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Developing Discernment

"Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground (body), and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (spirit); and man became a living being (soul)" (Gen 2:7).

"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Heb 4:12).

Physical mind - This is the physical brain that is part of our body. It controls all the functioning of our body, and can also be trained via habits to automatically respond and operate (by itself). All of us have probably had the experience, when driving on a long trip, of suddenly realizing that we have driven along a stretch of highway without paying any conscious attention to our driving. The physical brain has the ability to carry out basic functions independent of our focus of consciousness. Habits are programmed into the physical brain. From the physical mind comes emotional experiences and that specific part of us that thinks in words and sentences. This mind also directs all our physical activities.

Soul mind - This is the part of us that includes our awareness of who we are. Here we store our sense of being, sense of knowing, and sense of self-existence (our heart). Here also is stored all our memories, both conscious and unconscious. It is that part of us that is thinking a million miles an hour, behind the conscious words and ideas that fly through our awareness. It is said that the mind can think about eight things simultaneously. It is the soul part of us that has this ability. The soul is the "real" us. People who have had experiences of leaving their bodies talk about a change in their perceptions and knowing: It is more all encompassing and holistic. That is the nature of the soul mind.

Spirit mind - The spirit is able to communicate with spiritual reality and has a form of consciousness that is unique to itself. With our spirits we are able to communicate with God, angels and demons. Unregenerate man, from Adam onward, has carried around a spirit that is dead. In other words, the spiritual dimension of him is dead to all that is spiritual. Though his spiritual body is dead, it still exists and allows unregenerate man to have spiritual experiences.

All of these dimensions of man are integrated and connected in such a way that they function as a unit. When there is a breakdown in any one of these dimensions all other dimensions are affected.

There must be, though, a distinction made between our bodies and our flesh. The flesh is the "physical mind" part of us which is controlled by the things of the world and physical life. Our bodies are the shell of our flesh. We are to crucify the deeds of the flesh (Gal 5:24) and put off the sins that come out of the flesh (Col 2:11), purging it of all filthiness (2 Cor 7:1; Heb 9:13; I Pet 3:21). We are to make no provision for the flesh (Rom 13:14) and to go against its natural bent and inclination (Rom 8:1,4). To continue to set our minds (conscious mind) on the flesh and to walk after the desires of the flesh will result in total death (I Cor 1:26).

Let's look at the works of the flesh: "immorality, impurity, uncleanness, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, quarrelling, jealousy, bad temper, strife, dissensions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, carousing, and such like" (Gal 5:19-21). All these sins are directly related to the original sin of the fall -self promotion, and wanting to be a god unto oneself. All of these sins are rooted in pride and self-gratification.

The flesh is the one area that Satan can gain the easiest access to. The flesh has been sold into bondage to sin (Rom 7:14) and nothing good dwells in the flesh (vs 18). As long as the flesh is not totally crucified, Satan will be able to gain access to the physical dimensions of man. Remember that he must always have God's permission. We are involved in providing the conditions that allow or disallow that permission.

There are basically three parts of our body and flesh. First, there is our physical nature: that part of us that has physical contact with the world and with others. Second, there is an emotional part of us. This part is closely connected to the biochemical make-up of our system. Third, there is our mental part which does the conscious thinking in the body. All of our five (plus) senses are connected to these three parts, but some are more closely related to one than others. I have shown this in the following diagram.

The soul is the essence of our being. It is the part of us that is aware of "I". The soul contains our will (Acts 3:23;Pr 16:9), our subconscious and unconscious mind, our understandings and perceptions (Ecc 8:5), and our basic emotional make-up. It is that part of us that is immediately behind the conscious words that we use to talk to ourselves - that part of us that operates at speeds faster than the conscious thought. Deep within the soul is the heart, which is the seat of affections and desires (I Sam 23:20; Is 26:8), likes and dislikes, and reasoning and imagination (Zech 7:10). Our soul, particularly our heart, was affected by the fall. Christ explained the consequences: "That which comes out of the man, that defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, lust, fornications, murders, thefts, greed, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness; all these evil things come from within, and defile the man" (Mark 7:20-33). Notice that there is an overlap between the works of the flesh and those things which proceed out of the heart of man. It is the soul that makes all the controlling decisions as to which it will follow - the flesh or the spirit (Rom 8:5). Those who set their minds on the flesh will be continually trapped by sin and death, but those who set their minds on the spirit will have peace and life (vs 6).

