The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: - Vital Christianity

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Purpose: Protection
THE GIFT OF THE DISCERNING OF SPIRITS (I Cor. 12:10)
Definition: “The special ability that God gives to certain members of the body of Christ to
know with assurance whether certain behavior [and speech] purported to be
of God is in reality divine, human or satanic.” 81
Description: The capacity to distinguish between what is from God (truth) and what is a
deception brought by Satan (error). The ability to distinguish between what is
real and that which is counterfeit.
A. B. Simpson sees the need for this gift especially in relation to the gifts of Tongues and
Interpretation:
“It is quite remarkable that this gift immediately precedes the last two, tongues and
interpretation of tongues. It would seem as if at this point there is peculiar need for
the power to distinguish the false and the true, as the gift of tongues, above all
others, opens the way for scenes of much excitement and the possibility of satanic
counterfeits.” 82
Importance: The Corinthian believers were reminded by Paul that before they were converted
that they had been “influenced and led astray” by dumb idols (I Cor. 12:1-3). This probably means
that they had been moved to speak by evil spirits associated with idol worship. It was therefore
important that they discerned what was of paganism (demonic) and what was of God. William
Barclay mentions the need for this gift of the discerning of spirits also because of the atmosphere
of the early church (especially at Corinth) where paganism had such wide influence. He states:
“In a society where the atmosphere was often tense and electric and where all kinds of
abnormal manifestations were normal, it was necessary to distinguish between what
was real and what was merely hysterical, between what was genuine and what was
the product of excited delusion, between what came from God and what came from
the devil.” 83
But is our day and age so different? Paul made it plain in Scripture that we all have been called
to spiritual warfare: “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the
devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the
authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly
supernatural realms” (Eph. 6:11-12).