Monday, March 2, 2009

Testing The Spirits

Original Date: 3/2/09

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned to someone "You have to test the spirits." The person responded by saying "How do you test the spirits." What a most excellent question! How does one test the spirits?

1 John 4:1-6

4 Beloved, 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. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. 4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
NASU


If you think about a test from school, what are you doing? You are undergoing a series of questions to determine your knowledge about a subject. In the spiritual realm it is we who are asking the spiritual questions. Spiritual questions help us to determine whether something is Godly or not. It is saying "Yep, that's correct" or "Nope, that is not correct." It can also help us determine if something is a false prophecy. This is using the mind to test something.

Here are some questions in order to test the spirits (via the mind):

1) Does this source's words line up with the word of God?
2) Does this source's words claim the death and resurrection of Jesus?
3) Does a prophetic word hold true in the timeframe in which it is given?


In school, you might have also done some Chemistry experiments. Have you ever used a litmus paper to determine if something was an acid or a base? If you touched the litmus paper to an acid, such as in a lemon, the litmus paper would turn red. If you touched the litmus paper to a base, such as in detergent, the litmus paper would turn blue. This indicates that there is a difference in chemical make-up and chemical properties that will change the paper two different colors. I see the litmus test in the spiritual realm as determining the properties and compounds that make it up. Because of this, testing the spirits is not just in the mind and words, it is also in the heart.

Here are some heart tests to apply to a situation:

1) Is the word or situation condemning or edifying?
(Note: A word from God might not always be pleasant.)
2) Is a word of truth spoken in love?
3) Does the word or situation feel dark/deceptive or light/truthful?
4) Is the intent self-focused, others-focused, or Christ-focused?

There is a difference between charm and charisma. They both draw people in but one is for good and the other is not. There is a difference between prophetic and psychic. The same rule applies. Someone could be a charming prophet or a charismatic psychic. We all can operate under different spirits so be careful of what you operate under. Be also careful to test what other people say and do. If we are not careful, we can fall into the trap of believing everything we hear or becoming cynical and not believing anything.

We need to be especially careful in the areas in which we are most trusting. Trust is a good thing but it can also be the playground for manipulation.

Examples:

Words of Destiny - If I trust in the words of destiny, then I am subject to being attacked by them. For example, if I received a prophetic word, and I did not test that word, then I would be deceived into an alternate destiny out of God's will.

Words of Identity (Positive) - If I trust in words of Identity, then I am subject to being attacked by them. If someone bragged on me and told me how good I was, then it could be a way to increase my pride. A positive word may not be what I need if my ego is already inflating.

Words of Identity (Negative) - If I trust in words of Identity, then I am subject to being attacked by them. Typically, a negative person is cynical or self-defeating in some way. If that's the case, then negative words will be echoed on a regular basis to further perpetuate the downward spiral.


Listen to the words, test them, find out what God says about them.

Additional Source for Testing The Spirits:

http://executableoutlines.com/1jn/1jn_13.htm

Disclaimer: The contents of this message are to be prayed over and tested by prayer and scripture. The contents of any blogs written are my best understanding of any knowledge I obtain. The contents of this message may come from a variety of sources including, but not limited to: books I have read, words from God, words I have heard, memories, experiences, and my own imagination. It is my intention to share what knowledge I have gleaned from all available sources and "connect the dots" between those points of knowledge. God Bless!

1 comment:

  1. "3) Does the word or situation feel dark/deceptive or light/truthful?"

    I read this and saw an additional way to think of "Light" - Light vs. heavy. Like the yoke of Christ is not heavy and does not weary you. Of course, that doesn't mean the Christian's walk with God is easy, but this made me think of how, for instance, condemnation comes on us very "heavy" but God's conviction seems "light" in weight.

    What do you think? Does this resonate with you (and any others reading) as well?

    ReplyDelete