Discernment of Spirits
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul lists “distinguishing between spirits” as one example of a spiritual grace expression made possible by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (NIV) “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kids of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.”
Discerning spirits means to be aware of activity in the spiritual realm that drives thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors which ultimately manifest in the natural realm. Jesus has given all believers the ability to discern spirits. It is just a matter of understanding what this ability entails and how to make it a part of the daily Christian walk.
An empirical, rational worldview has hindered many in the Body of Christ from approaching the Bible with an openness to the supernatural. The writers of the Bible experienced and understood the world much differently than we do today. The New Testament authors were experiencing the reality of life lived in the Holy Spirit. Supernatural manifestations such as healings, miracles, tongues, and words of knowledge were all commonplace in the early church.
Corinth, home to one of Paul’s church plants, was a hotbed of cultic worship and supernatural activity. One reason Paul wrote 1 Corinthians was to correct understanding about spiritual manifestation in a church culture that had previously been soaked in Greek paganism. After turning to Christ, the Corinthian believers were still on fire for spiritual manifestation, so much that Paul described them as “zealous for spirits” (1 Corinthians 14:12). But what are “spirits?”
The apostles and early church understood that the Cross had demolished any sense of separation between the natural and spiritual realms. They also knew that the mind had become the point of interaction between these two worlds (Ephesians 6:12; 1 John 4:1; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5). The truth of this spiritual reality has not simply disappeared because our modern world favors the scientific and verifiable.
Most Christians are comfortable enough with the idea of a Holy Spirit, although our experience of Him usually remains limited to warm feelings, convictions, or a few tears on Sunday morning. We are much less open to the idea of interacting with spirits, angels, and demons. For many, these entities simply do not exist.
We are always interacting with the spiritual realm, whether we are consciously aware of it or not. Through the renewing of the mind by the Holy Spirit, we are made progressively aware of the spiritual realm’s influence on the natural.
Every man and woman has a body, soul, and spirit. Our spirit is our “inner man,” which already occupies a place in the spiritual realm (John 14:3; 2 Corinthians 4:16; Ephesians 2:6). It is the inner man which is in constant interaction with the spiritual realm.
Every person has ideas, beliefs, and systems of thinking treasured by the subconscious - the objects of our spiritual worship. This worship gravitates entities in the spiritual realm who are in agreement. Because the mind is the connector to the spiritual realm, the presence of these entities is felt in our emotions and thoughts. Emotions and thoughts, depending on how we respond to them, become words and actions. Words and actions shape our existence.
The platform for operating in discernment of spirits is identity- who I believe myself to be in Christ. The apostle John declares, “As He, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). Therefore, thoughts and feelings unaligned to the reality of what the Word of God are not sourced in the Holy Spirit.
We learn the language of the spiritual by partnering with the Holy Spirit every moment of our lives, submitting every thought to Him (2 Corinthians 10:5). As we do, we become progressively aware of how the spiritual realm expresses itself in the natural. We begin to identify the lies we believe about ourselves that have rooted in the inner man and become familiar with the spirits that flow through these lies. This spiritual growth and transformation progressively equip us with tools for engaging the unseen. In Ephesians, Paul calls these tools the “armor of God” (Ephesians 6:10-18).
Let me give some practical examples for discernment of spirits:
You are seated on an airplane and a man sits down next to you. You do not engage in conversation but begin to have racing thoughts of hopelessness, despair, and depression. These thoughts feel like yours because the images in your head are drawn from your own memories and experiences. You are feeling the impact of this man’s atmosphere in the Spirit. His spiritual body in the unseen realm is resonating with spirits of hopelessness and depression.
You enter an empty establishment and suddenly feel a tightness in your chest. Despite the fact you are alone, you begin to become very anxious and your thoughts are confused and unfocused. Because time and proximity do not apply in the Spirit, you may be discerning the spiritual condition of whoever is in charge of the property. You are discerning the spiritual condition of their heart.
During personal prayer/meditation time, you focus your mind on your friend who you have been interceding for. The Lord begins showing you images of bulldozers, hardhats, and construction tools. This may be the beginning of a prophetic word, or the Spirit may be showing you your friend’s spirit is in a heavenly place that flourishes in productivity and hard work on the Lord’s behalf. Their life in the natural is empowered by angels from this realm of the Spirit.
Obviously, there are other examples and God’s language is different for everyone. My goal is to simply outline the operating principles behind discerning spirits. I pray that you pursue and develop the spiritual tools Jesus has given you in order to discern spiritual realities.
We must always submit what we feel is our “discernment” to the greater reality of His Voice. We must ask the Lord to confirm what we are “discerning” is actually His Spirit disclosing something hidden, and not just a projection of our inner selves onto another person. The spiritual vision of insecure individuals is murky at best. I have been corrected by the Lord on several occasions for projecting my own insecurities onto people or situations, having believed I was “discerning” a spirit.
Jesus has granted us this grace expression (i.e. spiritual gift) not so that we will be affected by the hearts and spiritual atmospheres of others. His intention is that we bring the light and love of Christ to everyone. Identifying oppressive spirits is a component of spiritual warfare. It allows us to attack the lies people believe with the power of truth, shifting their thinking. These “shifts” are open windows for God’s glory and opportunities to talk about the goodness of Jesus.
There is no limit to how sharp your discernment can become - it is purely a matter of renewing your mind. I am at a place where simply hearing a sentence spoken by another will reveal the spirits that operate through them. I say this not as a mark of some high spirituality, but to show what is available to every believer.
When the Lord blows open our awareness of spiritual atmospheres, our minds and emotions can feel out of control because we do not yet know how to process what we are experiencing. As we trust the Lord and walk with Him, He teaches us how to handle seeing and feeling life as He does. If awareness of the spiritual realm is opening to you, or has been open to you, do not be afraid. Our Rabbi is always with us. Anything you are currently walking through will be used powerfully for His glory and the spiritual deliverance of those who are bound.
Jesus had full awareness of the hearts of men (Luke 9:47). This came through His connection to the Father by the Holy Spirit. We are able to see and experience the world exactly as Jesus did by this same Spirit. We have been given the faith of Jesus, empowered by the mind of Christ. As we continue to renew our minds, we will grow in the awareness and application of our limitless heavenly inheritance.
