What is spiritual discernment?
It means “to understand or know something through the power of the Spirit. … It includes perceiving the true character of people and the source and meaning of spiritual manifestations." Spiritual Discernment guides the Scriptures, “Discernment, Gift of Scriptures for true knowledge that comes above."
The Gift of Discerning of Spirits
The Bible speaks of the gift of discernment, or distinguishing, of spirits. Paul wrote the following to the church at Corinth.
To begin with, the gift of discernment or distinguishing of spirits is only mentioned once in the New Testament. The nature of the gift is not explained or defined. Consequently, Bible-believing Christians understand the gift in different ways.
Discerning and Evaluating Prophesies
It was a special gift to discern whether those who prophesied were speaking from God.
The gift was given to distinguish between the Holy Spirit and the working of evil spirits.
There is also the view that the gift incorporated these abilities and many others.
Those who are in the Charismatic churches are familiar with prophetic words. We are told not to believe but to evaluate words of prophecy.
Since discernment of spirits is mentioned after the gift of prophecy, it provides an immediate clue as to its function. It is the ability to determine between what was a genuine revelation from God and what is false.
Personal Prophecy
(1 Timothy 4:14-15, HCSB) Do not neglect the gift that is in you; it was given to you through prophecy, with the laying on of hands by the council of elders. Practice these things; be committed to them, so that your progress may be evident to all.
The Bible warns believers about Satan’s deceptions. So, how should we treat prophetic words or personal prophecy? Take it to the Lord.
- Try to record the prophetic word.
- Transcribe the word of prophecy.
- Meditate on the Word
- Check if it aligns with God's Word, or does it go outside the Bible?
- Take it to an elder if unclear for them to pray about it with you.
Prophetic words can be instant fulfillment and, often, in the distant future of maturity. To properly bear witness to a prophetic word, we must be able to discern between our human soul and our spirit.
The soul is where emotions, reasoning, imagination, physical senses, and feelings are.
When God's Spirit bears witness to our spirit that a personal prophetic word of God is correct and according to His divine will and purpose, our spirit reacts with the fruits of the Spirit.
Prophecy can be a new revelation or, often, confirmation of what the Lord has shown you. God will speak through prophecy to confirm things He has already spoken to you in your spirit. If the prophecy is of God, it will all come to pass, and we will fulfill God's will.
With the help of the Holy Spirit, Being Connected to God
He will direct your path to stay on the right path
He will give you discernment about others' intent
He will let you know if there is danger. I remember when I was in New Orleans doing an outreach for the lost during Mardi Gras.
Through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, He will give you insight into His word.
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Exodus 25:40 And see to it that you make them according to the pattern shown on the mountain. What is this saying?
He gives us wisdom and insight into His word. Pattern means - Hebrew Transliteration: tabnith -
According to all that I shew thee, [after] the pattern of the tabernacle,
He saw heaven. John saw the same thing.
Moses saw the layout of the tabernacle. John saw it as well.
Revelation 4 has drawn our attention to the throne of God as we look into heaven. God is seated on the throne and he is active. From the throne come flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. These images symbolize God’s action, in particular his judgments, against the earth. The brilliance of the throne room is overwhelming. We have seen the glimmer of crystals and fiery red colors on the throne. John sees a rainbow around the throne that shines like an emerald. There is a sea of glass like crystal before the throne and there are 24 elders seated on 24 thrones that are around the throne. Also around the throne are four living creatures.
As John looks he sees the four living creatures around the throne. Each of them have six wings and are full of eyes all around and within. But turn your attention away from what they look like and listen to what they say. “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come.” How often do these four living creatures say these words? John tells us that these creatures say these words day and night. They never stop saying these words. Can you visualize the scene? Can you hear the repetition? A double repetition signifies an emphasis on the word. A triple repetition designates a superlative and calls to our attention the infinite holiness of God. It must not be lost upon us this is the only characteristic of God that is repeated three times. We never read, “Love, love, love, is the Lord God Almighty.” We never read, “Anger, anger, anger, is the
DISCERNMENT: WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT'S NOT
Biblical Discernment - Prayer of Discernment and Wisdom
What is DiscernmentKNOWING WHAT DISCERNMENT ISN'T - WILL TEACH you WHAT IT IS.
