Test the Spirits

Calling out and identifying false teachers is neither fun nor popular. It is, however, both biblical and necessary. They are often more dangerous and more plentiful than many Christians realize. The apostle John makes that clear in 1 John 4:1–6. In words like those he penned earlier in 2:18–27, the last living apostle draws a contrast between true prophets and false prophets, the true Christ and antichrists, and that which is of the Spirit of God and that which is of the spirits of this world.

Amazingly, those who are of “the world” and not “from God” have worked their way into the churches. We are reminded that our greatest dangers are not from without but from within. Therefore, we must “test the spirits” because they are not all from God.

John provides a fourfold test we must take. This exam is more important than any you will ever take in any school. Its results are of eternal significance.

First Test: Are You Following False Prophets?

The first test is are you following false prophets? John begins with a word of affection and love. He deeply cares for these brothers and sisters in Christ and is very aware that danger is lurking about, possibly within. John wants them to know not every spiritual teacher is a credible teacher. There are spiritual deceivers and liars out there, and they work hard to earn our trust and our allegiance.

John says, “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God.” The word “test” implies rigorous examination to discover its genuineness. Our work at the Church is like a food inspector. We must taste and see if the spiritual food is worth eating. If it isn’t, we have to warn others so that they may not be deceived and protect them from food poisoning. We are all to be doctrine detectives and theological investigators!

Our goal is to determine if these prophets/preachers are from God or if their origin is to be found in another source, in a different kind of spirit. John’s point is straightforward: Behind every prophet, every proclamation, there is an energizing spirit. Their message will inform us as to the origin and source of their message. They are not all from God. Watch! Listen! Test!

Not every preacher and pastor are sent to do good. There are demonically inspired missionaries on a satanic assignment. What is sad this has been going on for a long time.

If a prophet or someone who has dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, and that sign or wonder he has promised you comes about, but he says, “Let us follow other gods,” which you have not known, “and let us worship them,” do not listen to that prophet’s words or to that dreamer. For the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lordyour God with all your heart and all your soul. You must follow the Lord your God and fear Him. You must keep His commands and listen to His voice; you must worship Him and remain faithful to Him. That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has urged rebellion against the Lordyour God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the place of slavery, to turn you from the way the Lordyour God has commanded you to walk. You must purge the evil from you. (Deut 13:1–5)

Most people tend to ascribe any unusual phenomenon to God. Such a lack of discernment opens the door for false teaching and provides an opportunity for demonic activity to invade the church.

Remember: spiritual or religious activity is not necessarily godly activity!

Evaluate the message and the messenger according to the Word of God. False prophets are deceptive in their messages. They have their own Great Commission, having been sent out “into the world.”

You cannot say, “I was never warned.” Jesus warned us (Matt 7:15; 24:11, 14; Mark 13:21–23). Paul warned us (Acts 20:28–30). Peter warned us (2 Pet 2:1–22). Jude warned us (Jude 4–19). Where there is truth, error will be lurking in the background. Be on the lookout.

Second Test: Are You Confessing the True Jesus?

Second test is you confessing the true Jesus Christ?

John makes it plain that Christianity is rooted and grounded in “the Christological question” What do you believe about Jesus? If He is just another enlightened religious teacher, He is permitted and tolerated as one opinion, one option, among many. If He is the very incarnation of God, then the gospel and only the gospel is true, and He is the only viable option for salvation amid the multitude of imposters.

Testing the spirits of verse 1 is greatly aided by asking “the Jesus question.”This is how you know, recognize, and come to understand “the Spirit of God” and those who bear His gospel message. What confession bears witness to the presence of the Spirit of God? It is this: “Jesus Christ the Son of God has come in the flesh.” Such a confession is not mere words or some smooth statement. It is heartfelt, mind-engaged, and soul-committed. It is on this truth that authentic Christianity stands or falls.

Amazingly, even demons got it right and recognized the deity of Jesus while He walked on earth, though they certainly did not worship Him for it. Tragically, demons have a better theology than some professing Christians, pastors, teachers, and theologians.

Those who deny the truth of the incarnation of the Son of God (1) are not of God and (2) are of the antichrist.

