What does the Bible say about testing spirits?
Living life without discernment can lead to a world of pain. To avoid this, we must test the spirit by staying rooted in God’s Word. When we measure what we encounter against Scripture, we can better discern whether it comes from the Lord. If you seek God’s wisdom about a decision and it contradicts His Word, your answer is clear. Additionally, the Holy Spirit speaks to us. By staying attuned and sensitive to His guidance, He will direct our paths. At times, an uneasy feeling may signal we’re veering off course as the Lord gently corrects us. Rather than blindly pursuing something, exercise discernment, seek wisdom in Scripture and guidance from the Holy Spirit. This especially helps you stay away from fake Christians and false teachers. Let’s dive in with this approach.
1 John 4:1 (NIV) – “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
1 Thessalonians 5:21 (ESV) – “But test everything; hold fast what is good.”
1 Corinthians 12:10 (NKJV) – “To another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.”
John 16:13 (NASB) – “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”
2 Corinthians 11:14 (KJV) – “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”
1 Timothy 4:1 (NLT) – “Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.”
Hebrews 5:14 (Holman) – “But solid food is for the mature—those who by practice have their senses trained to distinguish between good and evil.”
Matthew 7:15 (NIV) – “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”
Acts 17:11 (NKJV) – “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.”
Galatians 1:8 (ESV) – “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.”
Deuteronomy 13:1-3 (NASB) – “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is testing you to find out if you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Ephesians 6:12 (KJV) – “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
1 Peter 5:8 (NLT) – “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”
James 1:5 (Holman) – “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.”
2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV) – “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
Romans 16:17 (NKJV) – “Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them.”
Proverbs 15:14 (ESV) – “The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly.”
1 John 2:27 (NASB) – “As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.”
Matthew 24:24 (KJV) – “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”
Colossians 2:8 (NLT) – “Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.”
Isaiah 8:20 (Holman) – “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.”
2 Peter 2:1 (NIV) – “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.”
Acts 20:29-30 (NKJV) – “For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.”
Philippians 1:9-10 (ESV) – “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.”
1 Corinthians 2:14 (NASB) – “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.”
Revelation 2:2 (KJV) – “I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars.”
Jude 1:4 (NLT) – “I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
Psalm 119:105 (Holman) – “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.”
2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 (NIV) – “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing.”
Romans 12:2 (NKJV) – “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Proverbs 2:6 (ESV) – “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”
1 John 4:2-3 (NASB) – “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist.”
Luke 21:8 (KJV) – “And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.”
Ephesians 4:14 (NLT) – “Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.”
Jeremiah 23:16 (Holman) – “This is what the Lord of Armies says: ‘Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They are deluding you. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the Lord’s mouth.'”
1 Corinthians 14:29 (NIV) – “Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh carefully what is said.”
Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV) – “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Proverbs 18:15 (ESV) – “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.”
1 John 4:6 (NASB) – “We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”
Mark 13:22 (KJV) – “For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.”
2 John 1:7 (NLT) – “I say this because many deceivers have gone out into the world. They deny that Jesus Christ came in a real body. Such a person is a deceiver and an antichrist.”
Psalm 19:7 (Holman) – “The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise.”
Titus 1:9 (NIV) – “He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.”
Acts 16:17-18 (NKJV) – “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.’ 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.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV) – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
1 Corinthians 2:10 (NASB) – “For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.”
Matthew 16:17 (KJV) – “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.”
2 Peter 1:21 (NLT) – “For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
Isaiah 11:2-3 (Holman) – “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. His delight will be in the fear of the Lord.”
Romans 8:14 (NIV) – “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.”
