Every now and then, you come across a comment about a prophetic ministry or utterance. What often stands out is that the person making the comment assumes they are able to test what they hear, relying on “common sense and the Holy Spirit.” But is that really the case?
A well-known verse often quoted in these situations comes from the First Letter of John:
“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1).
What many don’t realize is that these words were written in a context of traveling preachers and a Hellenistic culture in which public oratory and persuasive power were highly valued — even apart from truth. It was precisely in that setting that John urged believers to exercise spiritual discernment amid the many spirits (read: voices) in their world. But that raises a piercing question for me: what if you are the one who claims to test the spirits, but are not actually speaking from the Spirit of God?
Don’t Believe Everything You Hear
The first readers of this letter were tasked with forming and guarding their emerging faith and tradition. They were confronted with many winds of doctrine, while they did not yet have access to the New Testament as we know it today. In 1 John 4:1, John uses the Greek word pisteuete, the imperative form of pisteuō, which comes from pistis, meaning faith, trust, or faithfulness. The original Greek reads: “Do not believe every spirit” (πιστεύετε μὴ παντὶ πνεύματι). John is calling his readers not to accept every spiritual impression or revelation. This is not about shallow skepticism, but an active command not to place trust in everything that sounds spiritual. It implies that it is entirely possible — even with sincere intentions — to believe something that is not from God if it is not spiritually tested.
At that time, discernment did not happen by measuring against a complete canon of Scripture. Instead, other reference points were used. Loving apostolic leadership and authority — the very purpose of this letter — played a central role: what had the apostles taught, and what had they received from Jesus? In addition, the testimony of the Holy Spirit, working in the community, provided discernment. Communal discernment — praying, listening, and testing together — helped distinguish truth from deception. The most eloquent speaker did not have the final say, as was often the case in Greco-Roman culture, but rather the anointed leading of the Spirit in connection with apostolic teaching.
In Acts 15, for example, we see how the early church made decisions through a combination of testimony, Scripture, apostolic authority, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit:
“It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us…” (Acts 15:28).
And Paul urges the believers in Thessalonica:
“Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good” (1 Thess. 5:19–21, NIV).
Criticism or Discernment?
In a time where everyone has a voice — and can express it instantly online — it’s tempting to automatically place ourselves on the side of the light. Especially when it comes to prophecy or spiritual revelation: we sense something is off, quote 1 John 4:1 (“Do not believe every spirit…”), and seem to have no doubt about our own ability to discern. But the question we rarely ask is: what if I myself am the one speaking from the spirit of the world and not from the Spirit of God?
There is a difference between critical evaluation and spiritual discernment. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:11–12 that only the Spirit of God knows what is in God, and that we have received that Spirit so that we may understand what God has freely given us. Discernment, then, is not merely a rational analysis — it is an act of dependency on and intimacy with the Spirit. And the Spirit calls for surrender, humility, and often repentance from pride, bitterness, or personal bias. It is a conscious decision, but also a process toward spiritual maturity, in which we learn to distinguish our own voice from that of the Holy Spirit.
“Whoever claims to test, must be willing to be tested themselves.”
One of the most difficult things to recognize is that the spirit of the world can also express itself through seemingly Christian language. Phrases like “I just feel this isn’t right,” or “this ministry is unhealthy,” are sometimes spoken without knowing the actual fruit or having spiritually discerned the person or sources involved. What if statements like that — even if well-intentioned — actually make you part of the confusion or resistance against the work of the Spirit?
Christians who are less familiar with prophetic functioning within the Body of Christ often tend to speak from the soul — or put differently, from discomfort with the supernatural. They use the word “discernment” or “testing,” but sometimes that masks an inability or unwillingness to recognize spiritual growth in others, hidden behind theological terms or vague, postmodern statements without biblical grounding.
Are You Working With the Spirit — or Against Him?
The most prophetic words often sound uncomfortable, strange, or even offensive. Jesus Himself was considered a heretic. The prophets of the Old Testament were mocked, imprisoned, or ignored. And it is striking that it was often the religiously devout who were the fiercest critics. So ask yourself this: am I truly speaking on behalf of the Spirit of God, or am I speaking from my own judgment, pain, fear, or theological preference?
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." (Proverbs 9:10).
This is especially true in the context of prophecy and judgment. False or soulish prophecy is not something only others do. It can arise in our own words when we have failed to discern the source. Pious criticism without relationship with the Spirit quickly becomes religious resistance to renewal and truth.
