Marks of a True Believer

Test the Spirits
by
John MacArthur
All Rights Reserved

(A copy of this message on cassette tape may be obtained by calling 1-800-55-GRACE)
1 John 4:1-6       Tape GC 2113

Introduction

A. The Significance of False Doctrine

The Bible is full of warnings against error and the corruption of God's revelation. That's because Satan and his demons are busy corrupting God's truth, propagating worldwide error, and confusing people. According to 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, Satan appear as an angel of light and his demons as ministers of righteousness. They mask themselves as those who give God's truth when, in fact, they give the opposite.

1. Essentials of false doctrine

False doctrine has been the great plague of the earth throughout the history of man. It began in the Garden of Eden: the first temptation was based on an effort to corrupt the Word of God.

a) Doubt

Satan said to Eve, "Hath God said?" (Gen. 3:1), planting doubt in her mind.

b) Distortion

Eve replied that God had said, "Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it" (Gen. 3:3). But God didn't say anything about not touching the tree.

c) Denial

Satan told Eve, "Ye shall not surely die" (Gen. 3:4), a direct contradiction of what God said previously (Gen. 2:17).

d) Deceit

Satan is busy deceiving people about what is true. His demons wage a persistent and endless counter-campaign to keep men ignorant of divinely revealed truth and salvation.

2. Examples of biblical warnings

a) Moses passionately exhorted the Israelites to serve the Lord and not forget His precepts (Deut. 9).

b) David gave the same counsel to Israel and to his son, Solomon (1 Chron. 28).

c) The prophets warned the people not to compromise their commitment to the Word of God.

d) The Lord Jesus Christ predicted the coming of false prophets and false Christs (Matt. 24:5, 11).

e) The apostle Paul cautioned the Ephesian elders about the coming of grievous wolves who would not spare the flock and would speak perverse things (Acts 20:29-30).

f) The apostle Peter warned about apostates who would teach false doctrine (2 Pet. 2).

False doctrine is a real problem that we face constantly. In everything we do and say, we are confronted with differing opinions that constitute the false doctrine of Satan's deception.

B. The Source of False Doctrine

Although the Bible primarily focuses on the human agents propagating false doctrine, it also deals with the source of false doctrine: Satan and his demons.

1. Demonic activity

Behind all false teachers are invisible demons. No false teacher teaches from his own wisdom; a demon or demons inspire him to teach. False teachers are mouthpieces for Satan.

a) Seductive spirits

First Timothy 4:1 says, "The Spirit speaketh expressly that, in the latter times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits." Most of us don't talk to seducing spirits, but you've heard their propaganda coming out of false prophets, their mouthpieces. The doctrines they teach are not those of distorted men; they are the doctrines of demons (1 Tim. 4:1).

First Timothy 4:1 emphatically links false doctrine with demonism. False teachers and false prophets are not primarily to blame for false doctrine; demons deserve the blame. The man is only the mouthpiece. The next time you hear someone propagating something contrary to Scripture, you can be sure it's demon influenced.

Doctrines of demons have been propagated since Genesis 4. The first came through Cain. He believed he could worship God any way he liked. That was the first doctrine, and is probably the most popular one. Demonic religions teach salvation by works. All systems apart from the truth are demonic, even those masquerading as Christianity.

b) Sacrificial worship

(1) 1 Corinthians 10:19-22--Paul said, "What say I, then? That the idol is anything?" (v. 19). If someone wants to worship an idol, they are worshiping nothing because an idol is nothing. However, the idol in reality is something it isn't supposed to be. In verse 20 Paul says, "But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons." What they think is an idol is really a demon. I used to wonder how someone could worship a rock all his life, and how generation after generation could worship the same rock. Perhaps the demon impersonating the God they think is in the rock does enough to keep them hooked to it.

Verses 20-22 then add, "I would not that ye should have fellowship with demons. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons; ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of demons. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?" While an idol is nothing at all, there is a terrible reality underlying that idol: a demon or demons impersonating the god supposedly in the idol.

(2) Deuteronomy 32:17--"They sacrificed unto demons, not to God." When the people sacrificed to their idols, they were actually sacrificing to demons.

(3) Psalm 106:36-37--"They served their idols, which were a snare unto them. Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto demons."

