Discerning of Spirits

Today I'm going to address a subject many people don't understand or are afraid to deal with ... but it's in the Bible ... therefore it's given for a purpose.

My title is a phrase in 1st Corinthians 12:10, speaking of one of the nine gifts given and operated by or through the Holy Spirit.  I have come to the conclusion that many times the common teaching given to the meaning of this phrase is not in keeping with the intended operation of this spiritual gift.

Most of the time people teach that when a person has this gift in operation in their life, the person with this gift can discern evil spirits, commonly called demons ... hence the phrase in the old English ... discerning of spirits.  It is taught that those who have this ministry gift are supposed to be able to tell if someone is demon possessed or oppressed and can even name which type of demon it is.  All we have to go on is their word, without any other proof they are correct in what they say.  When they say ... "God told me" ... what are we going to say?

I don't know ... it just seems to me that all we have to go on is either the guidelines that are in the Bible or else we blindly take by faith that person's word who says a certain type of strange activity or action within a person is a demon or evil spirit of some kind and needs to be cast out or dealt with.

I was reading 1st Corinthians 12:10 in the Amplified Bible, and noticed it stated this about the gift of discernment.  "... to another the ability to discern and distinguish between the utterances of true spirits and false ones ..."  Notice the wording again, "... between the utterances ..."

This is stated right before Paul mentions the last two vocal gifts, unknown tongues and the ability to interpret such tongues.  When you put these three together, as they are given in Scripture, (three sets of three) then should not the so called ... "gift of discerning" ... be used to discern whether the utterance given in tongues or the interpretation of those tongues are of the Holy Spirit or a false one.

This gift, operated by the Holy Spirit can also discern the motive of the speaker or interpreter.  It seems to me that this is one of the intended purposes of this gift.

It is my understanding, the true purpose of this "gift of discernment" ... given as a tool to be used by the Church, the body of Christ ... is to help judge the vocal gifts; including tongues and their interpretation, as well as the preaching of the Word to the Church, to discern whether it is coming from the Spirit of Truth or the spirit of error.  Because the mind of the flesh cannot be trusted, 1st John 4:1 instructs the Church to ... "prove, test the spirits to discover whether they proceed from God" ... because it just might be only coming from the heart of a well intentioned man.

According to the commentaries of Albert Barnes, Adam Clarke, John Gill, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, and Vincent's Word Studies; they all agree that ...

"This must refer to some power of searching the heart, of knowing what were a man's purpose, 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.  It may refer to the power of seeing whether a man was sincere or not in his Christian profession, an evangelist, teacher, etc.

This gift can also be used to distinguish between true and false prophets, or to discern and discover the inward workings of the mind and soul by the Holy Spirit, and of those holding an office in the Body of Christ.  This gift could in some measure, discern the hearts of men, their thoughts, purposes and designs."

One example of the operation of this gift, given by God for the intended purpose of distinguishing the Spirit of God from the lying spirits in men, would be Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11.  In this case, demons or evil spirits had nothing to do with the plain old sinful nature of these two people.  It was the same base, carnal flesh that we all have to fight against as long as we are in these earthly bodies.  Their's just happened to be the love of money.

But yes, there are satanic spirits or demons, what I call disembodied spirits that can't operate in this physical world unless they can express themselves through a person's flesh, who willingly, or even sometimes unknowingly allow them to work in them.  These people are in bondage, giving in to entertaining thoughts and desires they shouldn't have; lust, hate, etc.

The Word of God speaks about some of the type of people and things we need to watch out for ...

Matthew 24:24 ... "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."

Ephesians 6:12 ... "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."

1st Timothy 4:1 ... "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils ..."

2nd Peter 2:1 ... "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that brought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction."

There are many more ... these just came to mind.

The Holy Spirit gave to the Church, the Body of Christ on earth some tools to use in ministry.  Even though we may not fully understand how all these tools operate; things  like the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit ... they are still given for us to use and allow to operate as the Lord directs.

Never forget ... the Spiritual battle is real.


Comments welcome.