The gift of discerning spirits is a supernatural ability enabled by God's Holy Spirit, allowing a person to determine the source of a spiritual manifestation, whether it comes from God, the devil, the world, or man. This gift reveals information about the presence or absence of spiritual entities, often used to detect evil spiritual forces or influences, as well as the presence or absence of angelic intervention or the prompts of God's Holy Spirit working within us. As deception becomes a hallmark of dangerous times, especially nearing the end of this age, discerning spirits grows increasingly important to identify false ministers and ministries capable of performing convincing lying wonders and signs aimed at leading people astray. Scripture commands us to test the spirits, examining spiritual teachings critically to ensure they align with God's Word, as many false prophets have gone out into the world. We must prove all things, holding fast only to what is good, using our God-given reasoning and understanding, while seeking the guidance of God's Holy Spirit rather than relying solely on intellect or inward feelings. The most reliable guide for testing spirits is the Scriptures, for God's Word is truth, and reading it with understanding via the Holy Spirit enables us to tap into the spiritual realm, know the things of God, and make right judgments. Discerning spirits also involves making distinctions between holy and profane, clean and unclean, and rendering decisions according to biblical judgments based on God's commandments. A discerner habitually obeys God's laws and statutes, faithfully keeping God's Sabbaths. By repeatedly engaging with God's Word, as exemplified by the Bereans, we can properly exercise this gift to detect when a spirit's message or approach, such as intimidation or accusation, does not align with God's character or Scripture, revealing its true nature.

In this world of confusion, where truth is obscured by lies and agendas, discerning between what comes from God and what originates from satan or human nature is vital. The discerning of spirits, a gift of the Holy Spirit, enables a person to judge whether one who prophesies, performs miracles, or teaches does so by the power of the Holy Spirit or by a false spirit. This spiritual power involves searching into the secrets of the heart, determining a person's true purposes, views, and beliefs, and distinguishing whether someone speaks by divine inspiration or as an impostor. It also includes assessing the sincerity of a person's claim to be a Christian. This gift of discernment has been crucial to the church throughout the ages, preventing deception by false ministers. Spiritual gifts, including discernment, must be desired for the benefit of the church, not for personal gain. The ability to discern spirits allows one to distinguish between those led by the Spirit of God and those moved by false or unaided human spirits claiming to express God's principles. It is a judgment between truth and error, a distinct ability beyond general Christian testing of spirits. God, through inspired writings, commands believers to test those who claim inspiration, providing standards to distinguish between true and false prophets. The presence of supernatural phenomena does not authenticate a prophet; the source of inspiration must be from God to validate their truthfulness. False prophets, influenced by satan or self, have always existed, and God's people must continually distinguish between those who are of God and those who are not. Discernment also involves testing prophecies by their fulfillment. A true prophet's predictions come true within the specified time, while false predictions or vague generalities fail this test. Even if a prophecy comes true by chance, a prophet must be tested by whether they lead others to serve false gods or ideals contrary to God's principles. The response to apostolic teaching further separates those of God from those of the world, marking the spirit of truth from the spirit of error. Spiritual maturity enhances discernment, developed through steady application of spiritual discipline and training by practice. Mature believers, through experience, recognize good and evil as the end product of discernment. This gift, given by God through the Holy Spirit, must be exercised to grow, enabling righteous judgment between good and evil by comparing life's aspects to God's standard of righteousness. Christians need abounding love alongside knowledge and discernment, ensuring love operates according to spiritual understanding provided by the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ Himself exemplifies discernment of human nature, knowing the heart's true condition beyond superficial belief. God alone sees into hearts, revealing a reality often hidden from human perception, filled with deceit and far from Him. Believers must examine themselves, discerning their spiritual condition to avoid judgment, ensuring they honor Christ in their actions and unity with His body, the church. Discernment requires separating from worldly influences and maintaining loyalty to the spiritual body, evaluating personal sins, and seeking forgiveness to align with God's way of life. Discerning believers strive to grow in understanding and knowledge of God's truth, seeking wisdom and discernment with diligence, humility, and perseverance. Wisdom, the right use of true knowledge, complements discernment, both requiring constant effort to attain. Protecting the unity of the Spirit within Christ's body remains a responsibility, setting aside personal interests for the good of all, reflecting the values of our Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ.

As Jesus Christ's ministry advanced, the spiritual condition of people's hearts determined their response to Him. Without God opening a person's heart and mind with His Spirit, true faithful belief is impossible. The response to Jesus reveals whether individuals are truly God's spiritual children or children of the devil, as not all religious people, even those rejecting Jesus, are of God. Satan, the father of lies and a spirit of confusion, leads as a master conspirator and dark influencer, aiming to deceive and destroy humanity with many antichrists working under him. The apostle John instructs us to test the spirits to determine if they are of God, examining their intrinsic character, moral worth, and agreement with the written Word of God. Similarly, Paul speaks of the discerning of spirits, an ability to distinguish between true and false utterances, as God grants spiritual gifts to differentiate genuine from counterfeit knowledge. We must beware of those claiming to speak under a spirit's prompting. John, in his first epistle, addresses the need to resist deception by commanding us to test those who claim inspiration, using a standard to distinguish true from professing Christians. He highlights the contrast between the Holy Spirit and false spirits, belief and unbelief, and truth and error, denouncing those who spread false doctrines with a demonic, antichrist spirit. A theological examination is necessary, questioning whether the teaching confesses Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, conforms to authoritative revelation, holds value for edification, and has been evaluated by those with spiritual discernment. Testing the spirits demands diligent effort, akin to thoroughly examining the Scriptures, to avoid selective understanding and ensure the truth penetrates fully. Divisions among Christians, driven by a common spirit of dissatisfaction, are inevitable, but testing the spirits helps avoid the aggressive, proud antichrist spirit while confirming steadfastness within the church. The Spirit of God provides order, love, inspiration, power, and stability, countering confusion which stems from satan or human nature. Both spirit and doctrine are essential for stability, as overemphasizing one over the other leads to imbalance and error. The long history of the church shows the havoc caused by failing to test spirits, emphasizing the importance of diligent examination and right application of Scriptures. God gives us the power to test and try the spirits, with the Holy Spirit enabling discernment against deceptive, unclean spirits. True tests for discerning spirits include evaluating the source of a prophet's inspiration, ensuring conformity to scriptural teaching, assessing teachability and submission to God's Word, and confirming that the spirit glorifies God the Father and Jesus Christ above all.