Written by,
Robert Johnson
I was ask why discernment means so much to me? Simple without it one can not distinguished the truth from a lie – Man will do anything to please the flesh – without discernment one could be making the wrong connections and decisions. “The truth of Spiritual Discernment”
The fundamental definition for Christian discernment is a decision making process in which an individual makes a discovery that can lead to future action. In the process of Christian spiritual discernment God guides the individual to help them arrive at the best decision.
The spiritual gift of discernment is also known as the gift of “discernment of spirits” or “distinguishing between spirits.” The Greek word for the gift of discernment is Diakrisis. The word describes being able to distinguish, discern, judge or appraise a person, statement, situation, or environment. In the New Testament it describes the ability to distinguish between spirits as in 1 Corinthians 12:10, and to discern good and evil as in Hebrews 5:14.
The Holy Spirit gives the gift of discernment to enable certain Christians to clearly recognize and distinguish between the influence of God, Satan, the world, and the flesh in a given situation. The church needs those with this gift to warn believers in times of danger or keep them from being led astray by false teaching – this is one that satan goes after immediately to remove – his methods are not new, they are ancient – Study your Bible… They called Jesus a blasphemer, hoping to remove Him from the people so that they could teach their own doctrine – 
Psalms 146:3 KJV – man without God represents the world – 👇🏾
“3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.”
When we do not apply spiritual discernment we leave ourselves open to the enemy – there is a danger with understanding – when the Bible uses man in the 1st person it’s speaking of the natural man without God –
1 John 2:15 KJV
“15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.”
The only way not to make this mistake is through the world of God which yields true spiritual discernment –
Spiritual discernment is not just useful for making major decisions; it also enables you to distinguish God’s truth from error, and right from wrong, in daily situations. This uplifting work teaches you how to apply wisdom practically so that all your conclusions will be consistent with God’s Word
Without out spiritual discernment we are easy targets for the devil and his demons.
Discernment is like the physical senses; to some it is given in unusual measure as a special grace gift (1 Cor. 12:10), but some measure of it is essential for us all and must be constantly nourished. The Christian must take care to develop his “sixth sense” of spiritual discernment. This is why the psalmist prays, “Teach me good judgment and knowledge” (Ps. 119:66).
The word used in Psalm 119:66 means “taste.” It is the ability to make discriminating judgments, to distinguish between, and recognize the moral implications of, different situations and courses of action. It includes the ability to “weigh up” and assess the moral and spiritual status of individuals, groups, and even movements. Thus, while warning us against judgmentalism, Jesus urges us to be discerning and discriminating, lest we cast our pearls before pigs (Matt. 7:1, 6).
A remarkable example of such discernment is described in John 2:24–25: “Jesus would not entrust himself to them … for he knew what was in a man” (NIV).
Here we are with the word man/the world – If we can not discern the truth from the lie we will be led away from God! I’ve seen this up close and personal!!!! The enemy looks for weakness because he/she feels that you are not capable of doing what God called you to do – this is serious –
Have you ever had a conversation with someone and the spirit allowed you to see beyond the words? Church these individuals have a form of God and behind the scene are denying the power of God! How will you know if you don’t operate in the word of God – this is not a joke! Jesus experienced this over and over from those who wanted to removed from the earth the seed that God had planted –
This is discernment without judgmentalism. It involved our Lord’s knowledge of God’s Word and His observation of God’s ways with men (He, supremely, had prayed, “Teach me good judgment … for I believe Your commandments,” Ps. 119:66). Doubtless His discernment grew as He experienced conflict with, and victory over, temptation, and as He assessed every situation in the light of God’s Word – again I know this first hand –
Jesus’ discernment penetrated to the deepest reaches of the heart. But the Christian is called to develop similar discernment. For the only worthwhile discernment we possess is that which we receive in union with Christ, by the Spirit, through God’s Word.
So discernment is learning to think God’s thoughts after Him, practically and spiritually; it means having a sense of how things look in God’s eyes and seeing them in some measure “uncovered and laid bare” (Heb. 4:13).
You can never allow the world in God’s space in your life – once you are given spiritual discernment, remove yourself without judgement –
This is so real – it can effect your walk:
- It acts as a means of protection, guarding us from being deceived spiritually. It protects us from being blown away by the winds of teaching that make central an element of the gospel that is peripheral or treat a particular application of Scripture as though it were Scripture’s central message.
Discernment also acts as an instrument of healing, when exercised in grace. I have known a small number of people whose ability to diagnose the spiritual needs of others has been remarkable. Such people seem able to penetrate into the heart issues someone else faces better than the person can do. Of course, this is in some ways a dangerous gift with which God has entrusted them. But when exercised in love, discernment can be the surgical scalpel in spiritual surgery that makes healing possible.
Again, discernment functions as a key to Christian freedom. The zealous but undiscerning Christian becomes enslaved—to others, to his own uneducated conscience, to an unbiblical pattern of life. Growth in discernment sets us free from such bondage, enabling us to distinguish practices that may be helpful in some circumstances from those that are mandated in all circumstances. But in another way, true discernment enables the free Christian to recognize that the exercise of freedom is not essential to the enjoyment of it.
Finally, discernment serves as a catalyst to spiritual development: “The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning” (Prov. 14:6, NIV). Why? Because the discerning Christian goes to the heart of the matter. He knows something about everything, namely that all things have their common fountain in God. Increase in knowledge, therefore, does not lead to increased frustration, but to a deeper recognition of the harmony of all God’s works and words.
In Closing, I would like to call a witness the Lord Himself – consider Christ as the perfect example – God knew sending Him into a world where satan is the prince of deception, Christ could not judge with sight or heart, He would judge everything in the spirit –
Go with me to Isaiah 11 chapter just a few points –
2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
3 points of understanding
- One must have the spirit of God vs. 1
- Because of the spirit you can discern things quickly – see see this each time they tried to catch Jesus up into something
- He never judges with the natural eyes or ears, He judges everything by the word of God/spirit of God –
I pray these blogs an it’s content, which comes directly from the word of God – help you in this walk until God returns – Study your environment!!! Spiritually – not with eyes or ears –
Some of the stars in heaven were deceived because they could not discern Satan’s tail – 
Now satan brought that spirit to earth and man now acts in demonic union with the devil –
John 2:25
and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.
Matthew 9:4
And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?
Mark 2:8
Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, *said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts?
Luke 5:22
But Jesus, aware of their reasonings, answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts?
Matthew 16:23
But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”
You have no idea how powerful Satan’s power of influence is – it is a spiritual deception not known in the physical realm – Real Ephesians 6 starting at verse 10 –
