In a world saturated with voices claiming spiritual authority, how do we know which ones to trust? The apostle John faced this exact crisis in the early church, and his wisdom in 1 John 4:1-6 speaks powerfully to our current moment: "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."
This isn't just ancient advice—it's a survival manual for modern believers.
The Crisis of Deception
Imagine a thriving church community suddenly infiltrated by former members who left to start their own congregation—but one built on twisted theology. These individuals returned not as friends but as missionaries of heresy, attempting to convert faithful Christians away from orthodox truth. They brought smooth words, relatable personalities, and messages that tickled ears but poisoned souls.
This was the reality facing John's audience. False teachers were denying the incarnation of Christ, minimizing the seriousness of sin, and replacing grace with "special knowledge." The result? Confusion, division, and spiritual danger for baby believers who couldn't distinguish truth from error.
Sound familiar? The same deceptive spirits operate today, just with different packaging.
Understanding the Battle: Two Spirits, Two Kingdoms
At its core, spiritual discernment recognizes a fundamental reality: there are only two spirits operating in the world. The Spirit of God—the Spirit of truth—and the spirit of the Antichrist—the spirit of error and falsehood. Every teaching, every prophet, every spiritual voice flows from one of these two sources.
This means that behind every statement is a spirit. Not every spirit behind a statement is the Spirit of God, even when it sounds spiritual, feels good, or comes from someone we trust.
The enemy is crafty. He studies our vulnerabilities and repackages the same deceptions in forms we won't recognize. We might successfully avoid the loud gossip, only to befriend the sympathetic listener who subtly spreads the same poison. Same deception, different packaging.
The Three C's: A Simple Test for Complex Deception
God, in His mercy, doesn't leave us defenseless. John provides a remarkably simple test to combat the complexities of spiritual deception. We can call it the "Christology Test"—examining three critical areas:
1. Content: Read Between the Lines
True teachers must acknowledge that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. They cannot deny the incarnation—God becoming man. Their message must be an outward expression of inner faith in the biblical Jesus.
If your favorite speaker is a great motivational guru but never declares the gospel of Jesus Christ, beware. If a prophet knows your address and your name but won't say the name of Jesus, another spirit may be at work. Christian content always honors and confesses the Son of God.
2. Confession: Listen to Their Convictions
Romans 10:9-10 makes clear that confession is crucial: "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
Confession exposes the heart. What someone says reveals what they truly believe. If a person's race, ethnicity, or politics carry more weight than biblical principles, we have a problem. If someone fails to confess the truth of Christ clearly, they may actually be in opposition to Christ—even if they don't realize it.
False confessions abound: "Jesus was a good teacher, but not God." "Jesus was a great prophet, but not the Most High." These subtle denials strip Christ of His deity and our salvation of its power.
3. Character: Watch the Fruit
Jesus said, "By their fruits you will know them" (Matthew 7:16). We cannot judge someone's spirit by conversation alone. We must examine their character over time.
Biblical, sacrificial love displayed in action is the fruit of the seed planted by the Holy Spirit. John 13:35 declares, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." Not by how we shout, preach, or perform—but by how we love.
If someone's life doesn't line up with the life of Christ—whether they've been saved two months or twenty years—there should be concern. Character reveals what content and confession sometimes conceal.
The Freedom of Discernment
Here's a liberating truth: kingdom citizens shouldn't become frustrated when worldly people don't listen to kingdom people. They're not supposed to. It's two different teams, two different kingdoms.
Jesus sent out the seventy-two with clear instructions: if people receive you, let your peace remain. If they don't, shake the dust off your feet and move on. Sometimes what we think is a hard head is actually a hard heart—and only God can change that.
Stop wasting precious time with people who refuse to hear. The pearls God has given you—your testimony, your time, your spiritual insights—are valuable. Sow the seed, but don't keep watering ground that refuses to receive. Move on to fertile soil and let someone else water what you planted. God will give the increase.
The Danger of Small Compromises
Consider an aquarium test kit that measures water quality. To the untrained eye, two water samples might look identical. But one has slightly elevated nitrate levels—just a little bit of contamination. The hardy fish might survive, but the sensitive shrimp, the cleaning snails, and especially the baby fish? They'll die.
A little leaven ruins the whole lump. A little sin, left unchecked, doesn't stay little. It grows. And while the strong might tolerate it for a season, the vulnerable—new believers, those doing faithful work in the background, the spiritually sensitive—they suffer first.
We've become desensitized to the world, thinking "it's just a little bit" of compromise, a small theological error, a minor moral slip. Meanwhile, the enemy isn't aiming for dramatic 10% shifts. He's content with 0.1% increases over time, knowing we won't notice until it's too late.
Greater Is He
But here's the victory: "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).
As children of God, we're never outnumbered. When Elisha's servant panicked at the surrounding enemy armies, Elisha prayed, "Lord, open his eyes." Suddenly the servant saw angels and chariots of fire surrounding them (2 Kings 6:16-17).
We who are disciples have already overcome the world through Christ. We have power—not in shouting or performing, but in walking according to the steps of Jesus with discernment and love.
The Call to Action
Testing the spirits isn't optional for believers who want to thrive. We must examine the content of what we hear, the confession of those who teach us, and the character of those we follow. We must spend time with Scripture, hold teachings up to the light of God's Word, and refuse to allow even small compromises to contaminate our faith community.
The water in our spiritual tanks needs regular testing. The health of the body depends on it. When something is off—even slightly—we must sound the alarm, address it immediately, and walk alongside one another in restoration.
Discernment is key. Without it, all our prayers, sermons, and evangelism efforts can be undermined by unchecked deception. With it, we become communities where the spirit of the Antichrist finds no foothold, and the Spirit of truth reigns supreme.