A person who worships an idol or something a little more sophisticated is actually worshiping demons. Supernatural things will occur to hold him to that system. The demons will manifest enough of the supernatural to maintain their facade.

c) Symbolic language

There is much symbolic language in the book of Revelation. Symbolism is used to give a spiritual reality understanding and meaning in human terms. Demons are seen as many different symbols. One of those symbols is frogs.

(1) Their appearance

Revelation 16:13 says, "I saw three unclean spirits, like frogs, come out of the mouth of the dragon [Satan], and out of the mouth of the beast [the Antichrist], and out of the mouth of the false prophet." The Satanic trinity will spawn those demons. Verse 14 clarifies they are demons: "They are the spirits of demons, working miracles, that go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty." Verse 16 says they gather them together at Armageddon.

(2) Their deception

Those frog-like demons will deceive the entire world, tricking the kings of the world into gathering at Armageddon to do what they want them to do. The world thinks it's going to do one thing, but the demons have another plan--preventing Jesus Christ from setting up His Kingdom on earth.

2. Deceptive operations

a) Through human agents

Demons usually operate through human agents. Satan and his demons use many different approaches. They might use atheism, communism, animism, polytheism, or some form of idolatry. Of particular importance is their deceptive efforts within the context of Christianity. They are active within the faith doing all they can to destroy it.

(1) Acts 20:30-31--Paul said, "Of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.... for the space of three years I ceased not to warn everyone night and day with tears" (emphasis added).

(2) 2 Peter 2:1--"There were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who secretly shall bring in destructive heresies" (emphasis added). The biggest problem comes from the inside.

b) Through human systems

Demonic deception leaves no doctrine unattacked. In New Testament times they used legalism, antinomianism, and Gnosticism. Two thousand years later, all those initial deceptions have developed into elaborate systems such as spiritism, theosophy, Christian Science, Roman Catholicism, Mormonism, Jehovah Witness, Unity, liberalism, and modernism. All contain Satanic deceptions and doctrines of demons.

The Gnostics propagated the teaching that Jesus wasn't the Christ--God incarnate in human flesh. John was concerned because they were confusing the believers. He wrote 1 John to unmask those false teachers. In chapter 4 John informs us of the demons behind the false teachers. He applies the doctrinal test: Do the false teachers believe in Christ? He wants to show the believers how to distinguish a demon spirit from the Holy Spirit. First John 4 begins with the command to test, the need to test, the method of the test, and the application of the test.

I. THE COMMAND (v. 1a)

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but test the spirits whether they are of God."

The reason to test the spirits is "many false prophets are gone out into the world" (v. 1). In verse 1 John links false prophets with demons. When a teacher opens his mouth, he represents either the Spirit of truth or the spirit of error (v. 6). The Spirit of truth is the Holy Spirit and the spirit of error is a demon.

A. Stop Believing

The word "beloved" in verse 1 has to refer to Christians because unbelievers have no hope of knowing how to evaluate truth or test the spirits. First John 3:24 says, "By this we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit whom he hath given us." Believers have the Holy Spirit, but there are other spirits in the world. They need to be careful to find out if a certain teaching is from the Holy Spirit or some other spirit. John tells us to stop believing every spirit in 1 John 4:1. He is forbiding continuation of an action already occurring.

Many have read Taylor Caldwell's The Dear and Glorious Physician, which is about Luke, and Captains and the Kings. Jess Stern has written a book about her entitled, The Search for a Soul: Taylor Caldwell's Psychic Lives (N.Y.: Doubleday, 1973). Caldwell is described as a reincarnation case study, which is supposed to explain why she knows so much about Luke. People will bring a teaching into the assembly of believers that is totally without basis and announce it as God's truth. Don't you believe it! Guard against deceptive spirits. Don't believe everything you hear and read.

B. Start Testing

In verse 1 John says, "Test the spirits whether they are of God." The Greek word translated "test" is dokimaz[ma]o, a term for testing people in high office. The verb is in the present tense-- the believer is to continually test the spirits.

II. THE REASON (v. 1b)

"Many false prophets are gone out into the world."

