Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them.
1 John 4:5 NLT
Have you ever noticed how false prophets almost always sound current?
They track world events.
They understand systems.
They reference leaders and movements with ease.
That alone doesn’t make them false — but it does tell you something.
People speak from where they belong.
John doesn’t treat this as abstract theology.
He treats it as a diagnostic test.
A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.
Luke 6:45 NLT
Belonging Determines Influence
You belong to God.
Or you belong to the devil.
There is no neutral ground.
Belonging determines:
- who you listen to
- who teaches you
- what forms your thinking
- and eventually, what comes out of your mouth
We absorb the voices we trust.
Over time, we begin to repeat them.
Formation always reveals its source.
Two Kingdoms, Two Audiences
Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them.
But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us.
— 1 John 4:5–6 (NLT)
The world listens to its own.
God’s people listen to His.
This is not about popularity.
It’s about alignment.
If your message consistently resonates with the world, you should ask why. If God’s truth sounds foreign to you, you should ask why.
Source Matters More Than Style
John identifies two voices, or influences:
- the Spirit of truth
- the spirit of deception
This has nothing to do with charisma, gifting, or platform size.
It has everything to do with the source.
Discernment Is Alignment, Not Hypervigilance
Discernment is not constant suspicion.
It is not endless scanning.
It is not anxiety dressed up as spirituality.
Discernment comes from alignment with the Spirit of God.
When your source is settled:
- you don’t chase every headline
- you don’t decode every narrative
- you don’t monitor every system
Clarity doesn’t come from more input.
It comes from correct positioning.
Too Many Voices Create Confusion
Confusion usually doesn’t enter because faith disappears. It enters because attention became divided.
Too many voices distort perspective.
A simple test:
- Whose words shape your emotional reactions?
- Whose language do you repeat without thinking?
- Whose opinions carry weight when decisions are hard?
That’s not judgment.
That’s data to make better choices.
You Don’t Need More Content
You don’t need another teaching.
You don’t need another podcast.
You don’t need another hot take.
You need obedience to the Voice you already recognize.
Jesus said His sheep know His voice.
Not debate it.
Not filter it.
Know it.
Discernment sharpens through submission and intimacy, not consumption.
What to Do This Week
- Cut one voice.
Remove a source that consistently shapes fear, outrage, or distraction. - Return to Scripture aloud.
Let the Word recalibrate your hearing. - Pray one direct prayer:
“Holy Spirit, what are You saying?” - Stay in your assignment.
Discernment grows where obedience is practiced.
You don’t need awareness of everything.
You need faithfulness where you are.
Prayer
Father, tune our spiritual ears to hear Your Spirit clearly. Silence every voice that does not carry Your heart. Train us to discern truth quickly and obey You fully. We choose Your voice above all others. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception.
1 John 4:6 NLT
Igniter Ministries 