🔰 Introduction — Why Do We Need to Understand the Two Spirits?
The Bible clearly explains that believers must discern between two spiritual beings:
the Holy Spirit of God and the evil spirit of Satan.
Both exist as invisible spirits.
They do not speak or act directly, but work through people as their instruments,
according to the testimony of Scripture.
This means that believers must learn to discern—through the words they hear—
who belongs to God and who does not.
The theme of discerning spirits appears consistently throughout the Bible,
in the Gospel of John, the Epistles of John, Thessalonians, Corinthians, and many other books.
Let’s examine, step by step, what the Bible says about these two spirits
and how we can distinguish between them.
🔵 1. The Two Spirits Presented in Scripture — God and Satan
From beginning to end, the Bible testifies about the activity of two spirits.
1) God is Spirit
“God is spirit…” (John 4:24)
2) Satan is also a spirit
Revelation 20:2 identifies
the serpent, the devil, and Satan as the same being.
These two invisible spiritual realms exist,
and from Genesis 3 onward,
the works of God and the works of Satan are clearly revealed.
🔵 2. Spirits Do Not Act Directly — They Use Human Beings
Humans cannot see spirits with their physical eyes.
Yet the Bible explains that spirits speak and act through human beings.
📖 John 6:63
“The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”
— A spirit is revealed through words.
📖 Isaiah 59:21
“My Spirit… and my words that I have put in your mouth…”
— God’s Spirit works together with His Word.
📖 2 Corinthians 11:13–15
“Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light…
his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness.”
— Satan also works through people,
speaking lies and deception.
Therefore, the identity of a spirit is revealed
by the words spoken through the person it uses.
🔵 3. The Difference Between the Two Spirits Is Revealed Through Words
The words spoken by someone belonging to God
and the words spoken by someone belonging to Satan
can be distinguished by the Scriptures.
✔ Belonging to God = Truth
Just as Jesus spoke the Word given by the Father,
those who belong to God speak the Scriptures,
without additions or alterations.
✔ Belonging to Satan = Falsehood
In John 8:44, Jesus says:
“He… does not stand in the truth…
he is a liar and the father of lies.”
When someone:
— adds to Scripture,
— twists the meaning of God’s promises,
— mixes human thoughts with God’s Word,
those teachings reflect the nature of Satan, not God.
Therefore, the essential question is:
⭐ “Do these words align with Scripture?”
This is the standard that separates truth from deception.
🔵 4. This Is Why the Bible Commands: ‘Test the Spirits’ (1 John 4:1)
1 John 4:1 says:
“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit,
but test the spirits to see whether they are from God…”
Why is such a warning necessary?
Because:
- Spirits are invisible
- Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Cor 11)
- People can be deceived by outward appearance
- Words can sound convincing without being true
So Scripture instructs us:
- Test the words you hear
- Compare them with the Bible
- Then you will know which spirit is speaking
This is the most practical and reliable form of discernment.
🔵 5. Why Discerning the Two Spirits Matters — It Determines Our Spiritual Belonging
Jesus says in Matthew 7 that
not everyone who says “Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom,
but only those who do the will of the Father.
And that will is revealed in Scripture—
in the Word,
in the truth.
Human words, human interpretations,
or teachings altered from the Scriptures
do not contain life.
This is why we must examine the origin of the message:
Where does this teaching come from?
Is it rooted in God’s Word, or in human ideas?
Only by discerning the source of what we hear
can we walk the path that leads to heaven and salvation.