I. Definition of Discernment:
Hebrews 5:14
"But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to DISCERN both good and evil."
· DISCERN - greek G1253 = From G1223/G2919 - to separate thoroughly, to withdraw from - oppose, to discriminate, discern, judge…..
· Senses - 145, from 143 - to apprehend correctly by the senses. Discernment.
DISCERNMENT - is keenly selective judgment. It's distinguishing - distinguishing what?
The Gift of Discernment
What is it we're called to discern? Both good and evil.
How do we identify good?
How do we identify evil?
From God's word. Right
DISCERNMENT brings us to a place of observation of spiritual principles.
DISCERNMENT is just the opening of the door to understanding.
II. 3 kingdoms:
a. God's kingdom - the 3rd heaven - Righteousness, Peace, and Joy - How do we know that? God's word reveals it.
b. Satan's kingdom - the 2nd heaven - envy, jealousy, accusation.
How do we know that? Because God's word reveals that.
c. Earth - the 1st heaven, where we dwell
Satan was kicked out of heaven. He lives in 2nd heaven. He is invisible; we aren't to go into that kingdom. If you see physically into it, you have divination.
Without going through the SIN AND SPIRIT WORLD REALITIES teaching, we know that sin entered the world through Adam and Eve.
What is sin? A Being, an evil spirit - Entered through Disobedience to God's Word.
Isaiah 1:19
"If we are willing and obedient, we shall eat the good of the land."
II: TWO LAWS OPERATING IN THIS WORLD:
a) LAW OF GOD - GOD'S NATURE - GOOD
b) LAW OF SIN - SATAN'S NATURE - EVIL
Paul states in Romans 7:7
"What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid, Nay, I had not known sin, but by the Law; for I had not known lust, except the law had said, thou shall not covet."
- God's Word is the law of God -
- Paul says in Romans 7:22
- "For I delight in the Law of God after the inward man; but I see another law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
- The law of sin - the evil spirits manifesting in us.
Resurrecting of the Mind
Flesh has 2 meanings:1. Flesh - unrenewed mind lining up with the programming of thoughts by devils of the past.
2. Flesh - the indwelling presence of evil spirits by their nature
Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
Having discernment will bring us freedom from the sins of the flesh.
How to Renew The Mind
Satan puts the negative thoughts against God's law. You have to recognize the enemy's lies and put out the fiery darts through the word of God. It takes studying, reading, and quoting God's word of truth, even if you don't feel it is true until it becomes the truth.Galatians 5:18
"If we are led by the spirit, we are not under the law. Now, the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these. Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
Where else can we see his kingdom manifestation?
Mark 7:21
"For from within out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciouvousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile the man."
II Cor 7:1
"Having therefore, these promises, dearly bellowed let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
Promise without discernment is still bondage.
I'm teaching here about discerning between evil and good. Seeing and discerning what's operating in us or out there in others.
Example of Discernment
- when the Spirit of Accusation in another comes railing at you because they may have rejection,
- you recognize it, separate them from it, and step back in the spirit and just say,
- "gee, I'm sorry you don't feel loved."
- Take your peace. Don't become one with that Spirit of Accusation.
- You are discerning good from evil.
Discerning of Spirits
will bring deliverance and peace, and you'll be an overcomer.Revelation 21:7
"He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers and whoremongers, and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the 2nd death."
We're seeing repeated here several words.
· SORCERER
· IDOLATOR
· LIAR
· FEARFUL
We've already taught you this. This is Satan's nature - recognize it. You're discerning between good and evil….you are judging between the 2 to discriminate (make a distinction) (tell the difference) between the 2.
I'm sharing this because when I came to this ministry - I was looking for the evil spirits….in the 2nd heaven. That's what I learned when I first got saved. But that’s operating in Divination. We must truly understand what discernment is.
It's knowing God - His word -knowing the Godhead.
Proverbs 1:7 - "The fear of the LORD, is the beginning of knowledge; but fools despise wisdom and instruction."
What happens when we don't have knowledge?
Isaiah 5:13 - "Therefore, my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst."
A. DISCERN WHO'S SPEAKING TO YOUII Cor. 10:5 - Remember "casting down vein imaginations and everything that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God….."
DISCERNMENT is a gift. The kingdom of God needs to bring deliverance. I was just stuck in an occultic modality that I'd not been delivered of.
