Text: 1 John 4:1–3
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.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
Not Every Spiritual Experience Is Divine
Memory Verse: 1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
Not every spiritual experience originates from God, even though it may appear supernatural or powerful. The spiritual realm contains both divine and deceptive influences, and spiritual experiences can originate from God, the human spirit, or deceptive spirits. Therefore, discernment is essential. A spiritual experience alone is not proof of divine origin; it must be tested and confirmed by God’s Word and the witness of the Holy Spirit.
Divine experiences produce peace, clarity, righteousness, and alignment with God’s truth. They strengthen faith, encourage obedience, and bring a person closer to God. In contrast, false spiritual experiences often produce confusion, fear, pride, condemnation, or contradiction to the Scripture. They may appear impressive but lead away from God’s will. This is why you must not accept every spiritual impression without discernment.
God has provided His Word and the Holy Spirit as standards for testing spiritual experiences. Any experience that contradicts the Scripture cannot originate from God. The Holy Spirit confirms the truth internally, bringing peace and assurance rather than confusion. Spiritual maturity involves learning to distinguish between divine guidance, human emotions, and deceptive influence.
Spiritual safety comes from maintaining a close relationship with God. A prayerful, obedient, and a Scripture-grounded life strengthens discernment and protects against deception. When you remain spiritually alert and humble, you can recognize what is truly from God and reject what is false.
Action Plans:
- Test every spiritual experience against God’s Word before accepting it as truth.
- Develop sensitivity to the Holy Spirit through prayer and meditating on the Scripture.
Remain humble, obedient, and spiritually alert to avoid deception.
COVENANT GATE HYMNALS 106: The Ultimate Joy By Apostle James Abache
- In Your presence, Lord, we find
Fullness of joy that’s truly divine
A joy that’s pure, eternal, and true
A joy that only comes from loving You
Refrain:
You are our joy, our hearts’ delight
In Your presence, we shine with new light
You wipe away our tears, our pain, our fears
And fill us with Your love, through all our years
- Though trials come, and hardships too
We’ll hold on to hope, and see this journey through
For in Your presence, we find our peace
A peace that passes understanding, the world can’t release
Bridge:
One day we’ll see Your face, and be with You forevermore
In Your perfect presence, we’ll experience joy like never before
No more pain, no more sorrow, no more night
Only Your love, Your peace, Your joy, shining so bright
Outro:
Until that day, we’ll hold on to hope
And celebrate the joy that we know
In Your presence, Lord, we find our peace
Our hearts’ delight, our ultimate release.
Today’s Prayer
- Father, give me the gift of discernment to recognize and accept only spiritual experiences that originate from You.
- Lord, protect my mind and spirit from deception, confusion, and false spiritual influence.
- Holy Spirit, guide me into truth and help me walk safely in Your direction always in Jesus’ name. Amen.