Satan will do all he can to get us to side our will with either the things of the flesh or the temptations of the world. In doing so we will provide footholds in our soul for him to access. From scripture we see that Satan is able to lead our minds astray "from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ (2 Cor 11:3). If we do not properly control our emotions, and thereby sin, we can "give the devil an opportunity" (Eph 4:27) or find a snare for our soul (Pr 22:25). Allowing our pride to run unrestrained is a precursor to being devoured by Satan (I Pet 5:6-9). Making decisions to disobey God, and then acting upon those decisions, can allow Satan to fill our hearts, causing the control of our wills to be turned over to him (Acts 5:1-11). Sometimes Satan is able to control situations and people to cause us great emotional pain, and can result in a broken heart (Ps 34:18).

If we refuse to obey the laws of the Lord, which are written on our hearts, and instead insist on going our own way, our hearts will be hardened (Pr 21:9;Mk 10:5). When our hearts are hardened we are unable to respond to things of the spirit, or listen to the voice of God. God calls upon those with hardened hearts to circumcise their hearts, making them sensitive again to spiritual truth (Duet 10:16; Rom 8:29). This circumcision is provided by the Spirit (Rom 2:29), and removes the veil that keeps us in spiritual darkness. If we choose to obey the Lord and His commands, we will be given a new heart and a new spirit (Ez 11:19; 18:31).

The spirit of man is, of the three components, the hardest to define. The challenge with the spirit is that it is not confined to time or space in the same way that the soul and body are (Rev 4:2; Col 2:5). (The soul appears to be confined to space and the body to both time and space.) The spirit can be in more than one place at a time (Paul - 1 Cor 5:3), and in a different time zone (John - Rev 1). It is this mysterious quality that makes definition of the spiritual into physical reality difficult.

At birth we are all born with a spirit that is dead. There is still a spiritual body, but there is no spiritual ability to discern the things of the spirit. Unregenerate men, through teachings of witchcraft, can learn to control the spirit body by the power of their souls. In so doing they are able to travel in the spirit, which is known as astral travelling, and gain insight from the demonic kingdom. The dead spirit, in order to function, must receive energy from either the soul of the owner, or from soul energy extracted from other people or animals. It is from this practice that the concept of vampirism came. There are people who can literally suck the life force out of you. In its extremes these people love to drink the blood, for the soul (life) is in the blood (Gen 9:4), and "life energy" can be gained from it to provide for the activities of the dead spirit.

When we become born again, God gives us a new spirit (Ez 3:26;11:19; Eph 4:22-27), that begins to grow first as a babe (I Pet 2:2; Heb 5:13;), and then as a child (I Jn 2:12) growing into youth and into maturity (vs 13,14; Eph 4:15). Positionally we have become a new creation (I Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15), and our old self has been crucified with Him (Rom 6:6). We are to then put off the old man (old spirit and heart: Eph 4:22), and put on the new man (new spirit and heart: vs 24). As the new spirit grows it provides power to envelope all the areas of soul and body, allowing the Spirit to fill our very being, and wash us by regeneration (Tit 3:5). As the old spirit is put off, it will no longer receive any energy from the rest of the system to exist and will begin to dissolve. The old man retains its ability to exist from the flesh. As the flesh is crucified, the old man is put off.

With the birth of a new spirit, we also receive a new heart, and the veil that existed between the heart and spirit is "taken away" (II Cor 3:14-16). When Christ was crucified the veil in the temple, which separated the Holy place from the Holy of Holies, was immediately rent in two - from the top to the bottom - opening the way for all people into the presence of God (Matt 27:51). I believe this is the dividing asunder that is spoken of as the work of the word of the Lord: "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit..."(Heb 4:12). The words in the Greek for `dividing asunder' here in Hebrews (the same word used in Matthew), has the same meaning as the renting of the veil of the temple. There is a laying open for our souls to now gain access to the world of the spirit, and the things of God. (There are those who believe that we should pray that God would divide the soul "from" the spirit so that a person cannot tune into spiritual reality and be bothered by evil spirits. This is usually done for ex-witches and those who have been very infiltrated at the spirit level. By creating the division, there is a cessation of spiritual contact, but this also holds true for positive spiritual contact. Rather, if these people understood how to cleanse the spirit from defilement they would not have to pray such prayers.)

