to love Jesus, but they will distort the truth (or hide the truth) and lead you away from righteousness (being in right standing with God). The spirit of deception will seduce you, then stab you and steer you down the wrong path. It is a manipulative spirit that leads people away from the truth. It may appear to be speaking the truth and it may even tickle your ears (because it is what you want to hear) but make no mistake, this spirit is on assignment to derail you and ultimately to destroy you. This is why it is so important to NOT be impressed or amazed by gifting, glamour, or gimmicks but be more concerned with whether they are of God or not. True teaching and true prophecy will present a true Jesus. Period. It will not mislead you or confuse you. But most importantly it will line up with the word of God and encourage you to be doers of His word, not just hearers (and the vessel being used will also be doing what the word of God says-this is important-they will not be living a double life). Is this helping? I surely hope so.
So, what can you do, what is your part? Pray for an increase in discernment and the gift of discerning of spirits and study and know God’s word (test or try the spirit against the word of God). You must have the spirit of truth in order to detect any spirit of error. Prayer: Lord, fill us with more of you. We want the spirit of truth to dwell in us and never leave. Make us sensitive to the leading and promptings of the Holy Spirit and sharpen our discernment, daily. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!!
I pray that this week’s blog post provided clarity so that you are better equipped to test the spirits (reference and study 1 John 4: 1-6). Please feel free to leave a comment and share this blog post with family and friends. Thank you in advance.
-Sincerely, Sheena M.