Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,  and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
1 John 4:1-3

​If this warning was for Christians then, after about 2,000 years, we should pay much more attention to the messages we hear and investigate what spirit is behind any prophecy or teaching. To understand what the apostle John wrote, we need to know to whom he was addressing and what was going on in those days. Even if the epistle does not begin with the specific identification of the church or group it was initially written for, the content shows that John, led by the Holy Spirit, wrote to believers of his time, in the first century AD. In 1 John 2:26, we also find the reason of this letter: “These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you.” Even then, there were wrong teachings, taught by some false teachers and prophets infiltrated into churches (1 John 2:18-19). That is why the apostle warned them about the spirit of the Antichrist, of which Jesus had warned his disciples. (Matthew 24:24, Mark 13:22).
 
What spirits should we test? Every Christian should search for the source of all information, not just those concerning faith, but from any area of life. The closer we walk with God and ask Him to enlighten our minds, the more He will give us of His perfect wisdom (James 1:5-6). It is for our benefit to examine what kind of spirit leads the one who prophesies, preaches or teaches, because it can be: the Holy Spirit, the spirit of man or a demonic spirit.
 
To interpret any biblical verse correctly, we need to analyze it in context, because the preceding and subsequent verses show us the framework for which that verse is valid. In order not to draw wrong conclusions and form false doctrines, the conclusion of that verse must be confirmed by one or more sections of verses, to make sure that the opinion is correct, as the Bible says that it takes two or three witnesses to establish the truth about a certain matter (“by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established” - Deuteronomy 19:15, Deuteronomy 17:6, and John 8:17). The spirit of the Antichrist has a precise purpose, which is to make Christians doubt the truth and promises of God’s Word and to prepare the ground for Antichrist, who will claim to be Christ, the Messiah, whom the Mosaic Jews who rejected the true Son of God, continue to await.
 
The Spirit of the Antichrist denies that Jesus Christ is the true Messiah and that He already came in the flesh to save us. In order for Jesus to pay for our sins, He had to be born with a human nature, but to be without sin. The devil did all in his power (Matthew 4:3-11, Luke 4:1-13) to tempt Jesus and cause Him to not fulfill God’s plan for the salvation of mankind. Because Jesus never sinned, He could take all the sins of mankind upon Himself and die in our place. But death could not keep Him. Because Jesus never sinned, the devil had nothing on or in Him, as the Lord said in John 14:30, “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me” and the Holy Spirit raised Him from the death on the third day.
 
We are urged in 1 John 4:1, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world,” we are urged to test the source of what is told to us and to receive only what comes from the Holy Spirit, through the true prophets, and to reject what is false. How can we know what kind of spirit is behind the prophecy, or any message that claims to be the Word of the Lord? The general valid criterion is the identity of Jesus Christ. The most common lie was that Jesus was not the Christ, the Son of God, and that the true Messiah had not yet come and this lie is still believed today, by many.
 
The prophet or anyone who claims to be the messenger of the Lord and does not believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of mankind, must not be believed, because the source of his words is not the Holy Spirit. Jesus remains in him who is His and the Holy Spirit is the witness of our adoption into the heavenly Father's family, as the following verse says:

• 1 John 3:24 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

 
In the times we live in, it is increasingly difficult to identify whether the news or statements of the media or others, are true or false. As more people live in sin, they are increasing the power of the devil, and as a result, lies take the place of truth as they are more easily believed.

• 1 Thessalonians 5:18-20 In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies.

 
Whenever we choose to thank the Lord for everything, no matter the circumstances, we allow the fruit of the Holy Spirit to manifest through us, and it is easier to receive what the Lord tells us and to identify what is coming from another source. The Lord wants us to be thankful instead of complaining, because thanksgiving is the most beneficial attitude of the heart and mind, by which the Holy Spirit is most active in us. Let us verify everything we hear, read or see and keep what is in accordance with the Word of God, the absolute standard for truth.
 

Carmen Pușcaș

We could have all the money in the world and all the supplies, and still not have peace. Or we could have low money and supplies, and still not have peace.
 
But we can have plenty or less... and still have huge peace.

• Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.

