“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”
– Hebrews 5:12-14 (ESV)
The Christian life is one of warfare, and the Christian is a soldier in a spiritual battle wrestling against his own flesh, the world, and the “spiritual forces of evil” (Eph. 6:12). To deny the warfare that is the Christian life is to commit spiritual suicide, and yet to give too much emphasis to the devil is to deny the very power of God that is available to all who belong to Him through the shed blood of Jesus. With this knowledge we must walk in the world, but we must not be “of” the world. We are called to live as light in dark places, to resist the world (1 John 2:15), to resist the devil (James 4:7), and to put to death the deeds of the flesh (Rom. 8:13).
One area of spiritual warfare in which I see a need for Christians to grow is the area of discernment. Tim Challies defines discernment this way, “the skill of understanding and applying God’s Word with the purpose of separating truth from error and right from wrong.” Many people do not see this as spiritual warfare, but the Bible regularly shows the discipline of discernment to be an act of war against the spirits of darkness. The writer of Hebrews advocates discernment to “distinguish good from evil” (5:14). John warns us to “test the spirits” (1 John 4:1), and Paul urges believers to renew their mind that they may be able to “test what is the will of God” (12:2).
The writer of Hebrews warns us that discernment comes through constant practice. Only by being filled with the Word of God and seeking to live by that Word are our minds renewed and are we able to effectively “test the spirits.” Be regularly in God’s word and use it as the filter through which you make everyday decisions in your life. We can only know God’s will through God’s word. The discipline of discernment is often difficult and requires regular practice by “taking every thought captive” (2 Cor. 10:5), but it is necessary because God has called us to spiritual maturity. The process of spiritual discernment is an important aspect of Christian maturity and spiritual warfare that helps us to determine what is of God and what is not.
The best way to grow in your spiritual discernment is to mature in Christ by walking with him and growing in your practice of spiritual disciplines. Here are some practical steps that you can take now to grow in your spiritual discernment:
- Memorize Romans 12:2 – Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (ESV)
- Pray for wisdom from God (James 1:5)
- Read a chapter in the Proverbs every day.
- Work to take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5) by the Word of God rather than feelings or emotions. Question your feelings and thoughts by comparing them to God’s word.
- Give someone else permission to ask the tough questions and correct you when you are wrong.
- Be humble enough to receive correction from brothers and sisters in Christ (Gal. 6:1).
