SGs - Distinguishing Spirits

What is This Gift?

See the following Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 12:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21, 1 John 4:1-4

This is the only text which explicitly calls this a spiritual gift. Elsewhere it tells us to weigh the words of a speaker (whether they be a prophet or otherwise). The gift of distinguishing spirits is the ability to discern whether a speaker is speaking the words of God, self, or a malicious spirit. We know that Satan and his "ministers" decorate themselves as ministers of light. We know that cults dress in sheeps clothing all the time being ravenous wolves. We know that holders of false doctrine love to mislead the elect people of God rather than the "unaffiliated" non-Christians. It is not a mistrust of God's servant or a natural tendency to doubt the prophet which drives us to seek discerning people. Rather, it is the knowledge that liars put their best foot forward which causes us to want and need discerning people.