"1 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. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. 4 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. 5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error." (I John 4: 1-6)
What is meant by "spirit" and "spirits" in these words? As we saw in the previous post, "spirit" may denote an intelligent being, or may denote an attitude or influence. So we speak of people with "team spirit," or a person who is a "free spirit," or a church that sings with "spirit," or of "Christmas spirit." Does it mean such in the above words of the apostle? Or, is John speaking of evil spirit beings? Or, are both meanings of "spirit" included? How can we "try" or "test" a spirit?
In the above text we see where "the spirits" are able to "confess" and this would suggest that they are intelligent entities. However, it could be that John means that the person who confesses is confessing by a spirit being's influence. But, even in that case, "spirit" could simply mean "influence," which is what many Bible commentaries suggest is the meaning of "spirit" in this passage. But, some influences may come from spirit beings, either from the singular Spirit of God or from the spirits of demons. So the apostle Paul warned of false teachers who give "heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons" and who "speak lies in hypocrisy." (I Tim. 4: 1-2 nkjv) He also wrote:
"Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit." (I Cor. 12: 3 nkjv)
So, people, or preachers, or prophets, may speak by the inspiration or influence of the Spirit of God or by demon spirits. They also may say or teach things from a spirit such as envy or covetousness. So Paul wrote:
"Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice." (Phil. 1: 15-18 nkjv)
Here we see how people may be influenced in their speech and beliefs by envy, strife, selfish ambition, pretense, or by the love of truth and from goodwill. The scriptures speak of "pretense." Jesus said that the hypocrites "for a pretense make long prayers" in public (Matt. 23: 14; Mark 12: 40) Paul in the above text says that a preacher (speaker) may preach for the wrong reason, from the wrong motive, or wrong spirit.
In the text we are examining in First John chapter four, we must also consider the fact that John mentions the "spirit of error" and "the spirit of truth." This would suggest that by "spirit" or "spirits" John does not strictly denote spirit beings. Also, when John says "every spirit that confesses that Jesus has come in the flesh is of God" he cannot mean the Holy Spirit because "every spirit" denotes more than one. So "every spirit" means "every person." But, every person who confesses Christ is doing so from his renewed spirit which is governed by the Holy Spirit. Every such confessor is described as "spirits of just men made perfect" (Heb. 12: 23). Mary, the blessed mother of Jesus, said "my spirit rejoices in God my Savior" (Luke 1: 47) and Paul said "if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays" (I Cor. 14: 14). Every believer's spirit in confessing Christ is "speaking by the Spirit of God" as Paul said.
So, how do believers put demonic spirits on trial? Is it not by trying the human persons, the false prophets and teachers? Is it not by trying their teachings by the standard of God's word? If trying a person's religious beliefs is trying their spirit, does it mean trying their spirit or inner being, or trying what is influencing them, trying their state of mind? How do believers try the spirits, i.e. the moods, motivations, attitudes, influences, etc., of such teachers? How did Paul know if someone was a pretender? He said "some preach Christ" out of envy and strife, or for ulterior purposes, so how did he know who was operating from such a wrong purpose or state of mind?
Recall that I cited the words of the Lord Jesus from Luke chapter nine where he said to James and John, two of his original apostles -- "You know not what kind of spirit you are of" (Luke 9: 55). So, even holy men of God may at times be motivated by an evil or erroneous spirit or state of mind, or principle of belief. These two apostles thought that the Samaritans who had rejected Christ ought to be instantly destroyed by calling down fire from heaven as Elijah did. Christ corrected them by telling them that the spirit moving them was not a good or right spirit and their reasoning for believing that this should be done was erroneous, for Christ said to them "For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” Christ judged or tried their spirit and false beliefs. Christ had what the Bible calls "discernment of spirit."
Discerning Of Spirits
"To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits..." (I Cor. 12: 10)
What does it mean to be a discerner of spirits? What is meant by "spirits" in this text? In the case above, Christ discerned that the spirit motivating James and John was not a wicked spiritual being necessarily, but a "spirit of error," a bad "spirit of mind," perhaps an "angry" or "vengeful spirit," and certainly not a "meek and quiet spirit." It was not a "spirit of wisdom." It was not a "holy spirit."