 
Keeping our mind “stayed on You” means just that, keeping our minds stayed on the Lord and it says why. The reason is because “we trust in Him.”
 
We can trust the Lord for taking care of us. We do our part by being diligent with what we are blessed with and living our life unto Him. And the Lord, blesses the work of our hands and takes care of us.
 
I have found that if I look at a mountain, it is so big, that it consumes my sight. And if I allow my troubles to overtake my view, no matter how big my trouble really is, they become mountains when I let them consume me.
 
We have to face our troubles squarely, especially if we are responsible for others. But we can do it from a place of security, knowing we are not alone and that we can have all the direction and wisdom from the Lord that we need.
 
The choice is up to us. The Lord’s eye is always upon us and our situations but we have to choose to keep our mind stayed on Him and trust Him.
 
We can do whatever we have to do in this world with the supernatural peace and with the supernatural strength that come from Jesus Christ. Even in the face of knowing that He was about to be tormented physically by the devil’s human servants, Jesus kept His peace. And even when He was hanging on the cross, He helped the thief next to Him, His mother’s situation that was about to happen in needing a son, in a world where a woman, needed a male to stand with her. He helped all of us by giving His all and taking the time to pray, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” This was not only for those that did Him wrong that day, but for everyone, for all of us. Jesus kept His peace. Even when His body was severely beaten and crushed to death. Even being separated from His Father, He hurt desperately but He did not despair. He went on to conquer sin and the grave completely. If His grief had overcome Him, He would not have been able to do so. He went on to take the keys to hell and death from the devil.
 
Jesus has shown us the way. And the Lord has sent us His Spirit to be with each of us. God is closer than our breath for those that are born-again!
 
The Lord loves being our God and us being His children. It is why He created us. We do not have to be God. He is. Only He has all wisdom, all knowledge, all provision, not only for the physical (including mental) but for the spiritual. He is El Shaddai.
 
The name of God “El Shaddai” was taught to me when I was young, as “The Lord, Our God Almighty Who Is Our Everything.” I said, how can He be our everything? They said, like a baby in a womb, is completely dependent of the mother taking care of through the umbilical cord. The cord is a lifeline for everything. All is provided. And we find all we need in trusting God.

• John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

 
Look at the context that this verse was given.

• John 14:26-27 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

 
This same Jesus, who was born Emmanuel, left and went to be with the Father, but He did not leave us empty-handed. He has sent us His Presence that we can all have Him with us at the same time. Jesus in the physical could not do that, but in leaving, He made this possible. You can even close your eyes and feel His closeness. We are never ever alone.
 
The disciples became apostles. All were martyred but one, whose life was attempted to be taken, but failed. They and the entire early church went through terrible times of tribulation and even persecution. But they chose to stand fast in their faith. Paul and Silas stood fast in hard times.

• Acts 16:25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

 
They were wrongfully beaten and cast into jail, even to being put in stocks in jail. And they chose to sing praises to the Lord.
 
And we know what happened next.

• Acts 16:26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.

 
When they chose to praise the Lord, even in terrible circumstances, God not only helped them but God used them to help the jailer and his family come to Christ and countless other prisoners were affected for the better.
 
When the three Hebrews were cast in the fiery furnace, as told of in the book of Daniel, the one who had them cast in, saw four in the fire and the one was like unto the Son of God. And when the fire could not hurt them, they were released and not even the smell of smoke was on them and the only thing that had changed was that the ropes that they were bound with, were gone.
 
By keeping our minds stayed on the Lord and trusting Him, by choosing to praise Him no matter how crazy or despairing this world gets, we can have peace. We can have supernatural peace and supernatural strength. We can operate from a place of joy and peace and have all the strength we need as true followers of Jesus Christ.
 
The other option, is to let the troubles consume us. We could even share our pit with others or join them in theirs. But why would we do that when we can have the fruit of the Spirit and share our fruit with others. Those that have peace, strength and joy fare much better and are certainly better to be around than those that are in depression, despair and are deflated. The choice is up to us.
 
Thank You Lord that You are our God and we are Your children. Thank You for meeting our needs, physical and spiritual. Thank You Lord for Your mercy, grace, peace, strength and joy.


Eli Cockrell