Discerning of Spirits

Prophet Shawn Stanley

Discerning of spirits is the most misunderstood of all the spiritual gifts.  Because of the confusion surrounding this gift, clear biblical teaching on discerning of spirits is needed.  The gift of discerning of spirits and the natural ability of discernment are not the same.  There are many people who have a high level of sensitivity in the natural or emotional realm.  This can be even taught through a heighten self-awareness to your emotional state.

The difference between natural abilities and the nine spiritual gifts listed in 1st Corinthians 12 is that spiritual gifts are supernatural in nature.  For example, a “word of knowledge” is something supernatural, not something that could be attained through natural means.  The same is true of the supernatural gift of healing; it supersedes the laws of the natural world.  This applies to all nine of the gifts.

In our culture, we have accepted that someone can be very discerning, but this is a natural intuitive ability.  The spiritual gift in 1st Corinthians 12 is something unique.  The is a correlation between natural and supernatural discernment in that both gifts help to inform an individual what is in the atmosphere or environment surrounding them.  Natural discernment informs what is in the natural, emotional, or interpersonal realm, whereas supernatural discernment informs what is in the spirit realm.

Supernatural discernment typically divides that information into four different areas:

1. The working of the Holy Spirit

2. The working of the demonic

3. The working of the human spirit

4. The working of the heavenly beings

Another reason that the gift of discerning of spirits has been misunderstood is that the gift has been abused.  Many believe that discerning of spirits is the ability to know another person’s secret sin and have it used it as a justification for harboring attitudes of suspicion, criticism, and accusation.

I have heard major church leaders comment that if they had to choose to remove one of the nine gifts of the Spirit, they “would absolutely choose to remove the gift of discerning of spirits because no other gift has singlehandedly caused as much damage to the body of Yashusa.  That comment only make sense in light of the misuse of this gift. The truth is that it is a supernatural gift from the Holy Spirit to be operated through LOVE.