/christian/ - Christian Discussion and Fellowship

Yes, but be sure to distinguish what is a spirit vs what are voices in your head generated from your own imagination.

Often times, people think they are communicating with God or angels, or worse, but are really just mental illness or their own vanity.

I haven't had a spirit try to talk to me, but I can feel sometimes my instincts, hopefully under the influence of the Holy Ghost, leading me.

>>587658

>"By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and is already in the world at this time.…"

The first part and second part are both important. The spirits that deny Christ in the flesh are not from God.

>My question: is john/ the author's test accurate? what can be done to ensure the test always determine demons from angels/the spirit of God?

His test is accurate and necessary just not sufficient. The more deceptive spirits will say good things about Christ, that he was a prophet, a good teacher, that he was a son of god, but they will invariably deny his godhood and divinity, that he was the Word made Flesh and the Word was God.

Also if it confesses that Christ is king then it should also be in accord with his teachings, if a spirit is as such then it is a good spirit.

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=1021

>Amorth: He learned a "rule of thumb," which we also find in the writings of St. Teresa of Avila, and which he taught some of his spiritual followers. He noticed a certain timidity when the Virgin or the Lord first appeared, followed by a sense of peace when the vision departed. On the other hand, a devil in sacred form provoked an immediate feeling of joy and attraction, replaced afterwards by remorse and sadness.

http://infallible-catholic.blogspot.com/2012/05/padre-pios-triumph-over-devil.html

>Padre Agostino said: "God sent me. He is displeased with you." Padre Pio was stunned: "What?" said Padre Pio as he swung his legs over the bed and began to get out of bed. "No, no, no need to rise. I only came to say God does not approve of your practice of penance." Padre Pio said, "If you are truly here at God’s request, you must give me a sign. I ask you to say the name of Jesus." At that moment Agostino’s lips parted and he started to laugh; his voice changed. Padre Pio tried to reach out and touch his brown robe. The apparition vanished, leaving behind a strong smell of sulphur.

>In Venafro, a likely Padre Agostino entered Padre Pio's cell. ''I'm here to confess you." Suspecting something fishy, Padre Pio said: "Repeat after me 'Long Live Jesus.' The devil screamed 'No!' and disappeared."

>>587658

they are unclean spirits and do whatever they want or feel. Sometimes are not necessarily hostile and can give you "talents" because why not. I think that their real influence is undervalued.

If you are dealing with a deceiver (those are for sure, hostile), the test will work.

>>587665

*underestimated

>>587697

This is where you will do well by having a King James Bible. Notice the full version of verse 3.

1 John 4:1-3

>Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

>Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

>And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

So you see two things here. One, this is saying the spirit of antichrist has just then come into the world, so I don't know if you can apply it to before the resurrection. Two, a false prophet could confess some altered version of Jesus Christ that has not come in the flesh and they wouldn't be passing this. We see that there are a number of ways people can mask this deception, from basic stuff like saying he was not really God or just being a non-trinitarian modalist, to complex things like implying he is a created being and not the literal manifestation of the pre-existent God the Son. You'll find a lot of bibles change 1 Timothy 3:16 (where the KJB says "God was manifest in the flesh") and Ephesians 3:9 to attack this doctrine, the same ones that change 1 John 4:3. Usually they also want to tamper with Hebrews 1:8 to make it less clear. And for some reason, 1 Corinthians 15:47 also gets changed from what it says in the KJV, I'm not entirely sure why. Maybe they will build on the change in later versions.

>>587697

>>587662 already answered your question

>The more deceptive spirits will say good things about Christ, that he was a prophet, a good teacher, that he was a son of god, but they will invariably deny his godhood and divinity, that he was the Word made Flesh and the Word was God.

(((They))) can say positive things about Christ, but not that He came in flesh

>>587658

The test is pretty damn accurate because only the mentioning of the name Jesus Christ scares them.

I think it's better to ask if Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came in flesh to save man kind from sin and to bring eternal judgement on His second coming. That way no demon can be that stupid as to say yes. This phrase scares/ kills demons.