‍One day I was encouraging my youngest to use the restroom, and she complied. But, when I helped her off the toilet, she sang in a sing song voice, “I went potty in my pants.” She paused, then said, “I’m just talking fake. I didn’t go in my pants.” Usually, I can easily discern between a joke, a lie, and the truth where my children are concerned, but the world’s messages can be more difficult to sort between credible information and lies. Many of us would appreciate it if people were more candid in offering when they were “talking fake,” as it can feel overwhelming to sort through it all.

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The Bible speaks to this idea of testing the spirits to determine if they’re from God. This is more than telling truth from lies but determining the motivation and meaning along with the message being given. This implies that you could determine the motive of a statement. You may be asking, but how can I know what is “from God” and what is not? In this series, we have been talking a lot about reclaiming our attention and resisting the trap of being discipled by our phones. So much of what comes into our focus are messages with just enough truth to draw us in, but just enough lies to throw us off what God’s Word says. Without being grounded in the Word of God and who He is, it can be easy to believe something that is not true.

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So how can we be grounded in the Word of God? I would propose three Fs to get started. The first thing is “First.” Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.” First, we must know what God’s Word says. We cannot know if God said it unless we’ve read it for ourselves. Even then, we cannot understand the Word of God without God’s wisdom. James 1:5-6 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” Satan is a master of twisting God’s Word and making his lies sound like something God would say. It is imperative that we know what God says so we may sort out truth from lies.

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The second “F” is “Fruit.” In Matthew 7:15-20, Jesus warns of false prophets, saying that we may be able to recognize them by their fruit. Have you ever listened to someone speaking and thinking, “The words they are saying sound pretty good, but their life doesn’t match their words”? Maybe you just noticed that people don’t seem to be truly close to them.  While we should not rely solely on our feelings, God did give us a “gut feeling” for a reason. We can at least begin to determine if there is fruit by how we feel in someone’s presence. It is important, however, to review what fruit is. Galatians 5 gives us a list of the Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. In other words, these are the characteristics of God, and if it doesn’t align, it is likely not from God. Matthew 12:34 says in part, “…For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” This, in effect, gives us permission to discern if someone’s fruit matches the words they say. While we are all human and sinful, this is a step that comes with knowing God and his character so well that, if something isn’t adding up, you can easily spot it.  

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The third “F” is “Fake.” If you have not been able to align something with the Word of God, and if you have determined that the fruit coming from it does not align with the character of God, it likely falls in this “fake” category. Matthew 12:37 says, “for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Once something is determined as fake, we can determine our response to it. This is where we return to prayer, as in the first step, and ask God to help us know whether we need to respond or retreat; meaning, does this situation require me to call out the lie or walk away? It can be so freeing to know when someone is “talking fake” and choose to walk in the truth.  

We have discussed a lot of action to take when “testing the spirits.” I pray you find this list helpful the next time you’re confronted with something that makes you question its origin.

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Lord, thank you for your Word and your unchanging character. Thank you that we can consistently rely on you to reveal the truth our hearts crave. Help us to lean into your Word ask for wisdom as we sort through the messages of the world. Help us to “test the spirits” so we may not be fooled. Amen.