Some Christians seem to be specially gifted when it comes to spiritual discernment. Others take a special interest in discernment and expend the hard effort of growing in the discipline of it. But they may sometimes wonder: What should I do with this discernment? What is it useful for? How does God mean for me to exercise it?
If our task as Christians is to glorify God by doing good to others, it stands to reason that the primary purpose of discernment is to serve our fellow Christians—to protect other believers and to protect the local church. In general, then, those who are skilled in discernment should be able to identify and expose the work of Satan as he opposes the work of God. While all believers are exhorted that they must “not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1), those who are especially discerning have a broader ability to do so. They are able to see to the heart of the issues and to see Satan’s shadow behind what does not accord with the Word of God.
With that in mind,
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