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Contending for the Word Q&A
Discernment in a Confused Spiritual Age
Question: How can believers test the spirits in an age filled with spiritual confusion and competing voices?
Christ Is Always Exalted in the Work of the Spirit
The first and most essential test asks whether a movement or message magnifies Christ as Lord and upholds the gospel. “Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.” If a teaching diminishes Christ or distorts His person and work, it is not from the Holy Spirit. (1 John 4:2–3)
The Spirit of God Always Aligns with Scripture
The Holy Spirit never contradicts the Scriptures He inspired. (2 Timothy 3:16–17) Claims of fresh revelation must be weighed against the Bible. If a message, prophecy, or practice departs from or adds to the biblical witness, it cannot be of God.
Experience Must Never Replace Biblical Truth
Our age often prizes visions, impressions, and feelings above the Bible. Yet Scripture warns against voices that promise comfort without repentance or assurance without obedience (Jeremiah 23:16–17). True renewal calls sinners to Christ in faith and produces reverent obedience.
True Renewal Is Word-Centered and Obedient
Genuine revival is not driven by spectacle or emotion. It is driven by the Word planted in hearts, producing enduring fruit. The Spirit illuminates Scripture, convicts of sin, strengthens holiness, and exalts Christ. The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and this witness is rooted in the truth of Scripture. (Romans 8:16)
The Gospel Must Be Guarded Without Compromise
Everything must be measured by the gospel once for all delivered to the saints. If a message revises or supplements the gospel, Scripture commands us to reject it, even if it arrives with claims of angelic authority. (Galatians 1:6–9)
The Fruit of the Spirit Confirms What Is Genuine
By their fruit you will know them. A work of the Spirit produces humility, holiness, unity grounded in truth, and obedience to Scripture. If the result is confusion, pride, division, or unrepentant sin, the source is suspect. (Matthew 7:16–20)
A Call to Faithful Discernment
Test every teaching, impression, experience, and movement by the timeless Word of God. Ask these questions and look for these fruits:
- Does this exalt Christ?
- Does this align with Scripture?
- Does this uphold the gospel?
- Does this produce godly fruit?
Be steadfast in the truth. Stay grounded in Scripture, rely on the Holy Spirit who guides into all truth, and guard your heart from deception. Christ is sufficient, His Word is clear, His gospel is enough.
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Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah. He is a writer, editor, and speaker living in beautiful Southern Oregon. Dave is a lover of Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology. He serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries, the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine, the Host and Producer of Equipping You in Grace Podcast, and is a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word. He is the author of The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022), and Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024). You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, or read his newsletter. Dave loves to spend time with his wife, going to movies, eating at a nice restaurant, or going out for a round of golf with a good friend. He is also a voracious reader, in particular of Reformed theology, and the Puritans. You will often find him when he’s not busy with ministry reading a pile of the latest books from a wide variety of Christian publishers. Dave received his M.A.R. and M.Div through Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.
