Testing the Spirit: The Character Behind the Utterance
What if the greatest danger to your faith is the words you hear from others—and the words you speak—because you fail to test the spirit behind the words spoken?
That question should stop you dead in your tracks.
Every day, you are bombarded with voices: preachers on platforms, prophets on social media, friends in your ear, and worst of all, your own mouth repeating or speaking what you’ve heard without discernment. Speaking words over yourself, your husband, your children, your finances, your marriage, your health, and so much more. You quote it, post it, confess it, declare it, and command it, never once asking: What spirit is driving this utterance? Because here is the unfiltered, controversial truth of the Kingdom: A word can sound 100% biblical and still be fueled by a demonic spirit if the character behind it is compromised.
The devil doesn’t need to invent new doctrine; he needs to speak truth through a vessel full of pride, greed, bitterness, or lust—and you swallow it whole because it “sounded anointed.”
The Command You Can No Longer Ignore
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1)
This is not a suggestion. This is a military order from headquarters. You do not have permission to receive every “thus saith the Lord,” every viral faith confession, every prophetic word trending on your timeline, or even every scripture that rolls off your own tongue without first testing the spirit behind it.
The Non-Negotiable Biblical Tests
The Heart Test “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34) What spirit fills the heart of the person speaking? Jealousy? Competition? Greed? Sexual immorality? Pride? Even if the words are perfect, a polluted heart makes the utterance toxic.
The Fruit Test “You will know them by their fruit.” (Matthew 7:16) Does the ministry, the message, or your own confession produce the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness—or does it produce strife, division, fear, sensuality, and financial manipulation?
The Jesus Test “By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.” (1 John 4:2) Does the utterance exalt Jesus as Lord, or does it subtly exalt the speaker, the miracle, the money, or the man or woman?
The Character Test “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” (Ephesians 4:29) Corrupt (sapros) = rotten fruit. If the character is rotten, the word is rotten—even if it rhymes, even if it’s shouted, even if it makes you shout back.
The Controversial Word of Faith Truth
You can confess Philippians 4:19 ten thousand times, but if the spirit behind your confession is fear of lack and hoarding greed, you are not operating in faith—you are operating in witchcraft. You can bind the devil all day, but if bitterness and unforgiveness rule your heart, the spirit behind your “binding” is the same spirit you’re trying to cast out.
Your words do not work because they are loud. They work when the Spirit of God is the spirit behind them.
Immediate Call to Action: 3-Day Emergency Spirit-Testing Protocol
Day 1 – External Voices
Write down every prophetic word, sermon clip, or viral confession you heard or shared in the last 7 weeks.
Beside each one ask: “What fruit has this person’s life and ministry consistently produced?”
If you cannot verify righteous character—delete it, mute it, unfollow it today. No exceptions.
Day 2 – Your Own Mouth
Record yourself speaking for 10 minutes (prayer, phone call, whatever).
Play it back and ask: “If I did not know me, would I receive this word as coming from the Holy Spirit based on the character it reveals?”
Repent for every utterance that failed the test.
Day 3 – Declare the Purge Stand in front of a mirror and declare with authority:
“In the name of Jesus, I refuse every word spoken over me and every word I have spoken that was not birthed by the Holy Spirit. I test every spirit. I reject every utterance rooted in pride, fear, greed, or flesh. From this day forward, only the Spirit of the Living God shall use my mouth. My words will carry life because my character carries Christ. Amen.”
Test the spirit—starting with the one staring back at you in the mirror. Your faith, your future, and your eternal reward depend on it.
