"TEST THE SPIRITS!"

1 John 4:1-6                  (ESV)

"1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but "TEST THE SPIRITS" to see whether they are from GOD, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

2 By this you know the Spirit of GOD: every spirit that confesses that JESUS CHRIST has come in the flesh is from GOD,

3 and every spirit that does not confess JESUS is not from GOD. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

4 Little children, you are from GOD and have overcome them, for HE who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.

6 We are from GOD. Whoever knows GOD listens to us; whoever is not from GOD does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of TRUTH and the spirit of error."

Messages can, and regularly do, come from evil spirits disguised as the Spirit of GOD.  The enemy has been described as early as Genesis 3:1 as "Now the serpent was MORE CRAFTY than any other beast of the field that the LORD GOD had made.....", so it is his nature (what he does) to deceive everyone he can.  Evil spirits are just as real as Godly Spirits, as is their warfare.  If spirits are anything but Spirits who testify "JESUS CHRIST has come in the flesh is from GOD" they are from the devil!  

Most don't recognize evil spirits when they make themselves known because they aren't aware that evil spirits really exist as abundantly as they do.  In 1 Timothy 4:1-5 says "Now the SPIRIT 'expressly says' that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to DECEITFUL SPIRITS and teachings....".  Since we are alerted to evil, deceitful spirits, we should be on guard for them.  If we "TEST THE SPIRITS" to make sure they confess "JESUS CHRIST has come in the flesh is from GOD" we are way ahead of the deceit game they play!

Scripture records in verse 4 above that "you are from GOD"!  James 2:19  says "the demons believe-and shudder!".  The Spirit of GOD lives in me (1 Corinthians 3:16) and so demons will "shudder" if I am in the Spirit!  We have within us the Spirit of GOD so why do we fear anything?  If we "TEST THE SPIRITS" to see if they confess JESUS CHRIST, the evil spirits should run scared at the mention of JESUS CHRIST!  

It is true that the enemy can strike FEAR into all of us.  Fear is of the devil (2 Timothy 1:7).  We are "from GOD" so the enemy should FEAR US!  Don't let your guard down and fall into the enemy's trap of fearing him.  "TEST THE SPIRITS" and see if they confess JESUS CHRIST and when they hear the name of JESUS, they will flee!  "TEST THE SPIRITS!"