Last Sunday, we looked at one of the revelation gifts: “THE WORD OF WISDOM.” Today, we shall focus on another revelation gift: “THE GIFT OF THE DISCERNING OF SPIRITS.” “…To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits…” (1 Cor. 12:10).
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) the gift of Discernment of spirits.
General discernment is the ability to differentiate between the good and the bad. It is the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure.
General discernment is the ability to judge matters wisely and objectively. When you discern a situation correctly, then you can judge the case wisely. That was the case with king Solomon and the two harlots (1 Ki. 3:16-28).
How is General Discernment obtained? It is acquired by renewing your mind with the Word of God (Rom. 12:2, Col. 3:16; 2 Tim. 2:15).
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. It is given to a person as a gift by God the Father depending on what He has called you to do on earth.
What then is the gift of the discerning of spirits?
1. The gift of the 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 activate all the gifts that you need to stand in that calling(Acts 1:8; 2:1-4).
2. The gift of discerning of spirits is a supernatural insight into the spirit world (the realm of spirits).
3. 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.
4. The discerning of spirits is the same as seeing or hearing in the realm of spirits. The discerning of spirits 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.
5. 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.”
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:
The Holy Spirit, the heavenly spirits – angels, archangels, cherubim, seraphim and the 4 living creatures, the human spirits, and 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); that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.”
It is not everybody that has the ability to see in the spirit realm. Only those with the gift of the discerning of spirits 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. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 18 So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, and said, "Strike this people, I pray, with blindness." And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.”
iii) Stephen manifested the gift of the discerning of spirits. He 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.”
Watch out for the next edition of Good news from the Pulpit!
· Your friend: I. I. MADUBUNYI (Senior Pastor)
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