Test the Spirits

Ben Stuart teaches through 1 John 4:1-6, guiding us on what God is looking for in true spirituality and how to recognize it in a world that claims all spirituality is the same.

Have you ever had someone in your life who looks like a friend, but they say things that deceive you and distort reality to get you to go places you were never meant to go? That’s what is being addressed in 1 John. People in the church claimed to speak for God, but they were saying things contrary to what the apostles had said.

This matters to us because we live in a time of interest in spirituality. When uncertainty rises, concern about spirituality rises. But when concern turns to desperation, it can make you ripe for exploitation. Spirituality deals with what life is about and where it's going, so it matters greatly that we know what’s real.

John starts this chapter by warning them not to believe every spirit. Sometimes, spiritual maturity looks like not believing. To be spiritual is not to be gullible. We test the spirits because many false prophets are running around. A prophet speaks for God, so you have to test their teaching. Jesus also warned about this in Mark 13:22. Paul issues a similar warning in Acts 20:28-29. 2 Corinthians warns of “another gospel” spread by false prophets—1 Timothy 4:1-3 and 2 Peter both issue guidance against them. Throughout the New Testament, the greatest challenge to the truth of God’s Word isn’t external forces; it’s internal community. People say they are of us, but they’re skewing the message. They use the same words, but they twist the meaning.

This doesn’t mean you need to become cynical; it just means that wherever truth is on the move, lies move in next door. Be discerning. We have to pay more attention, which is why God gives us tests. Jesus gives us a moral test in Matthew 7:15-20 and 1 John 3:7-10. We have a belief test in Deuteronomy 13:1-2. Charisma is not a part of this. It’s about the content of your message and character. That’s what we evaluate.

So, how do we determine the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error? 1 John 4:2 says that every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. Those who do not confess that are not of God. According to John, true spirituality centers on Jesus. We still have to be discerning because the antichrist doesn’t deny that there was a Christ; he just misinterprets Him.

In this passage, “confess” isn’t just identification; it’s allegiance. Demons correctly identify Jesus, believe He is who He says He is, and testify vocally to that fact, but they don’t love or follow Him. We confess along with the Spirit of God because the Spirit of God testifies about Jesus, the Christ. He’s the anointed One God sent to solve our problems and return us to intimacy with God again. Jesus is presented as the Christ. John defined these terms in 1 John 1:1-3 and 1 John 4:13-16. Jesus has always been. He came to earth and closed the gap between God and man. He’s our advocate. His sacrifice cleansed us from sin, satisfying the wrath of God and giving us life.

People were saying they were Jesus people, but what they meant was Jesus was a good guy, and your life would be better if you listened to His teachings. John is distinguishing that the Jesus he talks about is the real Jesus, not their version. He also had to separate the real Jesus from people, saying that Jesus was just a spirit that appeared to be human. This was docetism. They deny He was a real person so that He couldn’t have died on the Cross. Christians rightly called this out as heresy. Only God could live the perfect life that we could not, so Jesus was sent to us. But only humans had to pay for sin, so Jesus had to come in the flesh. Fully God. Fully man. Don’t settle for Jesus as just a man, spirit,” or teacher. Jesus said that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him. All spirituality isn’t the same. We can respect people who disagree with us, but that’s not something we believe as Christians, and it’s not honoring to do so. We know what has the power to save them from death.

The spirit of the antichrist is in and from the world. “World” is repeated five times. Jesus promised that if the world hated us, remember that it hated Him first. There will always be a version of Jesus that will gain traction with the world because they twist it to bend to the desires of the flesh or pride. They believe Jesus just wants them to be happy so they can do whatever they want, and Jesus believes whatever they believe. That’s appealing, but it’s false. Or, they believe they are more disciplined and generous and work harder than everyone else, so their moral superiority lets them judge. True spirituality will not be more popular, but it will be more powerful. He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

In verse 6, John concludes, “Whoever knows God listens to us.” The “us” he is speaking of is himself and the other people who lived with Jesus and were eyewitnesses to His life. The Bible is not a single book, it’s a library that is a testimony of Jesus’s life. True Spirituality stands on the Scripture.