I was looking for the wuwuuw. In God's word, He's revealed to us all those yucky puckies.
Ephesians 6:11-12 - "Put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
Here we have the 4-tier bureaucracy of Satan's kingdom:
1. Principalities - the Greek word means CHIEF
2. Powers - FORCE
3. Rulers of darkness of this world - A WORLD RULER
4. Spiritual wickedness in high places - DEMONIC SPIRIT INIQUITY IN SKY
IMPORTANT:
You can read about principalities in Daniel 10: - he prayed for 21 days -We don't go into the 2nd heaven to fight over cities because the principalities over cities ARE there because of the sin of the people.
Different cities have different principalities. The way for principalities to leave is for the people to repent for past sins. Like Daniel did for the sins of the forefathers. And then the angel was able to come.
Principalities have legal grounds because of the people's sins in that particular town. It could be greed.
example,
· There's a massive principality over Dallas because of Freemasonry. This creates greed for money and a lot of conspiracies, like JFK being killed. There is Pegasus (flying horse) - Greek Mythology: a horse with wings, born of the shed blood of Medusa
· so occultism is over the city since it's a landmark.
· Greed will not leave until the people repent, turn from their ways and remove the Masonic stuff.
THE CURSE: MUCH ATTACK, DISEASE, INFERTILITY
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Let's look at some of the wiles (methods) of the devil revealed in God's word.
1. The Devourer:
Malachi 3:11 "I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit beore the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts."
2. The tempter
Matthew 4:1/Luke 4
"Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil."
3. Dumb spirit
Matthew 9:32-33
"As they went out behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil. And when the devil was cast out the dumb spake and the multitudes marveled saying, it was never so seen in Israel."
4. Accuser of Brethren
Revelations 12:10
"…And the accuser of the brethren was cast down, which accused them before our God day and night."
5. Unclean Spirit
Luke 4:33
"And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil and cried out with a loud voice."
6. The Betrayer
John 13:2
"And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simons son, to betray him."
There are many more - I suggest you let Father God reveal them to you………
As I continued to recognize these SPIRITS manifesting - the works of the flesh - I was able to get deliverance, and get set free.
Evil spirits dwell in the 2nd heaven, but manifest in the 1st heaven where we live. They need a body to manifest. Again we aren't called to go into the 2nd heaven.
We must be able to discern both good and evil. God is good. Satan is evil….
Satan uses fear, fear of him to keep you from dealing with him - NO FEAR
I John 4:4
"Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world."
I John 4:8
"For God is love. In this was manfest the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten son into the world that we might live through him."
We're going to talk about the good fruit another time. But it's important for you to DISCERN the bad fruit.
Again, knowing what is not of God will give you discernment to know what is of God.
STUDY YOUR ENEMY:
II Cor. 2:11
"Lest Satan should get an advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices."
· As you read the word, study the enemy -
· We send our troops to war after we train them.
· That's why many Christians get into trouble -
· they go where angels fear to tread………….
John 10:10
"Satan is a liar, a thief, a murder……..he came to steal, kill and destroy."
When you see these manifesting, you've seen his kingdom.
Sadly, Satan has blinded the eyes of many -
John 12:40
"He (satan) hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, and be converted and I should heal them."
II Cor. 4:4
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God should shine unto them."
NOTICE: blinded by unbelief…….here we discern Satan at work.
· When dealing with people, recognize if they're blinded,
· don't strive with them - that brings every evil thing
· Pray, release and bless them. This brings you peace
· With yourself, ask Father God to show you any areas you may be blind in
· Do not believe every spirit
I John 4:1
"Beloved believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world."
III. Strife is a counterfeit for discernment.
· Discernment comes as a servant.
· Is gentle, patient, meek.
· When we strive, we've forgotten to cover them in love.
II Timothy 2:24
"And the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient. In meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth."
IV. Judging is a counterfeit of Discernment:
· Beware of Judging - and calling it discernment
· It's easier to see a SPIRITUAL DEFECT in someone else before you see it in yourself
· I've learned that when I judge - it's because I know that spirit and it's operating in me.
Romans 2:1
"Judge not lest ye be judged. With what measure ye judge ye shall be judged. For wherein thou judgest another, thou condemest thyself, for thou that judgest doest the same thing."
