1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2By 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 which is already in the world at this time.
4You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
5They are of the world. That is why they speak from the world’s perspective, and the world listens to them.
6We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.
— 1 John 4:1-6

Related Resources from Heartlight

Belonging to God
Devo: Together in Christ

"But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people [who deny that Jesus came in the flesh from God], because..."

Testing for the Genuine Spirit of God
Devo: God's Holy Fire

"My dear friends, don't believe everything you hear. Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you. Not everyone who talks about God comes from God. There are..."

The Powerful Spirit of God is in You
Devo: Spiritual Warfare

"But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the..."

We Are Not Fooled!
Devo: God's Holy Fire

"Here's how you test for the genuine Spirit of God. Everyone who confesses openly his faith in Jesus Christ — the Son of God, who came as an actual..."

Confidence
Devo: A Year with Jesus

"Dear Disciple, John was a masterful writer. He used a simple vocabulary to share nuances of truth and depths of theological insight. His use of such...."

1 John 4:4
Devo: Verse of the Day

"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."

Test the Spirits
Devo: God's Holy Fire

"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. For there are many..."

To Whom Are We Listening?
Devo: God's Holy Fire

"But we come from God and belong to God. Anyone who knows God understands us and listens. The person who has nothing to do with God will, of course, not listen....."

ONLY Christians Can Say, “Jesus Is Lord”
Devo: Spiritual Warfare

"No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit. But every person who doesn't declare that Jesus Christ has come as a human has a spirit..."