Do Not Believe Every Spirit

       Not all revelation comes from God, and not even all of what appears to be spiritual comes from the Holy Spirit. It is imperative to learn how to “test the spirits” in order to determine if they are serving God or the enemy.

Do not be naïve! The unseen supernatural reality around us is populated with both angels and demons, and human beings are notoriously poor at telling the difference between good spirits and bad ones.

     Only naïve people will believe everything that crosses their minds. Satan is always lurking just out of sight, plotting wickedness against God’s people, and we must not be ignorant of his schemes. (See I Peter 5:8, 2 Corinthians 2:11.) He especially loves to deceive the very people who are trying to learn how to receive revelation from God.

Realize that you can’t elude the enemy by just pretending he is not there. He is. You will find him around every corner. During your lifetime, you will be exposed to plenty of evil, and you might even need to learn about some of it. But you do not have to fall for it. To stay clear, you need to discover how to discern the difference between the devil’s doings, God’s workings, and everything in between.

It is not that every mistaken word comes straight from the devil’s mouth. Some of it is more like junk mail—not of much value, but not especially harmful either. Again, you need discernment to determine whether a word is from God, from Satan, or a mixture of a human mind. You do not need to discern and test the spirits solo; you always have the Holy Spirit helping you. Always remember: He will guide you into the truth, and the truth will set you free.

Hey, may I simply be real with you? We must get back to basics! The global Church is at a crossroads. Too many people want the glory realm without picking up their cross daily and following Him. You cannot wear a crown without having splinters in your mouth. What? We must love the cross. Hold the cross close to you. Kiss the cross. Embrace the cross as discipline. Most importantly, there is power in the cross, wonder-working power.

Be a God-centered person. Be a God-chaser more than a demon-buster. As a God-centered person, worship your heart out. When you worship His majesty, His majesty will visit you! Praise Him. Bow to Him. Enter into His presence, and everything will change. Old things hanging on to you will lose their grip and demonic spirits will flee. Yes, darkness cannot stand the presence of God!  One of your highest weapons is the brilliance of His great presence! So let’s get back to the basics!

Another basic discernment key has to do with the authority figures in your life. Proper alignment is essential in these days. If you want to be properly equipped, then be aligned with those who are growing and walking in all five essential vitamins that are needed to build up the body: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. For too long, the church has been anemic, only being sustained by two and, at most, three of the needed essentials: pastors and teachers and occasional outreach ministry. But we must embrace all five ascension office gifts of the spirit if we are to become the empowered army of God in the last days. As it was in the beginning, it will be in the end.

Want another basic key to discernment? You will have greater authority when you submit to authority. Find the right alignment and then properly connect! We need a restoration of the culture of honor in the church. I honor authority; I do not worship those in authority. I do not give my personal decision-making rights away to any other person. I bear personal responsibility. You will reap what you sow. Give respect, appreciation, a seat of gratitude, prayer, and thanksgiving for our fathers and mothers in the body of Christ. When you honor your faithful pioneers, it will release whatever they have carried and grant greater grace toward you.

As you learn the ropes that not every spirit is of God and you must test the spirits, remember this striking power point. There is power in speaking God’s Word! Just try it! Read scripture out loud. Repeat one of God’s promises and get it down into your heart, and then mix your faith with it. You will see how darkness gets exposed by the light. You must remember, we are a part of a speech-activated kingdom.

In addition, there is power in forgiveness. When we fail to forgive our brother from the heart, according to the teachings of Jesus, we actually get turned “over to the tormentors.” (Matthew 18:23–35 KJV) In other words, we get tormented by evil spirits and wicked thoughts. Whether we are receiving or giving forgiveness, we are clearing the way for the King to come in glory. Besides freedom from the harassment of evil spirits, clearer discernment is a wonderful by-product of forgiveness.

We must grow in discernment. We must walk in the foundational truths. It’s time to take a stand and declare, “Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world.” Amen and Amen!