The spirit, like the soul and body, is divided into specific functions. At the very centre of our spirit is the throne room. This is where we allow Christ to assume Lordship of our lives and, by his Spirit, rule over us. There is secondly, a function that gives us the ability to hear God's voice, and directs our will to walk in it (Gal 5:16). Call this spiritual intuition. There is also a third function which is responsive to worship of our creator (Jn 4:23; Rom 12:11;I Cor 14:15,16), and a fourth area that tunes our conscience to God (Rom 8:16).

There seems to be a continual renewal that goes on between the Creator and mankind in the spiritual area. In the Old Testament there are numerous references to God daily renewing the spirit within the saints (Ps 51:10;Is 42:5). In the New Testament it is a command given to "be renewed" (Eph 4:23; Col 3:10) that also includes the Lord's involvement (2 Cor 4:16).

It is in our spirit, too, where the Holy Spirit will manifest the gifts which He has bestowed upon us. There seems to be the indication in scripture that there are different kinds of "spirit" in men, and by the Holy Spirit's renewal we can grow, develop, and increase in our spirit's development and gifting.

Personally, I have to disagree with all the writers who say that we can only be inhabited by demons in the areas of the soul and body. There is usually an analogy made that we are the temple of God (Jn 14:17; I Cor 3:16; 6:19), that our bodies are the outer court, our souls are the inner court and our spirit is the holy of holies. Nothing unclean was allowed in the presence of God in the holy of holies, therefore demons could not be in the spirit of man. There has been a failure though to take in the whole counsel of God. The Holy place was defiled during the reign of Ahaz and had to later be purified by Hezekiah (2 Chron 19:5). In the same way we are to purify ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit (2 Cor 7:1). We are also to purify our souls (I Pet 1:22). It has been my discernment that often there are demons in the spiritual area. I believe this occurs for a number of reasons. One reason is that there is still an old spirit that we are in the process of putting off. Among non-Christians this area in the dead spirit is often owned by the demonic; especially in the case of those deeply involved in occult activity. Because the spirit is neither confined to time nor space, this also puts a different light on the situation. The only times I have seen demons in the spirit of a Christian is when there are hidden structures that have been passed on from generation to generation, or when the person has been active in the occult and has worshipped or bowed down to demonic entities. I have never seen "active" demons in the spirit of a repentant Christian, but rather "inoperative" demons that are closed in under structures that we call hidden. Demons do not like to be in any place where the light of the Holy Spirit shines. I remember demons telling us, when asked where they were trying to go in a person's life - "We want to get to his spirit." More than anything Satan would wish to cause us to grieve the Spirit (Eph 4:30), and quench Him (I Thess 5:19) to the point that He would remove Himself from us and allow Satan to regain the throne of our lives. (Heb 6:6). For such there will never be any hope.

You will have noticed in the first diagram of the 3 minds that each level of consciousness has a different relationship to time and space. It is important to understand these relationships.

The physical brain, along with its functions, is contained in physical reality. When we die the functions at this level quit and are no more. Certain mystics and religious leaders would say that the physical mind even interferes with our ability to really think clearly. The goal of many eastern religions is to learn to transcend the limitations of the physical mind so that there can be `real experiences' of knowing. While God never calls us or instructs us to `transcend' our conscious minds, it is true that when we escape the limitations of our body, that we will then see clearly. Paul writes of how in the next life (or when we are in the resurrected body) there will be a change in perception and understanding: "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known" (I Cor. 13:12). Brain damage in this life can greatly affect our ability to think clearly and accurately. I.Q. is intimately connected to the functions and capabilities of the physical brain. Because of the fall this part of man has been greatly affected; each person being affected to varying degrees. Anything that affects us physically, especially alcohol and drugs, greatly influences our ability to operate in the physical mind.

