Test the Spirits

Don’t believe everything you hear or read. In John’s day there were those who claimed to be speaking by the Spirit of God, but some of them were false prophets. Just as John wanted his readers to know if they were truly disciples or not he also wanted them to know how to tell the false prophets from the genuine ones.

1 John 4:1–3 NIV84

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 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.

We face the same problem today. There are many books that have come out by people claiming to have some special revelation or to have heard from God such as “The Celestine Prophecy”, “The Secret”, “Conversations with God”, and “The Book of Secret Wisdom”.

Even in the church there are some who claim to be proclaiming God’s word who are at best misled and at worst are purposefully misleading their followers. John’s words are just as important for us today as they were when he wrote them.

Don’t believe every spirit

Every believer has the ability and the responsibility to determine if what someone says is really from God or not. Just because a person says they have a prophecy doesn’t mean it is true. Peter, Paul, and Jesus Himself warned against false prophets.

1 Timothy 4:1 NIV84

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.

Test the spirits

The word translated “test” here was commonly used in the first century for the testing of metals to see if they were unalloyed and genuine. Test the spirit by examining what the spirit is inspiring to be said.

Does it conform to the Word of God

God will not contradict Himself. If someone comes with a teaching that is clearly opposed to what God has already disclosed we are not to accept it.

Gift of discernment

I can remember once going into a bookstore that carried a lot of New Age type of books and other items and getting a very uncomfortable feeling. I believe that this was the Holy Spirit letting me know that there were false spirits there. Needless to say I quickly left.

Does it bring us closer to God or lead away from God

Deuteronomy 13:1–3 NIV84

If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Notice that these false prophets may also work miracles.

Jesus said the Holy Spirit will bring glory to Him (John 16:14). If a message does not do this it is not the Holy Spirit but the spirit of the antichrist which is speaking.

I attended the teaching services of a Christian storefront church for a while, and at the beginning it was doing a lot of good ministry. At one point, however, one of the people began to emphasize spiritual warfare in such a way that Satan was getting more attention than God. It was generating fear, not faith. I stopped going, and when I met another person who had been going there some time later I found out that the group had fallen apart.

Acknowledging Jesus Christ

This involves not just intellectual assent, but a profession of trust in Him.

That Jesus is the Christ

The Messiah, the Son of God – recognizes the deity of Jesus

That Jesus has come in the flesh

The incarnation – the Jesus also became fully human. This is what the false teachers in the first centuries denied. They taught that Jesus only appeared to be human.

2 John 7 NIV84

Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.

We believe that God does still speak today, but we do not want to be naïve. As Paul says:

1 Thessalonians 5:20–21 NIV84

do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good.