A. The Proliferation of False Prophets

We will be deceived if we don't test the spirits because there are so many of them. They come from the spirit of error. A good series of verses to memorize is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-21, and verse 21 applies especially to 1 John 4:1, "Prove [test] all things; hold fast that which is good." Verse 20 says not to despise prophesying. We're to put it to the test and hang on to it if it's good. Satan is both clever and subtle, so you have to be careful.

B. The Prophecies of False Prophets

1. Matthew 7:15--"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." They won't announce who they are; they will mask themselves and appear to be moved by the Holy Spirit.

2. Mark 13:22-23--"False Christs [Gk., pseudo christoi] and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect" (v. 22). Is it possible to seduce the elect? Ultimately, no. But they sure will try. Verse 23 says, "Take heed; behold, I have foretold you all things." There are many voices in this world. Go into a Christian bookstore and check out what's on the shelves. There's a lot of material, and it's hard to know what's good and what's not. There are many people talking on the radio and preaching in churches. A lot of them ask for your money. Many Christians are gullible and show a naive readiness to attribute to God everything they hear in the name of Christianity. Don't do that! Believe God, but be suspicious.

III. THE METHOD (vv. 2-6a)

How do we test the spirits? Ask three questions: Do they confess the divine Lord? Do they possess the divine life? Do they profess the divine law? That can be reduced to three words: incarnation, regeneration, and revelation.

A. Confess the Divine Lord (vv. 2-3)

1. The criterion of the confession (v. 2)

"By this know ye the Spirit of God; every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God."

The word translated "confesseth" is in the present tense, referring to everyone who continues to confess. The word translated "confesseth" (Gk., homologe[ma]o) means "to say the same." Everyone who continually says the same thing about Jesus that God said about Him is from God. To confess your sin means to say the same thing that God says about your sin. A true teacher from the Holy Spirit must agree with God's revelation about Jesus Christ. If he doesn't, his source is demonic. You may think a false teacher is a nice guy, but he's not if Satan is going to deceive you through him. Beware of religions that talk about God but don't believe Christ is God. That is a demonic religion according to 1 John 4:2-3. Only those who believe Jesus Christ is God in human flesh are of God. Verse 3 says, "Every spirit that confesseth not ... is not of God."

Confessing Christ as Lord

First John 4:2 says, "Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God." In the Greek text, there is no word for "that" here. A good way to translate verse 2 is: "Every spirit who is continuing to say the same thing about Jesus as Christ come in the flesh is of God." A Christian believes that the human Jesus and the divine God are one and the same. But even the demons recognize Christ's identity:

1. Mark 1:24--As Jesus came across a demon-possessed man, the demon said, "Let us alone! What have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know thee, who thou art, the Holy One of God."

2. Mark 3:11--"Unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God." Demons can make a propositional confession.

3. Mark 5:7--Jesus met a maniac who carried inside him a legion of demons (cf. Luke 8:28). One demon cried out, "What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God?"

4. Acts 19:13-15--Certain unbelievers were trying to imitate Paul by casting out demons. An evil spirit replied, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?"

However, it's one thing to make a statement about Jesus Christ; it's quite another to have Him as Lord of your life. When you test the spirits, find out if the person is confessing Jesus is Lord, or confessing Jesus as Lord. Salvation comes only by confessing Christ as Lord (Rom. 10:9-10).

a) Commitment to the lordship of Christ

The incarnation is a basic truth. When someone says he is a teacher sent from God, I want to know if he confesses Jesus is God incarnate and acknowledges Him as Lord of his life.

b) Commitment to the deity of Christ

Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name, Joshua, which means, "Jehovah saves." So 1 John 4:2 implies confessing that Jesus is Jehovah. Christ means, "the anointed one." So the Jehovah of the Old Testament is the incarnate Messiah of the New Testament. Jesus is God. Romans 5:8 says Christ died for our sins. First John 3:16 says God died for our sins. Christ and God are the same.

2. The criterion of the denial (v. 3)

"Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God; and this is that spirit of antichrist, of which ye have heard that it should come, and even now already is it in the world."

The Antichrist is not just a man; it is a system of opposition to Christ. Sometimes Satan is openly opposed to Christ, and sometimes he tries to be the substitute for Christ. Anyone who doesn't believe Jesus is God in human flesh is fueled by the Antichrist.

