Last Sunday, we looked at one of the revelation gifts: “THE WORD OF WISDOM.” Today, we shall consider another revelation gift: “THE DISCERNING OF SPIRITS.”
In the first place, what does it mean to discern? To discern means to understand something that is not immediately clear.
There are two types of Discernment: 1) General Discernment, and 2) Discernment of spirits.
General discernment is the ability to differentiate between the good and the bad. It is the ability to deal wisely in the affairs of this life (Josh. 1:8).
General Discernment is acquired by renewing your mind with the Word of God. In Joshua 1:8, God told Joshua that the key to success lies in diligently studying and meditating on the Word of God, and by so doing, he would obtain wisdom to deal wisely with the affairs of this life. The gift of discernment of spirits cannot be acquired.
Today we will look at “the Gift of the Discernment of spirits.” “To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits…” (1 Cor. 12:10).
Now, here is the truth: Discerning of spirits is a special endowment that the Holy Spirit has given to some believers to be able to see into the realm of spirits.
Here is what happens: When you invite “Jesus to come into your heart,” the Spirit of Christ comes into your spirit-man.
And inside the Holy Spirit that now indwells your spirit-man, we have the 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus baptizes you in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit who knows what the Father has sent you to this earth to do for Him, will release to you all the gifts that you need to stand in that calling (Acts 1:8; 2:1-4).
What then is the gift of the discerning of spirits?
1. The gift of discerning of spirits is a supernatural insight into the spirit world (the realm of spirits).
2. It is a supernatural ability to discern (perceive) the source of a supernatural manifestation. It is the ability to know whether it is really the Spirit of God or another spirit that is speaking through someone.
3. The discerning of spirits is the same as seeing or hearing in the realm of spirits.
The discerning of spirits is limited to spirits. It deals with spirits that exist in the spirit realm, whether they are divine, satanic or human. It also deals with the entire class of spirits, including good spirits, bad spirits, and even human spirits.
4. It is used to detect the presence of evil spirits or to examine the source of a manifestation, which is dubious.
Behind every supernatural manifestation is a spirit – the Spirit of God or an evil spirit. The gift of discerning of spirits reveals the kind of spirit in operation behind any such supernatural manifestation.
So, by this gift, you can also discern the presence of angels. By this gift you can also discern “the spirit of error (the spirit of deception).”
But to understand the discerning of spirits, we need to first understand the realm in which spirits exist. Whenever you see things in the spirit realm, you are seeing them with your spiritual eyes. These eyes are different from your “natural eyes.”
According to science, we have five natural senses: ability to 1) see, 2) taste, 3) feel, 4) hear, and 5) smell. This means that you as a natural human being, can contact the physical world around us through these senses.
In reality you have 15 senses. Let me explain. “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and souland body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:23).
This Scripture is saying that a normal human being is a spirit, has a soul and lives in a house called the physical body. This implies that, there are 3 realms that surround us at all times. We have:
1) The physical realm which interacts with your physical body, 2) The soulish (or intellectual) realm which interacts with your soul, and 3) The spirit realm which interacts with your spirit-man.
Here is the point: Your soul has 5 senses just like your physical body. Your spirit-man also has 5 senses like your physical body. When you go to bed at night, your physical body and your soul are completely at rest.
If you happen to have a dream or a vision, that is your spirit interacting with the Holy Ghost. It is your spirit that God speaks to when He gives you dreams in the night. He speaks to you Spirit to spirit.
Look at an example of 5 senses in the spiritual body. The rich man in hell fire was thirsty (Lk. 16:19-24).
This man was thirsty, he saw father, Abraham, he heard the cries of those burning in hell.
Here is the point: As believers in Christ, we should not be operating in two dimensions only - the physical and intellectual realms.
We should also learn to operate in the 3rd dimension – the spirit realm. I challenge you to become aware that you have an invisible part of you that interacts with the spirit realm.
How does the spirit realm and the discerning of spirits go together? First of all, there are four types of spirits that exist in the spirit realm: 1) The Holy Spirit, 2) The heavenly spirits – angels, archangels, cherubim, seraphim and the 4 living creatures, 3) The human spirits, and 4) The demonic spirits – principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, spiritual wickedness in heavenly places, Lucifer, demons, and fallen angels (Eph. 6:12).
When you begin to operate in the spirit realm, you’ll run into these 4 types of spirits. As a believer, you have spiritual eye balls. The problem is that they may be closed – blinded.
“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” (2 Cor. 4:4).
But there is an anointing that opens your eyes so that you may see what is going on in the realm of the spirits.
Look at Ephesians 1:18-19 which says, “The eyes of your understanding (heart, imagination) being enlightened (opened)…”
It is not everybody that has the ability to see in the spirit realm. Only those with the gift have the ability to see in the spirit realm.
Examples of people that saw into the realm of spirits abound in the Scriptures:
i) Isaiah saw into the realm of spirits. Isaiah also saw the LORD. In Isaiah 6:1 prophet Isaiah said, “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple.”
As the Lord was revealed in a vision form, Isaiah was seeing into the spirit world.
ii) Prophet Elisha also manifested the gift of discerning of spirits. In 2 Kings 6:8-18 Elisha prayed, and said, "LORD, I pray, open his (Gehazi’s) eyes that he may see." Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw...”
iii) Stephen discerned the risen Christ. Acts 7:55-56 says, “But Stephen, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.”
iv) Discerning the Holy Spirit. John, in his vision on the Island of Patmos, saw the Holy Spirit as seven spirits before the throne of God (Rev. 4:5). That means that in the realm of spirits, John was seeing these seven aspects of the Spirit of God.
v) Discerning the spirit behind an operation or a particular manifestation is needful. A supernatural manifestation can come from different sources. Many of the things that seem miraculous or supernatural to us actually do not come from God. Remember that Satan is also a supernatural being. Realize that all supernatural manifestations are not necessarily a demonstration of the Spirit of God. If the gift of discernment is in operation, you can know the very spirit behind a given manifestation or operation.
The gift of the discerning of spirits distinguishes between spirits. It reveals the kind of spirit behind a particular supernatural manifestation whether good or evil. For instance, Paul was able to discern that the kind of spirit behind the supernatural manifestations of a certain slave girl was the spirit of divination. When the gift of discerning of spirits was in operation, Paul turned to her and spoke directly to the spirit of divination, commanding it to come out of her.
In Acts 16:16-18 the Scriptures say, “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.”
Here the spirit operating in the slave girl is a familiar spirit. The familiar spirits are usually familiar with people and they communicate with the one through whom they operate. The Bible talks about familiar spirits. They are familiar with you – even though you are saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. If someone is in contact with them, they will tell him things about you. This little girl that Paul cast the devil out of had a spirit of divination – a spirit of divining. That means foretelling [fortune telling] – but it is the wrong kind of spirit. Here Paul dealt with an evil spirit behind an operation, and not with the person.
Watch out for the next edition of Good News from the Pulpit!
- Your friend: I. I. MADUBUNYI (Senior Pastor)
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