The Spirit Tests Every Spirit
Month 5: What About Other Religions? · Walking in the Spirit
Today's Scripture
Read together: 1 John 4:1-3
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 will 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 have heard is coming and which is already in the world at this time.
Memory Verse
“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,”— 1 Timothy 2:5 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Joshua 9-12
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Israel is tricked by the Gibeonites, then God fights for them.)The Heart of It
John tells us something surprising. He says, "do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits" (). Not everything that feels spiritual comes from God. There are many voices in the world. Religions, teachers, videos, and ideas all claim to speak truth. Some of them sound very religious. So how do we tell the real from the fake? John gives us the test. Does it confess "that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh"? In other words, does it say Jesus is truly God who became truly man (v.2)? The Holy Spirit always points to Jesus and tells the truth about Him. Any spirit that denies, dodges, or downgrades who Jesus is, is not from God.
This is part of walking in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit doesn't just make us feel nice. He helps us think clearly and recognize truth. He's like a smoke detector for our hearts and minds. He goes off when something false comes near. The gifts of the Spirit are wonderful and active today. But the Spirit never contradicts the Bible, and He never whispers a different Jesus. So you might bump into a new belief. It could be at a friend's house, or online, or even from someone very kind. You don't have to be afraid or fooled. You can ask the Holy Spirit to help. And you can run it through the test. Who do they say Jesus is? That one question separates the true from the counterfeit faster than almost anything else.
Around the Table
Not every voice tells the truth! The Holy Spirit helps us know what's real. The real truth always loves Jesus.
Let's do it: Play a "true or silly" game: say things like "the sky is green" (silly!) and "Jesus is God's Son" (true!). Cheer for the true ones.
"Test the spirits" means we check ideas instead of just believing whatever sounds spiritual. The big test is: who do they say Jesus is?
Let's talk: Why is it smart to ask questions before believing something, even if the person seems nice?
Testing beliefs is a skill the Spirit gives us. It isn't being suspicious. The dividing question is whether someone confesses "Jesus Christ come in the flesh." That question exposes any belief that denies Jesus is fully God or fully man.
Let's go deeper: How can you test a belief respectfully without sounding like you think you're better? What does it look like to be both careful and kind at the same time?
💬 Conversation Starter
If a stranger online told you something amazing, how would you check whether it's actually true before sharing it?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
When someone says "you should just believe whatever feels right to you," you can gently answer. Feelings make a poor compass. Even people who really mean it can be wrong. The Bible gives us a real test. What does this teaching say about Jesus ()? Offer this as a tool, not a weapon, "with gentleness and respect" (). Invite your friend to look at the evidence with you.
For Dad · Go Deeper
"Test the spirits" is a command. That means God expects ordinary believers to do it, and that includes your children. In our Pentecostal lane we celebrate that the gifts of the Spirit are active today. But the same Spirit who gives gifts also gives discernment. And He never approves a different Jesus. This protects you in two directions. It guards against deception from outside, like other religions and cults. And it guards against hype from inside, like sensationalism or "a word" that contradicts Scripture. Teach your kids the Jesus test early. Every spirit, every prophecy, and every viral idea gets run through one question. What does it say about Jesus? The Word is the ruler we measure every experience against, never the other way around.
Draws on: Robert Menzies, Pentecost: This Story Is Our Story; Sam Storms, Understanding Spiritual Gifts.
Let's Pray Together
"Holy Spirit, thank You for helping us know what is true. Give our family wisdom to test what we hear. Help us hold tightly to the real Jesus. Keep us from being fooled. In Jesus' name, amen."
The Spirit helps me think, not just feel. And He always points me to the real Jesus.