1 Corinthians 12:8–11: “For one person is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, and another the message of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another performance of miracles, to another prophecy, and to another discernment of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. It is one and the same Spirit, distributing as He decides to each person, who produces all these things.”

We see this is Holy Spirit production, Holy Spirit operation. I am now in verse 10, where I spoke yesterday about prophecy: “To another the performance of miracles, to another prophecy, and to another discernment of spirits.”

So what exactly is discernment of spirits? You may say to yourself, “Oh, definitely he is talking about evil spirits.” Maybe not necessarily. And of course it has to do with the operation of evil spirits—yes, yes, and yes.

Paul wrote that “the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will desert the faith and occupy themselves with deceiving spirits and demonic teachings” (1 Timothy 4:1). That is him operating by discernment of spirits, to tell you that this is what is going to happen, by the Spirit, to identify the operation of spirits.

He also wrote in Ephesians about “the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the ruler of the spirit that is now energizing the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2). That is the operation of the discernment of spirits: that what you are seeing is coming from the spiritual realm. In the behavior that you are seeing, that is the operation of the discernment of spirits.

John wrote that we should “test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). So when we say discernment of spirits, clearly that is what we are talking about—clearly talking about the operation of evil spirits, being able to define it. But discernment of spirits also, in my estimation, has to do with the human spirit as well.

What is driving somebody to do something? It is talking about the wrong kind of influence that can impact somebody, and the behavior will be one way. Remember, discernment of spirits is not about knowing what the Holy Spirit is doing.

Discernment of spirits is not about the Holy Spirit. You cannot use your gifts on God.

Now, discernment of spirits is focused on being able to know where something is coming from—especially the unseen influences impacting specific kinds of behavior.

I mentioned Paul saying some people will give heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1). And when Jesus Christ said, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again!” (Mark 9:25), that was the operation of the discernment of spirits. Because the spirit wants to hide in darkness. The spirit wants to be in the dark and not be seen.

So the discernment of spirits is the unveiling of whatever is covered up. You do not see it, but you can unveil it. You can unveil what is motivating somebody, the kind of attitude that is motivating that person. Or you can unveil the negative spirit that is operating in that person.

Look at what Paul wrote about Demas: “For Demas deserted me, since he loved the present age” (2 Timothy 4:10). Everybody else may not know why Demas left. Somebody might say, “Oh, Demas left because of an argument.” Somebody else might say, “No, Demas left because…” But when Paul used the words “loved this present age,” he was talking about what was driving Demas.

Remember, this is just my best estimation of this list of the gifts of the Spirit, because Paul did not give us a definition. So I am giving you my best conclusions as of now. Maybe it will change later, but as of now, these are my best conclusions: that discernment of spirits has to do with hidden things, hidden influences.

Look at how Jesus Christ defined “spirit” in the book of John: “The wind blows wherever it wills, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). That is His definition of “spirit.” Spirit, by definition, means unseen influence. It is pneuma in Greek, the same word for “wind,” and ruach in Hebrew, also the same word for “wind.”

So, going by the definition of Jesus Christ, I define “spirit” as unseen influence. And I am saying that discernment of spirits is that unveiling of what is happening in the spirit realm—the ability to unveil the influences. And once you unveil that influence, the time is almost up; a change is near.

So that is the discernment of spirits.

God bless you.