Chapter 39, Footnote 1:
Discerning of Spirits:
The Apostle Timothy speaks to a need for Christians to be alert to false doctrines: “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons … For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suite their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”6 We live in the times of which Timothy prophesied. Because of that, God has given us another gift that comes from the Holy Spirit called discerning of spirits. This very specific gift is not given to everyone in the body of Christ. Each believer is given his and her ministry gifts as the Lord sees fit.7 Let me qualify the previous two sentences by saying that while the “gift” is not given to everyone, the ability to discern whether something that is being done is good or evil must first start with studying and getting to know thoroughly the Word of God. This is essential to anyone’s growth as a Christian.
The actual gift of discerning of spirits gives the individual the ability to know, without seeing, whether another individual is being influenced by either the Holy Spirit (because the Holy Spirit would obviously recognize Himself and His own works) or by a demonic spirit. This gift is valuable in that it can allow a person to sense that something is wrong even when nothing has happened in the physical world to make it evident.