John says, "Ye have heard that it should come." When did the people hear that? They could have heard it through Daniel 7:8 and 11, but I believe John is referring to previous apostolic teaching. The apostles believed the Antichrist was coming. The first epistle of John wasn't written until late in the first century, while the Thessalonian epistles were written by Paul much earlier. No doubt the people had read those epistles, which outline the career of the Antichrist.

John however didn't limit the word to a single man (see pp. xx- xx). First John 2:18 says, "It is the last time; and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists." Everyone who is in opposition to or who tries to take the place of Christ is an antichrist. There will be a final Antichrist, but the opposition of antichrists already exists in the world.

B. Possess the Divine Life (v. 4)

"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world."

The Holy Spirit is greater and more powerful than the devil. You possess the Holy Spirit. Verse 4 affirms the security of the believer against false teachers.

1. The source of believers

Verse 4 says, "Ye are of God, little children." Believers have God as their source. They have been born of God, and are "partakers of the divine nature" (2 Pet. 1:4). We possess the incorruptible seed (1 John 3:9).

2. The security of believers

The Holy Spirit keeps us from being seduced by demons. First John 2:20 says, "Ye have an [anointing] from the Holy One, and ye know all things." God has given us the Holy Spirit as permanent protection against false doctrine. Verse 21 says, "I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it." Since we have the Holy Spirit, we know the truth. Verse 27 says, "The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you; but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." A Christian will continue to abide in Christ because the Holy Spirit will never allow him to be seduced by false doctrine. You can overcome false teachers because the Holy Spirit is stronger than the devil.

The Magnetic Christian

Regeneration provides believers with an affinity for the truth. As a kid I can remember owning a magnet with metal shavings attached. I used to enjoy putting the shavings in a pile of dirt and then running the magnet across the dirt. Only that which had an affinity to the magnet came out of the pile; the dirt remained. A Christian is like a magnet. As he moves about the earth, the truth of God attaches to him because he has an affinity for it. The Holy Spirit draws the truth of God to the Christian and rejects the rest.

First John 4:4 is an implied test. If a man is a true teacher of God, his life will be transformed by the Holy Spirit and he will have an affinity for God's truth. When faced with some teacher who claims to be from God, ask these questions: Does the Holy Spirit appear to be at work in his life? Does he love and obey the Word of God? False teachers will fail this test because they aren't regenerate.

C. Profess the Divine Law (vv. 5-6a)

If a person is of the spirit of truth, he will declare God's Word.

1. Demonic mouthpieces (v. 5)

"They are of the world; therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them."

False teachers are a part of the world--a reference to Satan's evil system. False teachers speak about the system because they are of the system And the system therefore listens to them. The beginning of verse 5 in the Greek text is an ablative of source, telling us the source of false teachers is Satan. Demons always accommodate their teaching to the world. They aim at whatever is popular. There are enough religious systems to accommodate every mentality. Mormonism, for example, appeals to someone who is self-righteous--your average nice guy. Then there's the opposite--religious systems steeped in corruption and immorality. There's something for everyone. Different demons operate behind different systems. The system propagates what Satan dictates, and the world hears it.

2. Godly mouthpieces (v. 6a)

"We are of God. He that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us."

a) The source of Christian doctrine

Compare verses 4 and 6. Whereas in verse 4 John was talking about the source of our life, here he's talking about the source of our teaching. We are of God--we speak of God, and he who knows God hears what we say. The third test is the profession of divine law. Does the teacher declare and affirm God's Word? If someone says, "This is the truth," I say, "Do you believe Scripture in total?"

The word "we" in verse 6 has primary reference to the apostles, for they were the main writers of the New Testament. What they wrote was inspired by God.

b) The standard of Christian doctrine

If you want to know if someone is a true teacher, find out if he teaches the Word of God, and if God's people are listening to what he says. You don't want to listen to someone that no one else is listening to. Be suspect of anyone who publishes all their material out of some secret press in a back room. If there were any credibility in what he said, someone else would be propagating it. Isaiah 8:20 says, "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." If someone makes a spiritual claim that isn't in the Bible, don't believe it. If someone claims to have had a vision, don't believe it either. God's teachers speak God's Word and God's people hear him. The complete Old and New Testaments are the sole standard by which all teaching, oral and written, is to be tested. So before you accept some teaching, find out this: Is it biblical? Can you quote a chapter and verse on the teaching? If you can't, you don't want to listen because there's no new revelation. Are God's people listening to the teacher? I'm not referring to people who don't know any better, I'm referring to those who do-- the Bible scholars and students. When someone claims to have made a new discovery, check it out against God's Word.

