1 Corinthians 12:7-11 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.{8} For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; {9} To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; {10} To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; TO ANOTHER DISCERNING OF SPIRITS; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: {11} But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
Our previous lessons have dealt with two of the three gifts that reveal something: the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge. In this lesson we will cover the third revelation gift: the gift of discerning of spirits.
The most important of the three revelation gifts, of course, is the word of wisdom. Listed in the order of their importance, the revelation gifts include: first, the word of wisdom. Second, the word of knowledge. And, third, the discerning of spirits.
Everything within the realm of knowledge, whether facts, events, purposes, motives, origins, or destinies — human, divine, or satanic; natural or supernatural; or past, present, or future — comes within the focal range of one or the other of these three revelation gifts
The gifts can include in their comprehensive scope all that God knows. And there is nothing that God knows that may not be made known to man as the Spirit wills through the agency of one or more of these three revelation gifts.
1 John 4:1-3 (NKJV) “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.”
Discerning of spirits is the supernaturally-given recognition of the presence or activity of spiritual forces, either good or evil. It helps us uncover and identify things in the spirit realm.
Someone has said that the best way to find out what something is, is to find out what it is not.
So let’s discuss what the discerning of spirits is not.
Discerning of spirits is not the following:
1. It is not natural discernment. Everyone, saved or not, has discernment. If an unbeliever claims to have the gift of discernment from 1 Corinthians 12:8, he or she does not. Sometimes people know things by the Spirit of God and call it discernment. But that doesn’t mean it is really discernment. It is actually the word of knowledge in operation.
2. It is not spiritual mind reading. Only God can know what you are thinking. The devil uses trickery and manipulation, along with familiar spirits, to try to convince people someone can read his or her mind. Nobody but God can read your mind!
3. It is not the power to discern fault in others and condemn them. Scripture forbids this. When we discern a problem in someone, it is either to protect ourselves or others, or to help the person overcome and be restored to God.
Matthew 7:1 (NKJV) “Judge not, that you be not judged.”
Approach this issue with humility. It will keep you from trouble. It will give you the advantage that God wants you to have.
Ephesians 4:2 says “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you”
If you discerned a spirit, you would see the spirit, because the discerning of
spirits is seeing into the spirit realm. If the word of knowledge is in operation, you may know that a spirit is present or is involved in a particular situation, but you wouldn’t see the spirit.
Remember, the word of knowledge is revelation by the Holy Spirit of certain facts in the mind of God.
There are Four Kinds of Spirits.
1. The Spirit of God
2. Spirits from God (His angels)
3. The spirits of the devil (his demons and antichrist spirits)
4. The spirit of man
To say that the discerning of spirits has to do only with devils is misleading. This gift has to do with the entire class of spirits, including good spirits, bad spirits, and human spirits. It is supernatural insight into the realm of spirits. The discerning of evil spirits is included, of course, but too many times folks have thought that seeing demons and devils is all this gift encompasses and they have been misled.
Maintain Balance In Dealing With Demons
The way that some people teach about demons and casting out demons troubles me because it is not actually in line with the Word of God, and it binds people instead of delivering them. For example, many things that people say are the devil, aren’t the devil at all; they are works of the flesh. The works of the flesh are listed for us in Galatians 5:19-21.
GALATIANS 5:19-21
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like
Envy is mentioned in this passage of Scripture as a work of the flesh. Yet when someone has a problem with envy, many times someone wants to cast the devil out of him! Hatred is also mentioned as one of the works of the flesh, but we wouldn’t necessarily cast a demon of hatred out of a person. No, we have the flesh to deal with. And we are told in the Word how to deal with it. We are to crucify or mortify the deeds of the flesh (Rom. 8:13; Col. 3:5).
Discerning of spirits, like the other spiritual gifts, is for a specific use at a specific occasion. Discerning of spirits goes beyond what you see. It allows you to see what is really beneath what your natural senses are seeing. Discerning of spirits helps you form a sound judgment based on spiritual insight.
Discerning of spirits gives you the ability to discern false teachers, false prophecies and false doctrine. Also demons.
1 Timothy 4:1 (NKJV) “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,”
When false doctrine is preached, taught and then believed, it puts a person’s eternal life and the quality of his or her everyday life in danger. Ask the Lord to help you discern the spirits when you read books, listen to the radio, watch TV or a movie. Discern the spirits when you listen to someone who you do not know preach the Word. Not everyone in a pulpit is preaching true doctrine. Discerning of Spirits exposes those demonic spirits that are attacking or possessing a person or people. Once exposed, these spirits can be dealt with, and people can be set free.
Examples of the discerning of spirits in the Bible.
Exodus 33 records an account of God allowing Moses to see into the realm of spirits to behold the similitude of God.
EXODUS 33:20-23 And he [the Lord] said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. 21 And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: 22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: 23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
Moses was seeing in the spirit realm. He was able to discern the similitude of God by the manifestation of this gift of the Spirit.
Another instance of a person seeing the similitude of God is found in Isaiah 6. The prophet Isaiah said, “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up.. .”(Isa. 6:1).
John, in his vision on the Isle of Patmos, saw the Holy Spirit as seven spirits
before the throne of God (Rev. 4:5). That simply meant that in the spirit realm John was seeing these seven aspects of the Spirit of God.
Acts 8:14,18-23 (NKJV) “Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them…{18} And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, {19} saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” {20} But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! {21} You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. {22} Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. {23} For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”
Here Peter had laid hands on the people for the Holy Spirit. Simon wanted the power, not to bless others, but to increase his power. Peter by the discerning of spirits realizes his motive and warns him of peril if he continues in the same attitude.
Acts 16:16-18 (NKJV) “Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. {17} This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” {18} And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of
Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour.”
Notice that Paul did not cast the demon out the first day, but after many days. It was not until he discerned that she had a demon that he did so. He spoke to the spirit and commanded it to come out of her. After that, the maiden couldn’t tell
fortunes any more. Paul dealt with the spirit involved, not the person.
Discerning of spirits also gives us the ability to discern the source of sickness and disease.
Acts 10:38 (NKJV) “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”
Discerning of spirits often leads to deliverance or healing. However, the ability to discern spirits is not followed automatically by the casting out of demons. Every believer has the potential to minister deliverance, but you had better know what you are doing!
1. You must be spiritually prepared.
2. The person being delivered must
(1) repent,
(2) want to be delivered,
(3) want to close his or her heart to demonic activity,
(4) actively pursue God.
3. The demon must recognize that you walk in God’s authority. If your life does not reflect this, stay away from confronting demons.
4. You must be saved and (1) spiritually prepared. Otherwise, you will put yourself in danger by trying to cast out demons.
Acts 19:13-16 (NKJV) “Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” {14} Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief
priest, who did so. {15} And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” {16} Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and
wounded.”
These men were not spirit filled therefore they had no Holy Spirit to back their casting out of the devil. They were defeated and humiliated by the demon.
Review: Three Revelations Gifts
1. Word of Wisdom
2. Word of Knowledge
3. Discerning of Spirits
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