Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God.
1 John 4:1 NLT
John doesn’t open gently. He opens clearly.
Not everyone who says “God told me” heard God.
Not everyone who sounds spiritual is Spirit-led.
And not everyone who is confident is correct.
Testing assumes responsibility. God never asked His people to be gullible; He asked them to be discerning. The moment discernment is framed as “lack of faith,” deception has already won. False prophets prey on those who lack discernment.
Why Discernment Is Not Optional
John grounds his warning in reality:
“For there are many false prophets in the world.”
Not a few.
Not someday.
Many. Already. Active.
Scripture consistently shows false prophets:
- Speak from their own imagination (Jeremiah 23:16)
- Promise peace without repentance (Jeremiah 6:14)
- Avoid confronting sin because it costs influence
- Use spiritual language to protect personal agendas
True prophets, by contrast:
- Speak what God actually says — even when it’s costly
- Call people back to holiness, not hype
- Fear God more than public opinion
- Leave behind fruit, not just followers (Matthew 7:15–16)
John isn’t being dramatic. He’s being straightforward.
The Christ Test: Where Discernment Gets Serious
John gives the church a razor-sharp filter:
“If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God.”
This isn’t a doctrinal footnote — it’s a lordship test.
To confess Jesus Christ as truly come in the flesh means:
- God entered history, not just spirituality
- Salvation required incarnation, not inspiration
- Authority belongs to Christ, not the messenger
Anyone can talk about God.
Anyone can mention the Spirit.
But everything hinges on who Jesus is and what authority He holds.
When Jesus is reduced to a motivator, mascot, or means to personal success, you are no longer hearing the Spirit of God — no matter how spiritual it sounds.
When the Message Sounds Right — but Jesus Is Wrong
John is blunt:
“If someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God.”
He does not say they are confused.
He does not say they are immature.
He says the source is wrong.
Here’s the sobering truth for modern believers:
✔ A prophecy can feel accurate
✔ A message can be emotionally powerful
✔ A leader can appear anointed
…and still be spiritually dangerous if Jesus is distorted, sidelined, or redefined.
Spiritual experiences that don’t deepen obedience to Christ eventually compete with Him.
Fruit Over Fireworks
Jesus gave us a simple metric:
“By their fruit you will recognize them.” (Matthew 7:16)
Not their gifts.
Not their platform.
Not their stories.
Ask honest questions:
- Does this message lead me toward repentance or entitlement?
- Does it exalt Christ or elevate the messenger?
- Does it produce humility and holiness — or confusion and dependency?
- Does it align with Scripture, or constantly “reinterpret” it?
The Spirit of God never contradicts the Word of God — and never competes with the Son of God.
When the Damage Is Real — and the Wound Is Deep
We must talk about what often gets skipped.
Many people have not just heard false prophecy — they’ve been hurt by it.
They were:
- Misled spiritually
- Manipulated emotionally
- Fleeced financially
- Shamed for questioning
- Threatened with consequences for leaving
And the deepest wound of all?
It was done in the name of Jesus.
God Himself says false prophets “destroy and scatter the sheep” (Jeremiah 23:1). If God calls it destruction, we don’t get to minimize it.
This is common.
This is public.
And this is devastating.
Healing Without Rejecting Prophecy
After being burned, many believers conclude:
“If this is prophecy, I want nothing to do with it.”
That reaction isn’t rebellion — it’s survival.
But Scripture warns us not to overcorrect:
“Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:20–21)
Notice the balance:
- Do not despise prophecy
- Do test prophecy
Counterfeit doesn’t cancel the real — it proves it exists.
Validate the Wound — Without Explaining It Away
Healing begins with truth.
What happened:
- Was wrong
- Was abusive
- Was spiritually manipulative
God is not threatened by your pain. He is offended by leaders who exploit His people.
Jesus reserved His strongest warnings for those who harm the vulnerable while claiming spiritual authority (Matthew 18:6).
God is not asking you to “move on.” He is inviting you to bring it into the light — where healing actually happens.
Separate the Gift From the Abuse
This distinction matters.
Prophecy is a biblical gift (1 Corinthians 12–14).
Manipulation is a counterfeit strategy.
False prophets don’t abuse people because prophecy exists. They abuse people because they are not submitted to Christ.
Biblical prophecy:
- Strengthens, encourages, and comforts (1 Corinthians 14:3)
- Can be weighed and corrected
- Never demands unquestioned loyalty
- Never replaces Scripture
- Never uses fear, money, or control
If what you experienced produced bondage instead of freedom, the problem was not prophecy — it was the spirit behind it.
Forgiveness Without Denial
Forgiveness is not pretending nothing happened.
Forgiveness does not mean:
- Excusing behavior
- Minimizing harm
- Restoring trust without repentance
- Staying silent about truth
Forgiveness means releasing your right to vengeance and placing justice back in God’s hands.
Unforgiveness quietly chains victims to the very harm they escaped as they mentally rehearse the wound. Forgiveness breaks that chain without rewriting history.
Praying for Repentance, Healing and Deliverance
John is clear:
“Such a person has the spirit of the antichrist…”
(1 John 4:3)
This is not about demonizing people — it’s about discerning influence.
Our response is not rage or retaliation. It is intercession.
We pray for:
- Eyes to be opened
- Pride to be confronted by truth
- Deep, genuine repentance
- Healing from deception
- Deliverance from antichrist influence
Judgment belongs to God.
Intercession belongs to the church.
Discernment After Trauma
God does not rush wounded sheep back into chaos. He leads them into safe, accountable community.
Healthy prophecy:
- Is submitted to Scripture
- Is judged, not idolized
- Is delivered humbly
- Is never forced
- Is accountable to leadership
Paul assumed prophecy would be evaluated — not automatically accepted (1 Corinthians 14:29).
Discernment is not fear. It is wisdom earned through obedience and it is our responsibility.
An Encouraging Word
False prophets scatter sheep.
The Good Shepherd gathers them.
God can heal you without hardening you.
He can restore discernment without reviving naivety.
He can reintroduce prophecy without reopening old wounds.
Sometimes the most prophetic work the Spirit does next is not a word about the future —
…but the healing of people false prophecy once harmed.
And that, too, is the Spirit of God at work. 🔥
Prayer
Father,
We come to You needing Your help. Many of Your people are wounded, confused, and weary from harm that was done in Your name. You see it all — nothing is hidden from You.
Jesus, Good Shepherd, draw near to those who have been hurt by false prophecy and spiritual manipulation. Heal what was broken. Restore what was taken. Quiet fear. Lift shame. Mend trust where it was shattered.
We renounce every lie spoken over us that did not come from You. We break agreement with fear, control, and deception. We forgive those who caused harm and place them in Your hands. Bring repentance where there has been pride and deliverance where there has been false influence.
Restore discernment without hardness. Teach us to test the spirits while keeping our hearts tender toward You. Anchor us in Your Word. Lead us into safe community. Purify Your gifts so they build up and never wound.
Above all, exalt Jesus again — fully God, fully man, Lord over every voice. Guard what You heal. Protect what You restore. Lead us forward in truth and peace.
In the name of Jesus,
Amen.
But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.
1 John 4:3 NLT
Igniter Ministries 