In this text Paul says that "discerning of spirits" is a special gift of God given to one saint and not to another, each saint having his or her own peculiar gift. That does not mean however that every saint cannot in any degree be a discerner of spirits. In the lists of these special gifts of God Paul mentions "faith" (vs. 9), which denotes special or great faith, faith that can do miraculous things. This kind of faith he describes in chapter Thirteen when he said: "and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains..." (vs. 2). All believers in Christ have faith, but all do not have the supernatural gift of faith so as to be able to have power over the physical world to work miracles. Likewise, all believers should be able to discern spirits though not to the degree as those who are especially given the gift of "discerning of spirits." Anyone who has the Spirit of God abiding in him is able to have spiritual "discernment" of the Scriptures or things of the Spirit. (I Cor. 2: 14) In Malachi God promised to so redeem his people that they would "return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not." Mal. 3: 18 kjv)
In Hebrews 5:13-14 we read that a believer who has matured beyond using the milk of the word as a babe in Christ is able to discern both good and evil. This involves having spiritual insight, the ability to perceive a person's state of mind, intentions, or motivating spirit, being a kind of spiritual intuition. It seems to be the ability to "see right through people," to discern their insincerity, pretensions, subversions, and hypocrisy. The apostle Peter when dealing with the false convert Simon the sorcerer, said to him "For I see (or perceive) that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity." (Acts 8: 23) We see this ability exemplified in Jesus in this passage: "And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?" (Mark 2: 8 kjv)
Wrote Barnes in his commentary:
"To another discerning of spirits - compare 1 John 4:1. This must refer to some power of searching into the secrets of the heart; of knowing what were a man's purposes, views, and feelings. It may relate either to the power of determining by what spirit a man spoke who pretended to be inspired, whether he was truly inspired or whether he was an impostor; or it may refer to the power of seeing whether a man was sincere or not in his Christian profession. That the apostles had this power, is apparent from the case of Ananias and Sapphira, Acts 5:1-10, and from the case of Elymas, Acts 13:9-11."
"Testing the spirits" means to test that animating or motivating principle, or influence, within the psyche of prophets and Bible teachers, whether good or bad. "Spirit" thus may speak to a hidden inner purpose, to a disposition and attitude, to a sentiment and feeling, to a state of mind. But, if that is so, how can you test an attitude? A disposition? Etc.? Do believers have a kind of Rorschach test for the spirits of false prophets and teachers? Are there psychological tests for heretics? Testing the spirits involves testing what comes from the "spirit of the mouth," or testing words and other verbal expressions. It is testing the thing which motivates these false teachers, whether it be ego, money, prestige, fame, etc. It is to test the pretensions, the veneers, the cloaks, the hidden intentions, of the false teachers.
In the previous post we saw how "the breath" of the mouth is called "spirit" or pneuma in the Bible. So, Christ, when he returns will destroy the wicked with the "breath of his mouth." (II Thess. 2:8; Isa. 11:4) In these texts his breath stands for his word. In Revelation 19: 15 we read: "And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations." (kjv) Just as the breath signifies word, so too does sword signify the same. So, in trying the "spirits" (air or breath) we are trying the word or teachings of false teachers and those who claim to be prophets of God.
Further, it is from man's inner spirit that religious thoughts originate. So Paul wrote: "For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?" (I Cor. 2: 11 nkjv) Further, the "heart" of a person, in the Bible, denotes the center or core of his being, and often is used as a synonym for "spirit." So Jesus said:
"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." (Luke 6: 45 nkjv)
"But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. " (Matt. 15: 18-19 nkjv)
"Out of the heart" also means "out of the spirit." So we read: "They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine." (Isa. 29: 24)
To err in what is taught by the mouth is to err in heart or spirit.
How are we to try or judge what comes out of the mouths of Bible teachers? Nearly all Protestants affirm that it is by comparing teachings by the Scriptures, which is the standard, the only rule of faith and practice. So we read that this is what the Christians in Berea did:
"These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." (Acts 17: 11 kjv)
Isaiah also said:
"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." (Isa. 8: 20 kjv)
The apostle Paul also said:
"Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. " (I Cor. 14: 29 nkjv)
"If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord." (I Cor. 14: 37 nkjv)
In the next chapter we will conclude our thoughts on this subject.
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