IV. THE APPLICATION (v. 6b)

"By this know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error."

Let's apply the test:

A. Confessing the Divine Lord--Incarnation

1. Christian Scientist say Jesus was a mere man who possessed the Christ Spirit, which is ideal truth.

2. Jehovah's Witnesses say Jesus was a created individual and is the second greatest personage of the Universe. They think he was a god, but not Almighty God, whom they call Jehovah.

3. Theosophists say Jesus is a man who taught good ideas.

4. Mormons say Jesus is one of many sub-gods.

5. Unitarians say Jesus is not God. They deny the Trinity.

6. Modernists say Jesus was a great ethical teacher.

Each one is as demonic as the other.

B. Possessing the Divine Life--Regeneration

If all the teachers who claim to be sent from God are true, then they ought to manifest some evidence of a regenerated life. Yet if you study the leaders of the false religious systems you will find that none of them can pass the test of biblical morality. Read about the lives of Brigham Young, Joseph Smith, Mary Baker Eddy, and Judge Rutherford. They lived vile and corrupt lives. A person propagating a demonic religion is going to lead a demonic existence. Second Peter 2:12 says false teachers are "natural brute beasts." Verse 13 says, "Spots they are and blemishes."

C. Professing the Divine Word--Revelation

When anyone says they teach the truth, I want to know if they teach the Bible alone. What does the Roman Catholic Church have? The Bible plus tradition. What does Christian Science have? The Bible plus Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. What does Mormonism have? The Bible plus The Book of Mormon and other books. Every system has the Bible plus something, or they don't believe the Bible at all. Anything minus or plus the Bible is demonic.

When you apply the tests, false teachers and their systems become evident.

Focusing on the Facts

1. What four words describe the essence of false doctrine (see p. 1)?

2. Who are some of the people in the Bible who warned believers about false doctrine (see pp. 1-2)?

3. Who is the source of false doctrine (see p. 2)?

4. What was the first doctrine taught by demons (see pp. 2-3)?

5. Explain how people can be influenced to believe in an idol (1 Cor. 10:19-20; see p. 3).

6. What is the biggest problem Christians have with false teachers (2 Pet. 2:1; see p. 4)?

7. What is the two-fold command John gives in 1 John 4:1 (see p. 5)?

8. According to 1 John 4:1, why should believers test the spirits (see p. 6)?

9. What three questions should believers answer in determining the validity of teachers who claim they speak God's truth (see p. 6)?

10. Explain the kind of confession John is referring to in 1 John 4:2 (see p. 7).

11. What is involved in confessing Christ (1 John 4:2; see p. 8)?

12. Who is greater and more powerful than the devil (1 John 4:4; see p. 9)?

13. Explain how a Christian is like a magnet (see p. 9).

14. Why do demons aim their false doctrine at whatever is popular in the world (1 John 4:5; see p. 10)?

15. What two things about a teacher's doctrine will reveal if he speaks God's truth (see p. 11)?

Pondering the Principles

1. What significance does 1 John 4:4 have in your life? Thank God for supplying you with the Holy Spirit as your protector from false doctrine. Thank Him for teaching you the truth so that you can identify error. To encourage yourself, memorize 1 John 4:4: "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world."

2. Perhaps you've heard a particular teacher you've become somewhat suspicious of. If so, apply the tests you learned from this study. Examine his teaching. Does he confess Jesus as Lord. Remember, he doesn't pass this part of the test if he only acknowledges that Jesus is Lord. Next, find out if his life manifests the fruit of the Spirit. Does he walk in obedience to God's Word? You may have to do some research into the man and his ministry. Finally, determine if he teaches and affirms God's Word. Is his teaching biblical, and are God's people listening to what he says? When you finish applying the tests, you will know if he is of the spirit of truth or the spirit of error.

Added to the John MacArthur Study Guide Collection by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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Email: tony@biblebb.com
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