Testing Spirits

We live in a world that can sometimes be a scary place, and we know that there are unseen forces that are at work - for evil...and for good, for the glory of God.   And, we have a powerful ally in God's Holy Spirit as we deal with the struggles in this life.  Here's the reminder from 1st Peter 5:
8Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.9Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.10But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

Satan's operation involves deception, discouragement, and distraction.   He will tempt us and try to get us to think that sinful ways are better than God's perfect path.  If he can get us to take action that is not consistent with Scripture, then we can become victims of spiritual drift.   He will try to weigh us down and steal our joy so that we do not experience the abundant life that Jesus died to give us.   And, he wants to fill our lives with thoughts and activities that will get us off track and separate us from God.   Remember, you have the resources - in Christ - to wage an effective fight.  You have the truth with you!

In 1st John 4, we read about spiritual forces that are at work in the world around us, and want to establish a stronghold in our lives:
1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.2By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,3and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.4You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

There's a scam that has become a bit more popular over the past couple of years, especially in major cities, such as New York City, among Asian immigrants. Here's how it works: One person approaches the target person, usually a woman in her 50's or older, on the street, and talks to her about finding a healer or doctor. A second person then approaches, vouching for that same doctor, while a third member of the group joins in, claiming to be a relative of that very same doctor. Together, the three convince the victim that she is cursed by “evil spirits” which will harm her or her family unless she puts her money and valuables into a bag to be “cleansed” by the “doctor.”

She hands over the valuables, and then the bag is switched, and the victim is handed back something other than her valued possessions.

The reports of these incidences are all over the Internet, and now, you can find reports of perpetrators who are being arrested in this scam - one 67-year-old Chinese women was wise to the scheme and notified authorities and 5 people were arrested. 3 people were arrested in a Florida scam. 3 others were arrested in San Francisco.

In New York, reportedly $1.8 million dollars has been stolen. Chief New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne said of these incidences, according to the Associated Press: "One person's spirituality is another's superstition, and they prey on that distinction."

I'm reminded of that story in Acts 16 where spirituality and magic are tied to profit: there was a girl who was possessed with what is called a "spirit of divination", and she latched on to Paul and his team and began to proclaim, "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation." She did this for many days, we're told, then Paul took authority over that spirit and cast it out. And, those whom she made money for turned Paul and Silas in to the authorities.

So, what's the spiritual takeaway for us?   Well, first of all, we remember what John wrote - to "test the spirits".  There are spiritual forces that exist in this world, and they are here to deceive us and render us unproductive.  And, we have to be cautious that we are not placing an unhealthy emphasis or developing a harmful fascination with evil.    We can identify the spirits at work and resist them in the name of Jesus, and develop a sense of clear-headedness.

We also have to be careful that our practice of faith does not become superstitious in nature.   We can become so rooted in fear, thinking something bad is going to happen to us, that the other shoe is going to drop, that we look for ways to relieve the anxiety or worry.   Rather than trust God, we become paralyzed and fall into a trap of trying to work our way to peace - we attempt to somehow balance the scales, thinking that if we just do enough good things that we will overcome the bad in our lives. 

There are many ways the enemy will attempt to get us off course in our walk of faith.  We have to be careful that we are trusting the Lord daily and following His principles, not caught up in fake spiritism, guarding against the lure of false teaching, and holding fast to His truth.