"There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body" (I Cor 15:44). The soul can learn the ability to leave the physical body and travel in the spiritual body. In the non-Christian the spiritual body is dead, but it still exists as an entity and can be controlled by the soul. While astral traveling the spirit body is connected to the physical body by a `silver thread' which acts as a connecting link. As long as the silver thread is not broken there is a connection that allows life in the body to continue (Eccl 12:6-7).

I know of no instances in which it is appropriate for a Christian to practice astral traveling. Of those people I have known who have developed this ability, they have been clearly instructed by God not to do so any more. When the soul and spirit leaves the body, the body is unprotected from the kingdom of darkness and problems often develop because of this. People who do astral travel have, for the most part, been trained by demons in this art.

It is in the area of the soul that there are experiences of transcending time - of having visions of the past and of the future; but in ways that we cannot see God's involvement. It is for this reason that psychics cannot be 100% correct in their predictions. God is the independent variable that alters the events of time and space.

From this ability has come a couple of the big errors of mankind. The first is that there is reincarnation. Certain people under the influence of hypnosis have been able to see what has occurred in the past. This is most easily done through the family ancestry, for we all existed in our fathers right back until Adam. Because of this ability to transcend time, the demonic has convinced many to accept the misguided theory of reincarnation. (Demons, because they have lived in other people throughout history, can give information as well about the lives of people in the past.) The second error is that because we can also see into the future, we can prophecy (Ez 13:2) and sometimes be correct. I believe that all of creation works on the laws of cause and effect. If things continue based on how all the components naturally respond, such and such will happen. But God is always intervening and becoming the uncontrollable variable in the equation. Therefore anyone who prophecies apart from the Spirit is in error some of the time and outside of God's will.

When there are visions of future events, we need to determine whether or not they have come from God, or from our own ability to transcend time. If we are not sure, it is important to take the matter to God in prayer. He is able to alter the circumstances and bring about different results. Often these `visions' will come to us as we sleep. Throughout the Bible we see people taking their dreams seriously (i.e. Daniel) and trying to interpret them or get God's council regarding them. I would like to provide the following guidelines regarding a proper response to dreams and visions:

1. If the precognitions are inconsequential (ie. knowing what someone is going to wear the next day, etc.) simply ignore them.

2. If they are of a more serious nature (ie. a calamity happening, or someone being injured) it would be appropriate to first, take the matter to God in prayer asking for His intervention. Second, take appropriate steps to intervene or stop the calamity from happening. Let me give a couple of examples:

a) One person had a dream that he was sitting in a restaurant and a huge chandelier fell from the ceiling and came crashing down upon his table badly injuring himself and a friend. Later, while dining in a particular restaurant he happened to look up and see the same chandelier of his dream. He immediately got up and asked to move to another table. The chandelier almost immediately fell on the vacated table and no one was hurt.

b) Another person asked me what to do about certain dreams she had which involved the deaths of other people. A couple of times she had dreams in which people were violently killed in accidents. These events transpired exactly in the same way as she had foreseen them. While she was never able to intervene physically and stop these type of events from occuring, in the future she was able to pray on behalf of the people she saw in her dreams and ask that God's will would be done. She was thereby able to rest in her faith in God's power and control. Through prayer she was probably able to influence God's involvement and active participation in those events.

3. If the dreams are very symbolic in nature, there is nothing wrong with learning to decipher the meanings of these dreams and praying to God for His wisdom and guidance in interpreting them. Later I will give some guidelines regarding how to discern this type of information.

Each of the three components of man therefore has a consciousness of its own that allows it to operate in each of its respective dimensions. Each of these minds has a voice of its own with which to communicate, and it is learning to distinguish these voices that is part of the difficulty we have in getting information from all realms - physical, soul, and spirit. The spiritual realm is the most critical, for it is from this realm that we commune with the Holy Spirit, God the Father and God the Son. To be able to consciously listen to God, we must first learn to listen to our own spirit; but before we look at how to do that let's look at the different levels of discernment that are available to us as Christians.

