TESTS

Honing Skills in Discernment

Christians affirm that God communicates with his people through Word and Spirit. He inspired men to write the Bible. He spoke directly to particular people, and also communicated through prophets, theophanies, angels, dreams, and visions. God ordains events, and the pinnacle of God’s revelation of himself was the Son Jesus Christ who lived as a man, died and rose again to defeat sin, Satan, and death. God never abandons his people—never leaves them as orphans. The Holy Spirit guides and sanctifies them as they love and obey holy God. Believers are spiritual beings who have fellowship with the Creator and Ruler of all creation. One day we will see him face to face in all his glory.

Until that great Day of the Lord, Satan and the demons also communicate through voices, dreams, visions, intuitions, and various spiritual impersonations. Human sin and Satan work hand and glove to propagate the old lie that rebellion against God frees people to be more completely themselves.
 
Only Jesus fully understands the strategies, tactics, and utter evil of the rebel angel. He knows that we are no match for him. He graciously clothes us with himself and gives us all we need to discern and withstand the work of this ancient foe. But often it’s through trials that God teaches us about himself, sin, and the imposter god. God tutors us through the Bible, Holy Spirit, and the family of God, the local church.

I offer the acronym TESTS to help believers hone skills in discernment.
 
Test the source and assume you might be deceived.
Evaluate the experience with Word and Spirit.
Speak directly to Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
Trust God to guide you.
Step out in faith and observe the fruit of your effort.
 
Test the source and assume you might be deceived.

I had been a Christian for a couple years when I attended a “Life in the Spirit” seminar. Toward the end, the pastor prayed. “Lord, please empower and equip your servants with spiritual gifts. Give each person a vision, inspiration, scripture, or deep knowing about how you have gifted them.”
 
I prayed and saw a ticker tape cross my mind from right to left. On it I read; You have the gift of physical healing. A sense of awe and wonderment filled me, and I thanked God. The pastor closed the seminar and said, “God has equipped you. You must step out in faith and use your gift. Trust God to empower your ministry.”
 
For two years, I dutifully prayed with and for people with physical problems. No one was miraculously healed.
 
During a morning devotion, I read the story of Jesus walking on water. The disciples saw Jesus, and Peter asked Jesus to call him onto the water. Jesus said, “Come.” Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on water (Mt 14:25–29). I paused. Jesus called and Peter stepped onto the water. But thereafter Peter did not attempt to walk on water whenever he saw a lake! The power belongs to God, and he alone decides when to perform miracles—then he orchestrates them. He requires faith and willingness to follow him.
 
There and then I decided the ticker tape vision was not from God and that he never intended for me to pray with every single person with a physical illness. I felt a little silly, but immensely grateful that God showed me how he works and what he expects of me. I later learned that God uniquely equips Christians with spiritual gifts for the edification of the church. He reveals the gifts as we participate in a body of believers (Eph 4:11–16, Rom 12:4–8, 1 Cor 12:4–11).
 
Is it Spiritual, Psychological, or Physical?
 
Christians sometimes face situations where the presenting problem could be spiritual, psychological, and/or physical. In medicine, the term differential diagnosis is used when a symptom points to more than one condition and further testing is required. Christians also sort through options when determining the source.
 
Story

Twenty-six-year-old Jim had a good job and girlfriend when he accepted Christ. Soon after his conversion, fears of blaspheming God overwhelmed him. He sang praise songs, prayed fervently, and covered his mouth to prevent himself from blaspheming God.
I visited Jim in a psychiatric hospital, and he shared his torment with me. I knew persistent thoughts of blaspheming God and other religious preoccupations were symptomatic of certain mental illnesses. But I also knew demons tormented Christians by twisting God’s Word in one’s mind.

Jim and I talked, prayed, and read Scripture. A couple days later, I asked Jim to stand with Jesus and separate himself from the rant in his mind. Even when severely demonized, I knew the demon was not me. He could infuse his evilness into my mind, but instinctively I dissociated from it. Once saved, I clung to Jesus who silenced the demons. But Jim could not separate from his thoughts, and I suspected mental illness. We prayed and read Scripture together.

A week and half later, the medications took effect. Condemning thoughts passed through his mind, but no longer dominated him. He could separate from them. Finally, they disappeared altogether. Jim was himself again, his faith was strong, and he returned to work.

Even if Jim had a demon, and I don’t think he did, Jim’s mental illness had to be treated before Jim could stand with Christ. Surely, it’s situations such as this one where God calls believers to pray and speak God’s Word into the brokenness. We serve as the heart and arms of King Jesus.

Concluding Thoughts
Using the principles of TESTS requires knowledge of the Bible and rock-solid trust in God to guide the process. He has given us all we need to understand what is and is not of him. Honing skills is often a trial-and-error process that God uses to deepen faith and knowledge of him. But we must step out of the boat when he calls and keep our eyes fixed on him. Then he enables us to do immeasurably more than we thought possible. God faithfully fills us with power and wisdom at just the right time.

[i] Sharon T Beekmann. Rescued and Redeemed: How to Discern Demon from the Divine (Littleton: Illumify Media Global, 2018).