What if you are the one speaking from habit or woundedness, while thinking you’re acting in purity? What if your words undermine a ministry or person in your church or movement who is walking obediently in the path of the prophetic Spirit? What if your “testing” is actually projection? Then you — unconsciously — become a soulish or even false voice in the work of the Spirit. Not because you intend to deceive, but because you are not speaking from the Spirit of God.
What Can You Do?
I can’t imagine anyone would want to fall into this. Still, there are concrete steps you can take to better engage with the prophetic in the Body of Christ. Here are three.
Start with deliverance in the Courts of Heaven. Much spiritual blindness or resistance comes from generational iniquity, accusations, or inner ties to religious or controlling spirits. In the Courts of Heaven — as seen in Daniel 7:10 and Zechariah 3 — God offers a way to acquittal, restoration, and breakthrough. This form of spiritual deliverance can free you from blockages that cloud your discernment.
Next, attend a sound prophetic school and invest in theological depth. Spiritual discernment is not merely a spontaneous gift but a skill that grows through training, surrender, and healthy guidance. A prophetic school helps you hear God’s voice, test prophecy, and learn how to serve others skillfully in love and truth (Eph. 4:11–13; 1 Cor. 14:1). Combine this with theological training that teaches you how to handle Scripture for yourself — ideally without excessive dogmatic coloring from teachers who, quite frankly, may also benefit from this message.
Finally, learn to test biblically together, just like the early church. In the early church, prophecy wasn’t judged in isolation but discerned communally:
“Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said” (1 Cor. 14:29, NIV).
This is a vital key. You don’t stand alone — Jesus Himself, the testimony of all true prophecy, has promised to reveal Himself in the assembly. (Matt. 18:20).
Today, we are also blessed with the written Word. Test prophetic inspiration together, “in the Word with the Word,” in prayer and humility. And then act on it. Prophetic revelation calls for a mature, Spirit-led response — especially from apostolic teams, churches, and movements.
“Sometimes, we ourselves are the voice we so desperately want to unmask.”
So, how do you discern spirits — including your own? The answer is not: always remain silent. But it is: speak with care. Pray, fast if needed, and be humble in your judgment. Let others test your words — people who walk in wisdom and the Spirit. And ask the Holy Spirit again and again: Lord, am I the one resisting You?
Because sometimes… we are the very voice we so passionately want to expose.
Sven Leeuwestein
A well-known verse often quoted in these situations comes from the First Letter of John:
“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1).
What many don’t realize is that these words were written in a context of traveling preachers and a Hellenistic culture in which public oratory and persuasive power were highly valued — even apart from truth. It was precisely in that setting that John urged believers to exercise spiritual discernment amid the many spirits (read: voices) in their world. But that raises a piercing question for me: what if you are the one who claims to test the spirits, but are not actually speaking from the Spirit of God?
Don’t Believe Everything You Hear
The first readers of this letter were tasked with forming and guarding their emerging faith and tradition. They were confronted with many winds of doctrine, while they did not yet have access to the New Testament as we know it today. In 1 John 4:1, John uses the Greek word pisteuete, the imperative form of pisteuō, which comes from pistis, meaning faith, trust, or faithfulness. The original Greek reads: “Do not believe every spirit” (πιστεύετε μὴ παντὶ πνεύματι). John is calling his readers not to accept every spiritual impression or revelation. This is not about shallow skepticism, but an active command not to place trust in everything that sounds spiritual. It implies that it is entirely possible — even with sincere intentions — to believe something that is not from God if it is not spiritually tested.
At that time, discernment did not happen by measuring against a complete canon of Scripture. Instead, other reference points were used. Loving apostolic leadership and authority — the very purpose of this letter — played a central role: what had the apostles taught, and what had they received from Jesus? In addition, the testimony of the Holy Spirit, working in the community, provided discernment. Communal discernment — praying, listening, and testing together — helped distinguish truth from deception. The most eloquent speaker did not have the final say, as was often the case in Greco-Roman culture, but rather the anointed leading of the Spirit in connection with apostolic teaching.
In Acts 15, for example, we see how the early church made decisions through a combination of testimony, Scripture, apostolic authority, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit:
“It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us…” (Acts 15:28).
And Paul urges the believers in Thessalonica:
“Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good” (1 Thess. 5:19–21, NIV).
Criticism or Discernment?
