Whewww! The Necessity of Spiritual Discernment
Isaac Megbolugbe
December 8, 2025
As believers, we’re often reminded that “everything that seems spiritual comes from the Holy Spirit.” But let’s get real, that’s not always the case. The devil’s out here imitating the voice of the Holy Spirit, mimicking God’s tone, and pretending to be the real deal. That’s why spiritual discernment is not just a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have for survival in the spiritual realm.
Think about it, we’re navigating through life, trying to worship God in the Spirit, and master the precepts, principles, and faith practices built on the truth of God’s Word. But without discernment, we’re like ships without a compass, vulnerable to every wind of doctrine and spirit that comes our way.
So, what are we up against? There are at least four types of spirits that pretend to be God:
1. The Spirit of Religion: This spirit produces shame, focuses on performance, and keeps you from drawing into a relationship with God. It’s all about convincing you to do more, be more, and achieve more, rather than surrendering to God’s love and grace.
2. The Familiar Spirit: This spirit knows your history, uses it against you, and tries to keep you stuck in the past. It’s all about deception, not direction. It’ll predict a future that God never promised, and call you backwards instead of forward.
3. The Spirit of Divination: This spirit loves to give you information, but it’s not interested in transformation. It’ll reveal secrets, but won’t take you to the Cross. It’s all about knowledge, not conversion.
4. The Spirit of Delusion: This spirit normalizes sin, makes you comfortable with compromise, and keeps you from repenting. It’s not about silencing you, it’s about misleading you.
So, what’s the solution? Discernment. We need to be able to distinguish between the voice of the Holy Spirit and the voices of these impostor spirits. We need to test every spirit, every word, and every experience against the truth of God’s Word.
As the Bible says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).
Let’s prioritize discernment, friends. Let’s seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and ask Him to teach us to recognize His voice. Let’s be wise, let’s be vigilant, and let’s walk in the truth of God’s Word. Whewww!
Isaac Megbolugbe, Director of GIVA Ministries International, retired professor at Johns Hopkins University, 2024 Marquis Organization’s Class of Top Executives in the United States of America and a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. He is resident in the United States of America.
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