All of us struggle with knowing the mind of Christ. Most of us are more than eager to do whatever the Lord would tell us, but we simply do not know how to hear His voice. The question becomes - "How can I determine what is the voice of God, as distinct from my own internal voices? How can I decipher between His "still small voice" and the voices of the kingdom of darkness?" I would like to make some basic distinctions so that you will be able to decipher between the different voices.

To develop a proper understanding of discernment, one must realize that there are different levels of discerning. Some are available to all people, some only to Christians, and some only to specific Christians gifted by the Holy Spirit.

1. "Revealed Understanding." By His Word, God has given us a yardstick by which we are to evaluate all things. We are to examine everything carefully and compare it to the truths found in Scripture (I Thess 5:21). We are to so fill our minds with the Word that we will be able to `prove' all things. Our mandate is to "learn what is pleasing to the Lord. And [to] not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them" (Eph 5:10-11).

Besides the written word of the Bible, God has also provided us with truth in nature. All of creation bears witness of God and speaks of His greatness (Rom 1:20; Ps 19:1), His goodness (Ps 33:5), His power (Is 40:26,28) and His wisdom ((Ps 104:24; 136:5). As Christians, God provides us with His Spirit who can lead us into all truth - both the truth found in scripture and the truth found through all of our senses.

2. "General Understanding." Within the hearts of all people, both pagan and Christian, are written the laws of God (Rom 2:14-15; Is 51:7; Jer 31:33). It is with this divinely appointed conscience that all people have a basic understanding of what is evil, and what is good. All men know that it is wrong to steal, kill, and commit adultery. No matter how jaded, there is always an uncomfortableness with breaking God's laws. Those that continue to do so "harden their hearts" with sin, silencing the still small voice (Duet 15:17; Pr 21:29). No man will have an excuse, for when it comes to the time of judgment, all will be judged by their own hearts - "on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus (Rom 2:16).

3. "Natural Intuition." There are certain individuals who seem naturally gifted about spiritual reality. For some there will be a `sensing' of evil. For others there is the ability to see evil in their "mind's eye" and to see symbolic visualization of the evil - such as dark spots, chains around the individual, or demonic creatures. Others simply "know" that something is wrong. Because we are tripartite beings, there are dimensions of us that are always in tune with spiritual reality. The problem is that most people have lost touch with themselves as a result of the fall. Part of our growth back towards wholeness is regaining touch with our spiritual nature. I believe that all Christians should be able to discriminate between positive and negative spiritual reality, but most cannot, and never will, because they will never receive instruction in how to develop in this area. While most are insensitive to spiritual reality, there are those who become hypersensitive. These people become what could be called `spirit-permeable'. They become so tuned in to spiritual reality that, sometimes, they become of no earthly good. The real key to sensitivity is to be able to tune in and tune out at will, or as guided by the Holy Spirit. Most hypersensitive people I know disqualify themselves from serious front line ministry because they are too sensitive to spiritual attack. Like the `thin skinned' personality in social situations, they are the `thin spirited' personalities of the spiritual world. Most of these people need a proper framework for interpreting their experiences. Many also need instruction in how to tune out and get on with regular life.

4. "General Spiritual Discernment." As children of God, believers all possess discernment in varying degrees. We have received the Spirit of God, who searches all things (1 Cor 2:10) so that we might know the things of God (vs 12) being taught by Him with spiritual thoughts and spiritual words (vs 13). Through this process we are able to "appraise all things" (vs 15). This ability to discern is a growth process. Paul's prayer for the Philippians was that they "may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that they may be able to discern what is best" (1:9 NIV).

In Hebrews it is written, "But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil" (5:14). The Greek word for discern here is "diakrisin" which means "working towards clear discrimination, judging by evidence." The word is preceded by a preposition "pros" which when combined, means "moving towards a discerning." As we mature in the faith, we will grow in our ability to discern that which is good for us and our faith from that which is evil. This ability will begin to manifest itself in internal restlessness when one is under instruction or preaching that is not correct. Over time, there will become a clarity in being able to discern what is the truth from that which is error. It is a process of practice and training (Heb 5:14). Seek out others who are spiritually mature and test things with each other.

