Are you tired of being deceived by people? I get it. I’ve been taken in more times than I’d like to admit, and I always end up kicking myself for falling for it. Few things are as frustrating as realizing you’ve been led to believe something that wasn’t true — especially if you went on to act on that false information.
Some of my deepest regrets come from two things:
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Not recognizing someone’s true character until it was too late.
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Believing lies about other people because I trusted the wrong source.
That’s why, ever since I learned what it was, I’ve prayed for the gift of spiritual discernment. It’s so easy to be led astray. In a world overflowing with voices, opinions, and distractions, the ability to hear and recognize the voice of God isn’t optional for a Spirit-filled believer — it’s essential.
I am beyond grateful for the Spirit’s gift of discernment. There have been moments when, even while someone was speaking, the Holy Spirit whispered truth in my heart. Outwardly, I nodded politely, but inwardly I knew: “I don’t believe a word of this. The Spirit has already shown me what’s real.”
Discernment isn’t about cynicism — it’s about Spirit-led clarity. And I thank God for it.
Discernment in Scripture
The apostle Paul wrote: “But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:14). Spiritual discernment is that God-given ability to separate truth from error, good from evil, and the genuine move of the Holy Spirit from counterfeit voices.
In 1 Corinthians 12:10, Paul includes “the discerning of spirits” among the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This means discernment is not simply “intuition” or “gut instinct” — it is a supernatural ability given by God.
A Pentecostal Perspective
As Pentecostals, we believe the baptism in the Holy Spirit empowers us to live bold, Spirit-led lives. But empowerment without discernment can lead to chaos. Discernment keeps us anchored in truth even while we pursue the gifts of the Spirit with passion.
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Discernment guards us from deception. (1 John 4:1 reminds us to “test the spirits.”)
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Discernment guides us when multiple voices clamor for our attention.
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Discernment grows us as we mature in prayer, worship, and the Word.
Without discernment, a believer may chase every emotional experience or get swept up in teachings that sound spiritual but are not biblical. With discernment, we can move confidently in the Spirit while staying rooted in Scripture.
How Do We Grow in Discernment?
Stay rooted in the Word. Discernment is sharpened when we know Scripture well. God will never contradict His Word. If you don’t have a steady diet of God’s Word you can’t possibly spiritually discern correctly.
Live in prayer. The more we spend time with God, the more sensitive we become to His leading. Prayer is the greatest key to spiritual discernment. So many times God reveals the truth to me about people and situations as I am in prayer.
Be filled with the Spirit daily. Ephesians 5:18 reminds us to “be filled” — an ongoing posture, not a one-time event. Living the Spirit filled life is more than having the memory of going to camp as a kid and being filed with the Holy Spirit. It’s more than an encounter you had at a Women’s Conference. This is about walking in the Spirit daily.
Test everything. Ask: Does this align with God’s Word? Does it glorify Jesus? Does it bear good fruit? Don’t believe everything at face value.
Seek wise counsel. Discernment flourishes in community. The Spirit confirms His leading through the counsel of mature believers.
Why We Need Discernment Today
We are living in difficult times otherwise known as the “last days,” and the Spirit warns that false prophets and deceiving spirits will increase (1 Timothy 4:1). Pentecostals, perhaps more than anyone, must walk in both power and discernment. We long for revival fire, but revival must be pure fire, not strange fire. Spiritual discernment involves not only the discerning of spirits, but the proper timing of things. Discernment ensures we do not quench the Spirit out of fear, but also that we do not embrace error out of naiveté. It is the balance of passion and wisdom, fire and foundation.
Before one of our conferences, I was preparing our leadership team for things that might take place in service. As we are Pentecostal in practice and not just on paper, we regularly have the moving of the gifts of the Spirit. I was training our team concerning this and said: “Knowing you are one of our key leaders, someone may come to you in the middle of worship or altar time and say, ‘God has given me a word to share.’ When you ask what it is, they might say something like, ‘God wants everyone to know He really wants to do something here tonight.’”
I went on to explain: “That’s not the right timing for that kind of word. The truth is, we already know God wants to move — that’s why we’ve prayed, fasted, and gathered. In fact, the Spirit is moving so powerfully in those moments that the person is actually interrupting what God is doing. If this happens, don’t hand them a mic.”
I think some of the team thought, “That’s crazy. No one would actually do that.” But sure enough, that very night during altar time, a woman came up to Bonnie Olsen, one of our leaders on the front row, and whispered to her, “God wants me to to up to the stage and share that He really wants to do something here tonight.” (No.I.Am.Not.Kidding.)
Bonnie responded with wisdom and grace: “He’s already moving right now. This isn’t the right moment for that word. Go ahead and take a seat.”
Later our team couldn’t help but laugh. Who interrupts a move of God to announce that God wants to move? Yet it happens more often than you’d think. Sometimes it is innocent (spiritual immaturity, yet they mean well), and other times people like to hear themselves talk. This is why wise, Spirit-led, discerning leadership is so vital in Pentecostal gatherings. Without it, what should be a holy moment can quickly turn to chaos.
What Spiritual Discernment is Not
What some people call spiritual discernment is really nothing more than jealousy, envy, or feeling threatened. True discernment is not about suspicion. It’s about clarity. It’s not about cynicism; it’s about Spirit-led wisdom.
I’ve seen it far too often, especially among women in ministry: someone will claim to “discern” that another woman is a problem, label her a Jezebel, or suggest she isn’t worthy to serve. But the truth is, what they’re calling discernment is often insecurity. It’s about protecting their own position rather than hearing from the Holy Spirit.
And honestly? That can be one of the most damaging dynamics in the body of Christ — when people who consider themselves spiritual are, in reality, operating out of carnality and a “mean-girl” spirit. True discernment builds up the church. False discernment tears it down.
As Spirit-filled believers, we need both boldness and discernment to navigate the days we’re living in.
Ask the Holy Spirit today to sharpen your ears, steady your heart, and strengthen your spirit. May we be a people who burn with Pentecostal fire,who walk with Pentecostal discernment.
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