· We need to discern the motives of our own heart first, and love others
I Cor. 11:31-32
"For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world."
V. Divination is a counterfeit of discernment:
Let's look at divination.
· what is it?
o It's being an oracle.
o A diviner.
o Divination is occultic.
o Divination is at work in churches posing as the Holy Spirit.
Satan knows the Word better than us. He's been around a long time.
A. A person with a spirit of divination is
· Looking for recognition - may actually be correct
· Has a nature to be pushy, controlling
· Remember: Satan was transformed into an angel of light, sometimes its just hard to discern
· Speaks not for benefits of others, but itself
B. How to discern Divination operating.
· Watch, observe, listen over time
· Discernment comes as a servant
· Divination comes as the Holy Ghost to everyone who'll listen
· Tries to control every situation, especially in the church
· It’s a counterfeit to the holy Spirit
C. Dealing with Divination:
· Make sure you stay in the nature of the Holy Spirit.
· know God's word
· Don't be too quick to let people lay hands on you.
· Example:
If you have a desire for a person's spiritual gift, and they're operating in a spirit of Divination, that can be transferred into you by laying on of hands.
· Listen and hear what they're really saying - is it sensual, earthy, is it a feel good thing?
· Discernment is not done in the flesh…..
· Divination is a fleshy - feel good thing, sensual.
· "Oh I feel so good around it."
· That can mislead you.
IMPORTANT: Wanting an instant answer from God opens you up to this spirit of divination. Leaving your mind vacant, allows spirit guides to come in. Guard your mind always.
EXAMPLE:
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN A GROUP OF PEOPLE,
YOU ASKED ONE PERSON DIRECTIONS,
AND YET ANOTHER PERSON ANSWERs?
This is why we have relationship with the Godhead.
John 10:4
"my sheep know my voice, and they will not follow another."
Know God, Know Jesus Christ, Know the Holy Spirit. Have relationship with Him.
Know the WORD>
DISCERNMENT:
· Gift of the Holy Spirit
· Edifies the Church
· Waits on God's timing and direction to speak or act
· Speaks for the benefit of others
· Comes as a servant
· Matures by reason of use, with experience bringing added wisdom and a sense of timing
· Waits to be brought into a place of service
· Submits what he thinks he's hearing from God to leadership, is accountable, allows checks and balances to safeguard against following a deceiving spirit
· Leads by example
· Rests in who God is
Divination:
· Occultic counterfeit of the gift of the Holy Spirit
· Evil infiltrating many churches
· Drives to tell what it knows
· Speaks as an oracle, a "Knowing One," out of a need for personal recognition
· Pushy, controlling,
· plays Holy Spirit to everyone around him.
· Comes as an angel of light, creates an atmosphere of spirituality but brings division thru counsel against counsel.
· Tries to position self in a role of authority, usurps control of bible studies, prayer groups, churches
· Cops attitude if left out of anything
· Can involve a linking of evil spirits to bring agreement and may actually have some correct information because the enemy knows what that Kingdom is doing in the situation
· Becomes angry when not obeyed
· Tries so hard to be Godly, they actually try to make something happen for God
Discernment will take you to maturity.
Discernment is not judging, it's not divination, its knowing the Word.
It's relationship with the Godhead.
There's a word that Paul uses in the Word - perceive. I believe that’s a great word
Acts 8:23
"For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.
Perceive - G3708 = hor-ah'-o
Properly to stare at (compare G3700), that is, (by implication) to discern clearly (physically or mentally); by extension to attend to; by Hebraism to experience; passively to appear: - behold, perceive, see, take heed.
Know the Word. Discern between good and evil……………..Guard your heart.
Our goal is to be Like Jesus Christ. We're going on from glory to glory. We are being sanctified, which is our following teaching.
Phil. 1:0
"And this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge (discernment) and all judgment."
Col. 3:10
And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge (discernment)
After the image of him that created him."
By Coach Teresa Morin - Anxious2Victorious Women 12-week program, or
Touch of God International Ministries - a Christian Healing and Deliverance Ministry - Setting the Captives Free from curses
https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/stewart_don/faq/the-various-gifts-of-the-holy-spirit-part-two/18-what-is-the-gift-of-discernment-of-spirits.cfm
