One of the initial recognitions we must acknowledge as followers of Jesus Christ is that our priorities and focus must change from a physical emphasis to a spiritual focus. The reason for this is simple: our assessments and judgments should be based on discernment, rather than what is physically presented to us. The idea is to see the root of the situation, instead of being deceived by its surface.
The apostle Paul, in his letter to the church of Corinth, placed emphasis on this revelation when he said, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" Ephesians 6:12.
This verse explains that the actual battle for Christians is not against people but against unseen, malevolent spiritual forces, such as principalities and powers, which are organized in a hierarchy of evil spirits that oppose God's purposes. The context, following this verse in Ephesians 6, is the call to put on the whole "Armor of God" to withstand these spiritual attacks and stand firm against the devil's schemes.
Having considered the above, today we shall examine the biblical standard for testing the spirit, as advised by the apostle John in 1 John 4:1: "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." Well, according to the Bible, we, the Believers of Jesus Christ, must adopt a spiritual perspective in our assessment, which is initially achieved by focusing on the fruit or what is consistently being produced from whatever we are judging. This is done by comparing whatever message, actions, behavior, etc, to Scripture, to determine if what is being displayed aligns with Scripture. An example of this would be a person who consistently lies. Well, as a believer of Jesus Christ, we focus on the fruit of this person, which in this case would be their consistent lying. Having discovered the fruit, we now focus on its root or origin, which we achieve by referring to Biblical protocol as stated in Ephesians 6:12. This tells us that our battle is not with flesh and blood (Human beings). So, even though this person is producing the fruit of lying, the reality is that there is a spirit behind this, known as a lying spirit. The Bible references this spirit in 1 Kings 22:21-23.
I must add that one must be Biblically knowledgeable and use the Bible as their benchmark when it comes to testing the spirits of a person, thing, environment, family, etc. Secondly, consistency is also crucial when it comes to testing spirits. What I mean by this is that spirits are consistent in whatever it is that they specialize in. For example, a lying spirit will always be consistent with lying. A jealous spirit will always be consistent with jealousy, etc. So, as it relates to Human beings, spirits begin their programming from the heart (mind) of a person. The victim, in turn, unknowingly becomes a puppet to the spirit, hence the consistency of the person's behavior.
Jesus indirectly referenced this in Matthew 7:16-20, "
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so, every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Essentially, Jesus is saying that you can test, prove, or determine the source of anything by examining the consistency of the fruit it produces. A spirit from God will align with biblical truth, produce good spiritual fruit, and confess Jesus as Lord. Conversely, a spirit that denies these truths or promotes ungodly actions consistently is not from God.
So, in conclusion, “test the spirits” means evaluating what is being taught against the clear and definitive teachings of the Bible. It means that every doctrine preached from the pulpit or elsewhere must be compared to the truths written in Scripture. Additionally, no individual, regardless of their title, social status, or popularity, is above the word of God. Therefore, all preachers and doctrines must be consistently tested against God's word.
To “test the spirits” also means that all things, including natural or supernatural activities and encounters, must be examined and measured against the teachings and principles of God’s word. We live in a world where those claiming to speak for God often make unbiblical claims of spiritual authority, manifesting in visions, dreams, miracles, and new revelations or prophecies. As a result, all these phenomena must be tested and compared with the truth and principles outlined in the Bible. The Bible remains the ultimate authority on all matters and serves as our standard for discerning truth from error.
Kevin L A Ewing
ewinglakevin@icloud.com
kevinlaewing.blogspot.com
www.kevinlaewing.com
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