This isn't just ancient advice—it's a survival manual for modern believers.
The Crisis of Deception
Imagine a thriving church community suddenly infiltrated by former members who left to start their own congregation—but one built on twisted theology. These individuals returned not as friends but as missionaries of heresy, attempting to convert faithful Christians away from orthodox truth. They brought smooth words, relatable personalities, and messages that tickled ears but poisoned souls.
This was the reality facing John's audience. False teachers were denying the incarnation of Christ, minimizing the seriousness of sin, and replacing grace with "special knowledge." The result? Confusion, division, and spiritual danger for baby believers who couldn't distinguish truth from error.
Sound familiar? The same deceptive spirits operate today, just with different packaging.
Understanding the Battle: Two Spirits, Two Kingdoms
At its core, spiritual discernment recognizes a fundamental reality: there are only two spirits operating in the world. The Spirit of God—the Spirit of truth—and the spirit of the Antichrist—the spirit of error and falsehood. Every teaching, every prophet, every spiritual voice flows from one of these two sources.
This means that behind every statement is a spirit. Not every spirit behind a statement is the Spirit of God, even when it sounds spiritual, feels good, or comes from someone we trust.
The enemy is crafty. He studies our vulnerabilities and repackages the same deceptions in forms we won't recognize. We might successfully avoid the loud gossip, only to befriend the sympathetic listener who subtly spreads the same poison. Same deception, different packaging.
The Three C's: A Simple Test for Complex Deception
God, in His mercy, doesn't leave us defenseless. John provides a remarkably simple test to combat the complexities of spiritual deception. We can call it the "Christology Test"—examining three critical areas:
1. Content: Read Between the Lines
True teachers must acknowledge that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. They cannot deny the incarnation—God becoming man. Their message must be an outward expression of inner faith in the biblical Jesus.
If your favorite speaker is a great motivational guru but never declares the gospel of Jesus Christ, beware. If a prophet knows your address and your name but won't say the name of Jesus, another spirit may be at work. Christian content always honors and confesses the Son of God.
2. Confession: Listen to Their Convictions
Romans 10:9-10 makes clear that confession is crucial: "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
Confession exposes the heart. What someone says reveals what they truly believe. If a person's race, ethnicity, or politics carry more weight than biblical principles, we have a problem. If someone fails to confess the truth of Christ clearly, they may actually be in opposition to Christ—even if they don't realize it.
False confessions abound: "Jesus was a good teacher, but not God." "Jesus was a great prophet, but not the Most High." These subtle denials strip Christ of His deity and our salvation of its power.
3. Character: Watch the Fruit
Jesus said, "By their fruits you will know them" (Matthew 7:16). We cannot judge someone's spirit by conversation alone. We must examine their character over time.
Biblical, sacrificial love displayed in action is the fruit of the seed planted by the Holy Spirit. John 13:35 declares, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." Not by how we shout, preach, or perform—but by how we love.
If someone's life doesn't line up with the life of Christ—whether they've been saved two months or twenty years—there should be concern. Character reveals what content and confession sometimes conceal.
The Freedom of Discernment
Here's a liberating truth: kingdom citizens shouldn't become frustrated when worldly people don't listen to kingdom people. They're not supposed to. It's two different teams, two different kingdoms.
Jesus sent out the seventy-two with clear instructions: if people receive you, let your peace remain. If they don't, shake the dust off your feet and move on. Sometimes what we think is a hard head is actually a hard heart—and only God can change that.
Stop wasting precious time with people who refuse to hear. The pearls God has given you—your testimony, your time, your spiritual insights—are valuable. Sow the seed, but don't keep watering ground that refuses to receive. Move on to fertile soil and let someone else water what you planted. God will give the increase.
The Danger of Small Compromises
Consider an aquarium test kit that measures water quality. To the untrained eye, two water samples might look identical. But one has slightly elevated nitrate levels—just a little bit of contamination. The hardy fish might survive, but the sensitive shrimp, the cleaning snails, and especially the baby fish? They'll die.
A little leaven ruins the whole lump. A little sin, left unchecked, doesn't stay little. It grows. And while the strong might tolerate it for a season, the vulnerable—new believers, those doing faithful work in the background, the spiritually sensitive—they suffer first.
We've become desensitized to the world, thinking "it's just a little bit" of compromise, a small theological error, a minor moral slip. Meanwhile, the enemy isn't aiming for dramatic 10% shifts. He's content with 0.1% increases over time, knowing we won't notice until it's too late.
Greater Is He
But here's the victory: "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).
As children of God, we're never outnumbered. When Elisha's servant panicked at the surrounding enemy armies, Elisha prayed, "Lord, open his eyes." Suddenly the servant saw angels and chariots of fire surrounding them (2 Kings 6:16-17).
We who are disciples have already overcome the world through Christ. We have power—not in shouting or performing, but in walking according to the steps of Jesus with discernment and love.
The Call to Action
Testing the spirits isn't optional for believers who want to thrive. We must examine the content of what we hear, the confession of those who teach us, and the character of those we follow. We must spend time with Scripture, hold teachings up to the light of God's Word, and refuse to allow even small compromises to contaminate our faith community.
The water in our spiritual tanks needs regular testing. The health of the body depends on it. When something is off—even slightly—we must sound the alarm, address it immediately, and walk alongside one another in restoration.
Discernment is key. Without it, all our prayers, sermons, and evangelism efforts can be undermined by unchecked deception. With it, we become communities where the spirit of the Antichrist finds no foothold, and the Spirit of truth reigns supreme.
Pastor Marco Waters
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