Dealing with Spiritual Doubt and False Discernment of Holy Spirit
Dealing with Spiritual Doubt and False Discernment of the Holy Spirit
The Bible warns believers to be cautious of false spirits and prophets, advising them to "try the spirits whether they are of God" [1]. This caution is rooted in the understanding that not every spirit or spiritual experience is from God. The apostle John emphasizes the importance of discernment, as "many false prophets are gone out into this world" [1].
Spiritual doubt can arise when individuals struggle to discern the authenticity of their spiritual experiences or the guidance they receive. According to Torrey's Topical Textbook, offenses against the Holy Spirit, such as grieving, quenching, or lying to Him, can lead to spiritual doubt and uncertainty [2]. The biblical account of those who "ask counsel of their stock, and their staff declareth unto them" illustrates the tendency to seek guidance from sources other than God, leading to spiritual confusion [5].
The fruit of the Spirit is a key indicator of genuine spiritual experience. According to Adam Clarke, the fruit of the Spirit is the result of the Spirit's work in the believer, producing "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance" [6]. The presence of these qualities is evidence of a genuine spiritual experience. In contrast, the absence of these qualities or the presence of their opposites may indicate a false or misguided spiritual experience.
The biblical writers emphasize the importance of discernment in spiritual matters. The apostle Paul writes that believers should "not be ignorant" about spiritual things [4]. John Chrysostom notes that the Holy Spirit teaches believers to understand and apply spiritual truths [10]. The ability to discern spiritual truth is a gift from God, and believers must cultivate this gift through prayer, scripture, and a deepening relationship with God.
Different Christian traditions offer varying perspectives on dealing with spiritual doubt and false discernment. The Puritan tradition, represented by Matthew Henry, emphasizes the need for caution and scrutiny in evaluating spiritual experiences [9]. The Eastern Orthodox tradition, represented by John Chrysostom, highlights the importance of the Holy Spirit in guiding believers into truth [8]. The Reformed tradition, represented by John Gill, emphasizes the role of scripture in discerning spiritual truth [7].
In dealing with spiritual doubt and false discernment, believers must be aware of the potential for deception. The Bible warns against the dangers of false prophets and the spirit of whoredoms that can lead people astray [5]. Believers must also be mindful of their own hearts and the potential for self-deception. As Ecclesiastes notes, "madness and foolishness" can be a "vexation of the spirit" [3].
Sources
- I John “I John 4:1 (Geneva1599) — Dearely beloued, beleeue not euery spirit, but trie the spirits whether they are of God: for many false prophets are gone out into this worlde.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Offences Against the Holy Spirit — Exhortations against -- Eph 4:30; 1Th 5:19. Exhibited in Tempting him. -- Ac 5:9. Vexing him. -- Isa 63:10. Grieving him. -- Eph 4:30. Quenching him. -- 1Th 5:19. Lying to him. -- Ac 5:3,4. Resisting him. -- Ac 7:51. Undervaluing His gifts. -- Ac 8:19,20. Danger of trifling with the Holy Spirit. -- Heb 6:4-6. Doing despite to him. -- Heb 10:29. Disregarding His testimony. -- Ne 9:30. Blasphemy against him, unpardonable -- Mt 12:31,32; 1Jo 5:16.”
- Ecclesiastes “Ecclesiastes 1:17 (Geneva1599) — And I gaue mine heart to knowe wisdome and knowledge, madnes and foolishnes: I knew also that this is a vexation of the spirit.”
- I Corinthians “I Corinthians 12:1 (DRC) — Now concerning spiritual things, my brethren, I would not have you ignorant.”
- Hosea “Hosea 4:12 (Darby) — My people ask counsel of their stock, and their staff declareth unto them; for the spirit of whoredoms causeth [them] to err, and they have gone a whoring from under theirGod:”
- Galatians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Galatians 5:22: But the fruit of the Spirit - Both flesh - the sinful dispositions of the human heart and spirit - the changed or purified state of the soul, by the grace and Spirit of God, are represented by the apostle as trees, one yielding good the other bad fruit; the productions of each being according to the nature of the tree, as the tree is according to the nature of the seed from which it sprung. The bad seed produced a bad tree, yielding all manner of bad fruit; the good seed produced a good tree, bringing forth fruits of the most excellent kind. The tree of the flesh”
- Ephesians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ephesians 5:8: For the fruit of the Spirit,.... Either of the spirit of man, as renewed, or rather of the Spirit of God; the allusion is to fruits of trees: the believer is a tree of righteousness; Christ is his root; the Spirit is the sap, which supports and nourishes; and good works, under the influence of his grace, are the fruit: the Alexandrian copy, and some others, and the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions, read "the fruit of light"; which agrees with the preceding words: and the genuine fruit of internal grace, or light, is in all goodness, and righteousness, ”
- CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on Galatians–Colossians–Thessalonians: 13:17 13:23 James 1:6 2:13 2:19 2:26 3:11 4:3 1 Peter 1:3 1:12 2:13 2:21 2:21 2:22 2:22 2:22 5:5 5:8 5:8 5:8 2 Peter 2:4 3:13 1 John 2:9 3:2 3:8 4:8 Revelation 1 1:4 1:9 1:11 1:16 1:20 2 3 3:12 14:1 14:4 14:13 15:6 20:9 22:16 Tobit 12:9 Wisdom of Solomon 1:4 1:14 11:23 11:24 14:16 Sirach 2:2 2:2 2:4 2:10 2:11 2:27 3:10-12 3:11 5:6 6:14 6:16 6:34 7:6 7:31 9:13 9:15 10:9 10:12-13 11:1 11:2 11:3 11:3 11:4 11:15 11:28 12:13 13:15 14:9 15:9 16:3 18:13 18:13 19:14-15 20:20 21:2 22:21-22 23:17 23:17 25:1 25:1 25:11 26:27 28:6 31:1 32:10”
- 1 John (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on 1 John 4:1: The apostle, having said that God's dwelling in and with us may be known by the Spirit that he hath given us, intimates that that Spirit may be discerned and distinguished from other spirits that appear in the world; and so here, I. He calls the disciples, to whom he writes, to caution and scrutiny about the spirits and spiritual professors that had now risen. 1. To caution: "Beloved, believe not every spirit; regard not, trust not, follow not, every pretender to the Spirit of God, or every professor of vision, or inspiration, or revelation from God." Truth is the ”
- 1 Corinthians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Corinthians 2:13: also--We not only know by the Holy Ghost, but we also speak the "things freely given to us of God" (Co1 2:12). which the Holy Ghost teacheth--The old manuscripts read "the Spirit" simply, without "Holy." comparing spiritual things with spiritual--expounding the Spirit-inspired Old Testament Scripture, by comparison with the Gospel which Jesus by the same Spirit revealed [GROTIUS]; and conversely illustrating the Gospel mysteries by comparing them with the Old Testament types [CHRYSOSTOM]. So the Greek word is translated, "comparing" (Co2 10:”