In a time where everyone has a voice — and can express it instantly online — it’s tempting to automatically place ourselves on the side of the light. Especially when it comes to prophecy or spiritual revelation: we sense something is off, quote 1 John 4:1 (“Do not believe every spirit…”), and seem to have no doubt about our own ability to discern. But the question we rarely ask is: what if I myself am the one speaking from the spirit of the world and not from the Spirit of God?
There is a difference between critical evaluation and spiritual discernment. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:11–12 that only the Spirit of God knows what is in God, and that we have received that Spirit so that we may understand what God has freely given us. Discernment, then, is not merely a rational analysis — it is an act of dependency on and intimacy with the Spirit. And the Spirit calls for surrender, humility, and often repentance from pride, bitterness, or personal bias. It is a conscious decision, but also a process toward spiritual maturity, in which we learn to distinguish our own voice from that of the Holy Spirit.
“Whoever claims to test, must be willing to be tested themselves.”
One of the most difficult things to recognize is that the spirit of the world can also express itself through seemingly Christian language. Phrases like “I just feel this isn’t right,” or “this ministry is unhealthy,” are sometimes spoken without knowing the actual fruit or having spiritually discerned the person or sources involved. What if statements like that — even if well-intentioned — actually make you part of the confusion or resistance against the work of the Spirit?
Christians who are less familiar with prophetic functioning within the Body of Christ often tend to speak from the soul — or put differently, from discomfort with the supernatural. They use the word “discernment” or “testing,” but sometimes that masks an inability or unwillingness to recognize spiritual growth in others, hidden behind theological terms or vague, postmodern statements without biblical grounding.
Are You Working With the Spirit — or Against Him?
The most prophetic words often sound uncomfortable, strange, or even offensive. Jesus Himself was considered a heretic. The prophets of the Old Testament were mocked, imprisoned, or ignored. And it is striking that it was often the religiously devout who were the fiercest critics. So ask yourself this: am I truly speaking on behalf of the Spirit of God, or am I speaking from my own judgment, pain, fear, or theological preference?
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." (Proverbs 9:10).
This is especially true in the context of prophecy and judgment. False or soulish prophecy is not something only others do. It can arise in our own words when we have failed to discern the source. Pious criticism without relationship with the Spirit quickly becomes religious resistance to renewal and truth.
What if you are the one speaking from habit or woundedness, while thinking you’re acting in purity? What if your words undermine a ministry or person in your church or movement who is walking obediently in the path of the prophetic Spirit? What if your “testing” is actually projection? Then you — unconsciously — become a soulish or even false voice in the work of the Spirit. Not because you intend to deceive, but because you are not speaking from the Spirit of God.
What Can You Do?
I can’t imagine anyone would want to fall into this. Still, there are concrete steps you can take to better engage with the prophetic in the Body of Christ. Here are three.
Start with deliverance in the Courts of Heaven. Much spiritual blindness or resistance comes from generational iniquity, accusations, or inner ties to religious or controlling spirits. In the Courts of Heaven — as seen in Daniel 7:10 and Zechariah 3 — God offers a way to acquittal, restoration, and breakthrough. This form of spiritual deliverance can free you from blockages that cloud your discernment.
Next, attend a sound prophetic school and invest in theological depth. Spiritual discernment is not merely a spontaneous gift but a skill that grows through training, surrender, and healthy guidance. A prophetic school helps you hear God’s voice, test prophecy, and learn how to serve others skillfully in love and truth (Eph. 4:11–13; 1 Cor. 14:1). Combine this with theological training that teaches you how to handle Scripture for yourself — ideally without excessive dogmatic coloring from teachers who, quite frankly, may also benefit from this message.
Finally, learn to test biblically together, just like the early church. In the early church, prophecy wasn’t judged in isolation but discerned communally:
“Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said” (1 Cor. 14:29, NIV).
This is a vital key. You don’t stand alone — Jesus Himself, the testimony of all true prophecy, has promised to reveal Himself in the assembly. (Matt. 18:20).
Today, we are also blessed with the written Word. Test prophetic inspiration together, “in the Word with the Word,” in prayer and humility. And then act on it. Prophetic revelation calls for a mature, Spirit-led response — especially from apostolic teams, churches, and movements.
“Sometimes, we ourselves are the voice we so desperately want to unmask.”
So, how do you discern spirits — including your own? The answer is not: always remain silent. But it is: speak with care. Pray, fast if needed, and be humble in your judgment. Let others test your words — people who walk in wisdom and the Spirit. And ask the Holy Spirit again and again: Lord, am I the one resisting You?
Because sometimes… we are the very voice we so passionately want to expose.
Sven Leeuwestein