If a person claims to believe in Jesus, it is proper to ask, “Is your Jesus the real Jesus?” What one thinks about Jesus has enormous consequences. Tell me what you think about Jesus, and I will tell you 95 percent of the rest of your theology. He is the center, the hub of all theology. All of it radiates out from Him. So once more: Are you confessing the true Christ? Do you confess with the apostles, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God?”

Third test: Are You Trusting in the Greater Spirit?

There is what we could call “a divine irony” for those who believe in and follow Jesus. The opposition of Satan—the world system that daily assaults us, false teachers that seek to seduce us, faulty worldviews that attempt to confuse us, and our own sinfulness that yearns to enslave us—is divinely ordained to fail. Why? Because of the glorious truth of verse 4: “The One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” We have a Champion, a Victor, a source of power that all these enemies from hell cannot overcome. [PRAISE GOD!]

How did we obtain this victory? The Greater Spirit, the Holy Spirit, is in you, and He is greater than he who is in the world. Is the world strong? Yes, but our God is infinitely stronger! Are false prophets wise? Yes, but our God is infinitely wiser! Is Satan great? Yes, but our God is infinitely greater! And this One who is infinitely stronger, wiser, and greater now and forever “is in you”!

By a true and faithful confession of Jesus as Messiah, I declare that I am God’s. In response, God gives Himself to me through His Spirit and takes up residence in me and in each one who sincerely calls Jesus “Lord.” Amazingly, the God who can live anywhere desires to live inside of you and me! I now move forward in a life of loving, sacrificial service, just as my suffering-servant Savior did. I can live confidently, blessed with supernaturally given assurance that I am His and that I fight a battle in which victory is mine for the taking.

Fourth test - Are You Listening to the Right Teachers?

John brings this section to a close with simple words that, at first blush, can sound rather arrogant. However, a closer look will reveal he directs us to the exact place we should go and the teachers to whom we should listen. John draws a contrast between those of the world—the evil, organized system controlled by Satan (v. 5)—and those who are from God (v. 6).

Those who are from the Devil’s domain speak out of that worldview and with that spirit’s inspiration. They speak satanic sermons. They deliver demonic discourses, and those who belong to that worldview listen to and embrace their teachings. Therefore, we should never be surprised when the lost think like lost people and live like lost people. This is true even for those who once believed in and followed Christ. Those enslaved to the world cannot help but listen to those who speak their own language.

Verse 6 paints a different picture. Those who know God by confessing Jesus as the incarnate Christ and Savior listen to those who were with Him and who were commissioned by Him. They stay with the apostles and the prophets and refuse to move away from this true and trustworthy source even one inch!

In John 8:47, Jesus says, “The one who is from God listens to God’s words.” This is a helpful commentary on the meaning of this verse. For those who truly know God, there is no “Jesus-plus” or “Bible-plus” theology. And there is no “Jesus-minus” or “Bible-minus” theology either. This is how you can, without question, tell the difference between “the Spirit of truth and the Spirit of deception.”

The phrase “spirit of deception” is interesting. It has the idea of wandering away from the truth. False prophets and those who listen to their teachings hang around the truth for a while but don’t stay. They wander away.

Again and again, their error comes back to what they think and believe about Jesus. The Bible says He is God, but they wander away and deny His eternal deity. The Bible says He is sinless, but they wander away and say He sinned or at least committed an error. The Bible says He did miracles, but they wander away and say these are myths and fables. The Bible says He is the only Savior, but they wander away and say He is only a Savior. The Bible says He died on the cross for our sins, but they wander away and deny penal substitution, calling it cosmic child abuse. The Bible says He rose bodily from the dead, but they wander away and say the disciples imagined that He did. The Bible says He ascended into heaven as Lord, but they wander away and say this is just another myth. The Bible says He is coming again, but they wander away and say it’s pop-Christian fiction. Finally, the Bible says He will judge us all, but they wander away and say God is love, and eventually, all will be saved. In the end, they say, “Love Wins.”

Friends, I urge you to be careful of who you listen to and watch! A battle is raging for the hearts, minds, and souls of men and women. Be a good soldier of Christ and the cross, of that which is true and that which is right. Test the spirits, confess Christ as Lord, trust the Holy Spirit who is within, and stay latched to the Word. Here is your strength, your safety, and your salvation.