Have you ever heard the statement “try the spirit by the spirit?” This phrase is often misquoted from the scripture 1 John 4:1 which reads:
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. 1 John 4:1 ESV
This is a very important passage of scripture as it provides a way to keep from being deceived. So let’s start with the first warning:
Do NOT believe every spirit
At the time of John’s letter to the church, many false teachers were going about spreading heretical teachings regarding Jesus’ incarnation, and much like today, their lies were infiltrating the church.
In this verse (1 John 4:1) John’s warning is to NOT believe every spirit. From this statement alone we can gather two things: 1) there are other spirits in operation in the world as well as in the church. 2) They are false.
In this particular verse, the Greek word for believe is pisteuo – which means to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in.
So let’s say it like this, do not think to be true or be persuaded of, or give credit to or place your confidence in every spirit.
The “spirit” in this scripture is talking about the false spiritual influence that is operating behind a person or doctrine.
Using false prophets (teachers) as their mouthpiece demonic entities teach doctrines that contradict the truth of what has been taught about the Lord Jesus to deceive and lead us away from the one true Christ (1 Timothy 4:1).
Therefore, we should not be so quick to trust someone just because they say they are a Christian, Preacher, or a prophet of God.
This is lip service and only the word of God can validate if they are a messenger of the truth.
Test the spirits to see whether they are from God
The next warning John gives is that we test every spirit. The reason given is so that we can determine if the spirit is from God.
Many people chose to believe in their experiences over sound doctrine, yet this is one of the easiest ways to be deceived. Having a good feeling or positive experience does not mean that it came from God.
If the devil can transform himself into an angel of light, do you not think he can also provide good experiences? (2 Corinthians 11:14)
Therefore, we must test (prove, verify) every spirit to see if it stands up to the truth of God’s word.
For many False prophets have gone out into the world
John writes that MANY false prophets have already gone out in the world. That is not a few but many! Just think, there are people right now on Christian Television, YouTube channels, podcasts, websites, and international ministries who are false prophets.
This should not be a shock to us, as we have been warned many times in the Bible about false prophets and deceivers (2 Corinthians 11:13-15; Matthew 7:15; Matthew 24:11; Matthew 24:24, Mark 13:22).
How do we test the spirits?
There is only one Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit. And when we are born again we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of truth), who dwells inside of us and guides us into all truth (John 16:13). God wants us to know the truth, and he doesn’t want us to be deceived which is why he gives us wisdom on how to test the spirits.
Test 1 – What do they say about Jesus? Matthew 16:13-16
Jesus asked his disciples “who do men say that I am”. To which they responded some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Then he asked them this question “but who do YOU say that I am”.
Peter gets the answer right and responds “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Why is this so important? Because who Jesus is, is the foundation upon which Christianity is built. He is the Christ (Matthew 16:16), the only begotten son of God (John 3:16), born in the flesh to redeem man back to God (Luke 2:11), he was crucified, died, and rose again (Luke 24:46) He was fully God and fully man (Philippians 2:6-7). He was perfect and sinless (2 Corinthians 5:21) and He is the ONLY way back to the Father (John 14:6).
Many people will tell you they believe in Jesus but they will say he was a good man, or he was a prophet, or according to the new age, he is an ascended Master who came to earth, not as God but to teach us how to become God. Crazy right?
If they say anything other than Jesus came in the flesh, as the Son of God. They are not from God. And according to the Bible, this is the spirit of anti-Christ. (1 John 4:2).
Now the enemy is cunning and deceitful so his false prophets won’t always just come out and say that Jesus didn’t come in the flesh. But it often sounds like this:
These are subtle lies, but remember, any attacks on the character of Jesus, his sinless nature, his divinity, his virgin birth, are undermining the gospel of Jesus Christ and is the spirit of anti-Christ.
Test 2 – Do their prophecies come true? Deuteronomy 18:21-23
God was speaking to the children of Israel and encouraging them that he would raise up a true prophet from their midst as he did with Moses. He then gave them the test to know if the prophet was from him:
Duet 18:22 When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.
How many prophecies have we heard just over the last year, where people have presumptuously spoken on behalf of God and the prophecies failed? According to the word this person is not sent from God and we should not give ear to them any longer.
In the Old Testament, the penalty for being a false prophet was death. Today we allow false teachers and prophets to continue in ministry despite their sometimes multiple false prophecies. We would do well to heed the words of the true and living God and turn away from such people.
Test 3 – Do they preach sound doctrine (godliness) 1 Timothy 6:3-5
Paul is writing to Timothy and is instructing him that anyone who teaches a doctrine that does not agree with the Gospel of Jesus, according to godliness, are corrupt and destitute of the truth.
The spirit behind false prophets will often capitalize on those who are emotional, uneducated in the word of God, and hopeless. This is how the message of prosperity is readily received because instead of us allowing God to heal our emotions, and unresolved issues and to be our source of provision, we think having money or material possessions will fix the problem.
This is why Paul warns Timothy (and us) to stay away from people who teach that gain is godliness (1 Timothy 6:3-5).
In addition, the spirit of anti-Christ will never preach on repentance of sin. Instead, false teachers will over-emphasize God’s grace and promote God’s blessings even though you have an un-repented sinful lifestyle (Jude 1:4).
Test 4 – Do they practice what they preach? Matthew 7:15-20
Jesus warned to beware of false prophets, they are wolves in sheep’s clothing. However, he graciously told us that we would recognize them by their fruit, in other words, their lifestyle.
If someone professes to be a teacher, preacher, or prophet of God and their life is plagued with scandal, they are likely a false prophet. Of course, people can be falsely accused of things, and make mistakes (we all have sinned) but if someone is openly practicing a sinful lifestyle they are not sent from God (1 John 3:9-10).
If they are without repentance and instead justify their behavior with sayings like “touch not God’s anointed” they are not from God. True ministers of God don’t mind being corrected, they will take responsibility for their actions and they will have the heart to repent.
We are to be diligent in guarding our hearts, from the deception that is running rampant in these last days. As John warned we are NOT to believe every spirit but we are to be diligent in testing to make sure that a person’s teaching is in line with the truth.
Oftentimes we are too quick to believe a teacher or preacher simply because they are on TV, have a large congregation or social media following, or because they are likable, friendly, and popular, or because they say they are a man or woman of God. But remember a large following does not mean that a person is sent from God. As Jesus explains that not everyone who professes his name will be allowed to enter his kingdom (Matthew 7:21-23).
Being well-versed in scripture and the knowledge of God will make us fruitful and keep us from falling (2 Peter 1:5-10). This doesn’t mean we have to know every passage in the Bible, but we at least need to know the foundational basics of the gospel and why we believe (1 Peter 3:15). When you know the truth you will recognize an error quickly.
Proverbs 31:10 – Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.
In Proverbs 31:1-9, King Lemuel is receiving instruction from his Mother on how to conduct himself as a king. She warns him to stay away from drunkenness and immoral women, for these are the women who have the power to destroy kings.
Parents play an important role in the lives of their children. Parenting, as God ordained it, is a huge responsibility and should not be taken lightly.
God deems the role of parents so important that he gave specific instructions on how they should instruct their children. (Proverbs 22:6, Titus 2:4)
However, God also commands children on how they are to relate to their parents.