Since the day of Pentecost, we have been living in the age of the Holy Spirit, and all around us there are signs that he is at work in the Church and in the world. His work is both personal and corporate - God our Father wants a close relationship with each of us, and is therefore always communicating through the Holy Spirit, who challenges, equips, and guides us as individuals but also as the People of God.

One of the challenges we face is to discern what is and what is not the work of the Holy Spirit. Scripture firmly exhorts us to “test the spirits” (1 John 4:1-3); Paul tells us: “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire, and do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil” (1 Thess. 5:19). To help us do this, one of the spiritual gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12:10 is distinguishing between spirits, or recognising spirits. This is a supernatural gift of God which gives us a special ability to discern if the spirit we are hearing or experiencing is a human spirit, the Holy Spirit, or a supernatural spirit. It is important to understand that any of these three categories of spirit can be at work, and so the God-given ability to discern between them is an essential safeguard to stop us following someone’s creative imagination or good idea, or even worse the deception of an evil spirit, and yet to recognise when it is the Holy Spirit who is stirring up what is said or done. Let’s take a careful look at these three categories of spirits.

Different spirits at work

The human spirit is one we encounter frequently. I may have a very good idea or plan which I want people to accept, so I present it in very spiritual language and thereby give the impression that it comes from the Holy Spirit. I am not necessarily being deliberately deceptive in this, as I may have convinced myself that it is God-given, but the truth is that even though it may be good, it is my idea not God’s - my fertile imagination is at work.Then again there may be a temptation to present my personal opinions or advice as if they have come from the Holy Spirit (this can sometimes happen when we pray with people), and so there is a real need for the gift of distinguishing between spirits to stop people acting on something they believe is from God, when in fact it is not.

But the Holy Spirit is often the one who prompts us to think and to see things in a certain way - God’s way. We must expect this to happen, be open to it, look out for it, and then act upon it. It is the Holy Spirit, poured out upon the Church by Jesus, who builds us up, animates us, helps us in our weaknesses, guides and directs us, equips us with his gifts, makes us holy and fruitful, and inspires us to share our faith with others. The Church and its members are temples of the Holy Spirit, so wherever we are, the Holy Spirit is present. How important, therefore, that through the gift of distinguishing between spirits, we are protected from making mistakes and enabled to recognise when God’s Holy Spirit is speaking to or through us.

The third category, supernatural spirits, includes good, angelic spirits, but also demonic evil spirits, and it’s important to recognise the existence of both. The good angelic spirits are here to help and protect each believer, which is why they are often called “guardian” angels, and their existence is a truth of our faith, supported by Scripture and the Tradition of the Church. Their nature is ‘spirit’ and their role is to glorify God without ceasing, and to be his be servants and messengers, announcing salvation (Hebrews 1:14). They have intelligence and will, they are personal, and they belong to Christ because they are created through and for him (Colossians 1:16), although we may ask for their protection, we should not try to get in contact with them. These angelic spirits are our friends, but they are not the same as the Holy Spirit who is God himself, equal with the Father and the Son.

Sadly, satan and evil spirits are also a reality. Though created naturally good by God, they became evil by irrevocably rejecting God and his reign. They derive power from the fact that they are spirits - all their actions stem from a hatred of God and their sole aim of destroying his works and his people (Catechism 391-395). Whilst satan and his demons cannot prevent the building up of God’s Kingdom, through deception and manifesting as angels of light, they can cause spiritual and physical damage to people and society, and although God allows them to exist, he protects us from their deceptions through the gift of distinguishing of spirits.

Criteria for Discernment

So let us now look at some of the criteria we are to use in our discernment of any claimed presence and actions of the Holy Spirit, so that we can be helped to embrace what is of God and avoid what is not. Here we are dealing with general criteria for discernment rather than the very specific charism. The question we are seeking to answer is clear - is this God at work or is it someone or something else?

• More tests could probably be listed - these are simply the ones I use after reading, listening, and talking to many different people, so feel free to add your own!
• Does what we are discerning speak about Jesus and glorify him? Is he the focus, or does the worship,
  prayer, and ministry put people in the spotlight
  rather than Jesus?
• Does it increase our awareness of the things of God,
  build up our commitment to serve him, and result in
  greater prayer, holiness, and spiritual growth?
• Does what is said and done reflect the character of
  God, and ring true in my heart when I apply the gift
  of discernment to it?
• Do others whom I know and respect come to the same conclusions?
• Does it lead us to a greater appreciation of God’s
  revelation through Scripture, the speech of God as it
  is written down under the inspiration of the Holy
  Spirit, and Tradition, the living transmission of all that
  Christ entrusted to the apostles and which has been
  handed on to their successors under the inspiration
  of the Holy Spirit, or does it depart from these?
  (ref. Catechism 80-86).
• Does it produce good fruit in people’s lives, leading
  to a desire to give witness to God’s love and grace,
  and to reach out to the wider world in word and deed
  with his message of salvation?

Sharpen up our Discernment

In all this, it’s vital that we focus on the message and not on the messenger, that we are not put off by outward appearances or our own particular prejudice. Of course we should find out what we can about the messenger - his or her background, character, theology, and reputation - keeping in mind someone’s advice that when we are judging what others say and do in God’s name, there should be unity in the essentials, liberty in the non-essentials, and charity in everything. But whilst we should err on the side of generosity, we must test everything and hold on to what is of God while rejecting all that is not. This is why we need to sharpen up our discernment, avail ourselves of the charismatic gift God offers us for this, and also apply some basic tests. If it is God’s Holy Spirit at work, then I want to be inspired, blessed, touched, and empowered by what is happening. But if not, then I need to be protected from being “blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14), or, even worse, being lead astray by the lies and strategies of Satan and his demons.

Lord, help us to recognise your voice, and to do only your will.

© Charles Whitehead