The spiritual gift of Discernment—also called “distinguishing between spirits”—is the Spirit-given ability to recognize truth from error, good from evil, the Holy Spirit from demonic influence, and authenticity from deception.
It appears in the New Testament list of spiritual gifts:
“To another distinguishing between spirits…”
—1 Corinthians 12:10
The Greek word for discernment, diakrisis, carries the ideas of:
- Seeing clearly
- Examining
- Judging closely
- Understanding
- Separating truth from counterfeit
Discernment is not a “gut feeling” or intuition. It is a supernatural enablement of the Holy Spirit to perceive what cannot be discovered by natural observation alone.
John warns the church directly:
“Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God…”
—1 John 4:1
And Paul reminds us of the stakes:
“Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”
—2 Corinthians 11:14–15
This is why discernment is essential.
What the Gift of Discernment Does
People with this gift can:
- Distinguish truth from falsehood with accuracy and clarity
- Identify deceptive, manipulative, or counterfeit spiritual influences
- Sense when something is spiritually “off,” even before evidence appears
- Recognize hypocrisy, false motives, or hidden agendas
- Evaluate teaching, prophecy, and spiritual experiences for authenticity
- Protect the church from false doctrine, spiritual deception, or abuse
As Graham puts it, they often:
“Have an uncanny ability to perceive hypocrisy, shallowness, deceit, or phoniness.” (Graham, 197)
Discernment acts like the church’s “early warning system.”
Defense Against Deceit
Deceit is Satan’s oldest weapon (Genesis 3).
Discernment is one of the church’s strongest defenses.
Many with this gift describe:
- A sudden intuitive “check in the spirit”
- A sense of unease in the presence of something spiritually harmful
- A heightened awareness of counterfeit spirituality
- A spiritual alarm that goes off before others see the danger
It is not suspicion, pessimism, or criticism—it is the Holy Spirit revealing what lies beneath the surface.
Discernment also helps identify:
- False teachers
- False prophets
- False manifestations of spiritual gifts
- Wrong interpretations of Scripture
- Harmful influences disguised as good
Laurin warns that this gift prevents the:
“corruption and pollution of Christianity with all kinds of false and spurious manifestations.” (Laurin, 210)
The Gift’s Proper Use (and Dangers)
Because discernment is powerful, it must be used:
- With humility
- With love
- Under biblical authority
- Within community
- In submission to spiritual leadership
Dangers for the gifted include:
- Becoming overly critical or harsh
- Acting as an independent authority
- Using the gift to control or manipulate
- Mistaking personal preference for discernment
- Pride (“I see things others can’t”)
Dangers for the body include:
- Treating discerners like infallible oracles
- Relying on one person instead of a communal process
- Ignoring discernment due to discomfort with confrontation
Grace + truth must operate together.
Biblical Examples of Discernment in Action
- Peter discerns Ananias and Sapphira’s deception (Acts 5:3)
- Paul discerns the demonic spirit in the fortune-telling slave girl (Acts 16:16–18)
- Jesus discerns the motives of Pharisees repeatedly (e.g., Luke 11:17)
- The Bereans tested Paul’s teaching against Scripture (Acts 17:11)
- Hebrews 5:14 describes mature believers “trained to distinguish good from evil”
Discernment is both a specific gift and a mark of spiritual maturity.
Historical Perspectives
Martin Luther
Luther believed discernment was essential for:
- Recognizing God’s voice vs. Satan’s voice
- Interpreting Scripture faithfully
- Protecting believers from deception
- Guarding against false teachers and prophets
He taught that discernment comes through:
- Study of the Word
- Prayer
- Dependence on the Spirit
- Bold obedience
Luther saw discernment as vital for all Christians—but especially for leaders.
John Wesley
Wesley saw the gift of discerning spirits as:
- A special grace for identifying deception and truth
- Closely related to wisdom, but focused on spiritual evaluation
- Essential for exposing false teachers and false spiritual experiences
- A way to recognize the authentic work of the Holy Spirit
- Something to be exercised in humility and love, never pride or divisiveness
Wesley viewed discernment as critical during seasons of revival, where true and false spiritual manifestations often appeared side by side.
The Catholic Church
The Catholic Church views discernment as:
- One of the gifts of the Spirit
- Essential for distinguishing good from evil
- Foundational in prayer, spiritual direction, and vocational guidance
The Catechism describes discernment as:
“A spiritual understanding that enables the believer to evaluate the quality of human actions and the inspirations that give rise to them.”
—CCC 1839
Discernment is at the heart of:
- Spiritual direction
- Moral decision-making
- Discernment of vocations
- Evaluation of spiritual movements and teachings
It is essential both personally and communally in the Church.
Cautions & Misunderstandings
Discernment:
- Is not suspicion
- Is not pessimism
- Is not cynicism
- Is not fault-finding
- Is not skepticism
- Does not make the possessor infallible
Discernment must always be:
- Humble
- Biblical
- Tested
- Confirmed in community
- Motivated by love
People with This Gift Often…
- Distinguish truth from error, right from wrong, purity from impurity
- Identify deception or false motives quickly and accurately
- Recognize inconsistencies or distortions in teaching, prophecy, or interpretation
- Sense the presence of demonic influence or evil
- Detect problems early—before they’re visible to others
- Feel responsible to protect the church from harm
- Are often the “early warning system” of a congregation
- Need to pair their gift with humility, patience, and love
The Apostle Paul wrote extensively about this gift and others. Learn more by visiting our Bible study information by following this link -> Unpacking the Apostle Paul
Bible References
| 1 Kings 3:7-15 | Solomon asks God for a discerning heart |
| Psalm 119:121-128 | A prayer that includes asking for discernment |
| Psalm 36 | Opening Truth through God’s light |
| Proverbs 3:19-24 | Solomon telling his son to preserve sound judgement and discernment |
| 1 Corinthians 2:9-16 | Understanding through the Holy Spirit |
| 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 | Paul first mentions the gift of discernment; distinguishing of spirits |
| Ephesians 1:17-19 | Paul telling the church at Ephesus he is praying for them to receive the spirit of revelation |
| 1 Timothy 4:1-8 | Paul gives Timothy instructions on discernment |
| Colossians 2:8, 18-19 | Paul’s warning against deception; unspiritual minds |
| 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 | Test everything |
| 1 John 4:1-6 | Test the spirits |
- Graham, 195-197
- Bryant, 70-74
- Laurin, 210
Other Gifts
- Spiritual Gift of Knowledge
- Spiritual Gift of Faith
- Spiritual Gift of Miracles
- Spiritual Gift of Tongues
- Spiritual Gift of Helping
- Spiritual Gift of Healing
- Spiritual Gift of Exhortation
- Spiritual Gift of Compassion and Mercy
- Spiritual Gift of Giving
- Spiritual Gift of Servanthood
- Spiritual Gift of Leadership
- Spiritual Gift of Wisdom
- Spiritual Gift of Administration
That was awesome and outstanding more revelation on this gift of discernment. The body of Christ needs this to avoid corruption that is now taking place in the church worldwide.
With this gift, the Jezebel spirit will not found in the body of Christ. I thank God for the Lord helped me to deal with that spirit for three consecutive Sundays after
I got confirmation.