Testing the Spirits (1 John 4:1-8)
The spiritual landscape is complex, filled with voices claiming divine authority. This sermon offers a clear framework for discerning truth from deception. It guides listeners to faithfully evaluate spiritual claims based on foundational biblical tests.
This sermon explains the biblical command to "test the spirits," providing essential tests for discerning true spiritual work from deceptive teachings that diminish Christ, promote worldliness, or disregard biblical authority.
Overview
The sermon begins by directing readers to 1 John 4:1-8, emphasizing the critical command to "test the spirits" to discern truth. This discernment is vital because Satan and his agents operate a kingdom of lies, often disguised as angels of light, propagating false religion and deceptive belief systems.
It clarifies that spiritual warfare, according to 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, is not about chasing Satan but rather a battle for the mind. Our divinely powerful weapons are used to destroy "fortresses"—meaning ideas, ideologies, philosophies, and belief systems—that are "lofty things raised up against the knowledge of God," imprisoning people in anti-God systems.
The sermon then describes the true work of the Holy Spirit, noting that while His activity is invisible, its results are visibly experienced. These include a hatred of sin, a love for God's Word, a compassion for the lost, an adoration for God's people, and a progressive Christlikeness, contrasting this with a focus on perceptible spiritual impulses.
Finally, the sermon outlines key biblical tests for discerning spirits. The primary test is Christological: a true work of the Holy Spirit always exalts the Lord Jesus Christ, accurately presenting His person and gospel. It also highlights how false movements often fail by being worldly, by diminishing the authority of Scripture, and by lacking true, self-sacrificial love.
Key points
- Christians are commanded to "test the spirits" (1 John 4:1) to identify true spiritual work and expose false prophets and deceptive teachings.
- Spiritual warfare is a battle for the mind, focused on destroying ideologies and "speculations" (fortresses) that oppose the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
- The Holy Spirit's invisible work is confirmed by visible results in believers, such as a desire for repentance, love for Scripture, and increasing Christlikeness.
- The first test for discerning spirits is Christological: any true work of the Holy Spirit exalts Jesus Christ, presenting Him accurately as fully God and fully man, and upholding the true gospel.
- Movements that diminish Christ, promote worldly desires (health, wealth), reject the Bible's sufficiency, or lack genuine, sacrificial love fail these biblical tests.
- Examples of movements failing the tests include certain charismatic expressions, Roman Catholicism (false gospel), Oneness Pentecostalism (denies Trinity), and universalism (Joel Osteen, denies exclusive Christ).
In John MacArthur's words
“Satan is behind the corrupt religion, the false systems of belief.”
“Ours is a war for the mind.”
“Show me a person obsessed with the Holy Spirit, and I’ll show you a person not filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Outline
- I. The Command to Test the Spirits (1 John 4:1)
- A. "Spirits" Refers to Persons, Human or Angelic
- B. "Test" (dokimazō) Means to Assess Purity
- C. Importance Due to Satan's Kingdom of Lies
- II. Understanding Spiritual Warfare (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
- A. Weapons Are "Divinely Powerful," Not Human
- B. Warfare Involves the "Destruction of Fortresses" (Ideas, Ideologies)
- C. It Is a Battle for the Mind Against "Every Lofty Thing Raised Up Against the Knowledge of God"
- III. The True Work of the Holy Spirit (1 John 3:24)
- A. Assurance of Salvation Comes Through the Holy Spirit's Work
- B. The Holy Spirit's Work Is Invisible, but Its Results Are Visible
- C. Visible Results Include Hatred of Sin, Love for God's Word, and Christlikeness
- IV. Tests for Discerning Spirits (1 John 4:1-8)
- A. Test 1: The True Work of the Holy Spirit Exalts the Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 4:2-3)
- 1. Requires a True Christology: Jesus Is Fully God and Fully Man
- 2. False Religions and Cults Have an Aberrant Christology
- 3. Examples of Aberrant Christologies and Gospels
- B. Test 2: The True Work of the Holy Spirit Is Not Worldly (1 John 4:4-5)
- 1. False Movements Appeal to Carnal Desires
- 2. True Believers "Overcome the World"
- C. Test 3: The True Work of the Holy Spirit Points People to the Bible (1 John 4:6)
- 1. The Spirit of Truth Runs to Scripture
- 2. Rejects Direct Extra-Biblical Revelation
- D. Test 4: The True Work of the Holy Spirit Manifests the Love of God (1 John 4:7-8)
- 1. Love Toward God (Worship) and God's People (Humble Service)
- 2. False Movements Are Often Self-Absorbed
- V. Final Warning Against Deceivers (2 John 7-11)
Scripture references
- 1 John 4:1-8
- 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22
- 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
- Matthew 7
- 2 Peter
- Jude
- 2 John
- 3 John
- 1 John 3:24
- John 3:8
- John 14:15-16
- Ephesians 3:14-21
- Acts 5
- 1 Peter 1:12
- John 17
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.
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
Insights
Discernment is a necessary vigilance in a world filled with spiritual deception.
Spiritual battles are fought not with human might, but by challenging flawed thinking.
The Holy Spirit’s presence is known by tangible fruit, not fleeting feelings.
Questions & answers
Why is it important to "test the spirits"?
It is a biblical command given because many false prophets and deceptive spiritual forces are active in the world, requiring vigilance and discernment from believers to distinguish truth from error.
What is the primary nature of spiritual warfare according to this sermon?
Spiritual warfare is primarily a battle for the mind, involving the destruction of ideologies, theories, and belief systems that are fortified against the knowledge of God, rather than directly binding Satan.
How can one identify the true work of the Holy Spirit?
While the Holy Spirit's work is invisible, its presence is known by its visible effects and results, such as a hatred of sin, a love for God's Word, and increasing Christlikeness in one's life.
What is the most crucial test for discerning true spiritual movements from false ones?
The most crucial test is Christological: a true work of the Holy Spirit will always exalt the Lord Jesus Christ, accurately presenting Him as fully God and fully man, and faithfully proclaiming His gospel.
How do some charismatic movements or related groups fail the Christological test?
They often fail by elevating a false image of the Holy Spirit above Christ, diminishing Christ's deity or humanity, promoting a false gospel (like prosperity theology), or embracing modalism (denying the Trinity).
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