In I John 2:20 the description of general discernment is also signified in the knowing of the spirit of antichrist (vs 18-19). All mature Christians should be able to discern the working of the demonic kingdom. Why then are they not able to do so? My opinion is that the present day church has become infiltrated by spirits of darkness as a result of its ignorance and neglect of the Scriptures and because of the neglect of early church teaching regarding the renunciation and expulsion of demons. We have failed to keep ourselves clean by allowing the passing on of ancestral demons from generation to generation. This "filthiness of flesh and spirit" must "be cleansed" (2 Cor 7:1) if we are to be as sensitive to the workings of the Holy Spirit in our lives as we should be.

"These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him" (I John 2:26,27).

5. "Charismatic Discernment." "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the dumb idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you, that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed"; and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills" (I Cor 12:1-11).

There are a number of spiritual gifts that are very useful to the deliverance ministry. The primary gift is that of discerning of spirits, with words of knowledge, wisdom, healing, and sometimes tongues, being very useful.

a) Discerning or distinguishing of spirits is specifically that - knowing of what spirit something originates, or which spirits are present. There are four realms from which spirits or information can come: God's angels, fallen spirits, human spirits, and God's Spirit. Those with the gift of discerning of spirits can tell from which origin (spirit) information is coming. They can also tell where spirits are and the condition of them: whether they are filthy or clean. For most people that I know who have this gift, the initial impression that will come to them when they are in the presence of evil spirits, is a "holy dislike" of the situation surrounding a demonized person. With specific instruction or experience in learning to hear the inner voice of their own spirit, these people soon are able to make clear distinctions that are required for this gift to operate properly. Over time some with this gift are able to see, in their mind's eye, angels and demons around people and places. Their spiritual eyes become opened to perceive things in unseen reality that others cannot see (I Kings 6:15-17).

b) The gift of discernment relates to an understanding of God's wisdom; that which was hidden. Paul writes, "Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages to our glory.... For to us God revealed them through the Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God" (I Cor 2:6,7,10).

Most often, people confuse discerning of spirits with our God-given gift of being discerning, of telling truth from error. As we saw before, this is given to all Christians (though most have trouble with the fine tuning of it). There are also certain people, to whom God gives a "wise and discerning heart", one that discerns between good and evil for the purpose of making judgments (I Kings 3:9-12). We see that this endowment is qualitative, for Solomon was endowed with more of this than any man that had lived before or would live again. For some people this gifting works as words of wisdom, with some people receiving more of these words than others. This special endowment (of discerning truth from error in a discerning heart), combined with the gift of discerning of spirits, will result in that person being able to tell truth from error in all spiritually related matters. If they are listening to a sermon, they will know when the pastor's interpretation of Scripture is correct, when it is in error, and even when it is partially correct. In a counselling situation with someone experiencing demonic problems, they will know what specific things are the work of evil spirits, what are the work of God's Spirit, and what are the work of the person himself. They will also be able to discern the direction that ministry should take. One of the keys for this type of person to function at his fullest potential, is that he be combined with others with discernment whom he can bounce his ideas and understandings off of. "Iron sharpens iron" (Prov 27:17). The gift is not for discovering truth but rather for discerning truth when it is seen. Such discerning, when specifically given by God, also allows a person to see (as the Lord does) "upon the heart" (I Sam 16:7). With such sight one is able to discern the motives of the heart. In Mark 2:6-8 we see how Jesus was able to discern in his spirit the thoughts of the scribes regarding His divinity. So, to one endowed with this aspect of the mind of Christ, added insight into people is obtainable. Often I have seen people coming for deliverance whose main motive is just the escape of the demonic torment, not the desire for close fellowship with God. Unless there is a change in these peoples' hearts, they will still have demonic problems down the road.

Discerning is to always be related to matters of faith and doctrine, not to the judging of one another in matters of daily practice (Rom 14:1-10). Neither is it to be focused on earthly matters, such as which horse is going to win at the track, or what the lucky lottery numbers are.

c) Another gift which is a great compliment to that of discernment is "words of knowledge." Christ had remarkable knowledge about certain people (for example, the woman at the well, Jn 4:17). This knowledge can be available to those whom the Spirit gifts. For we shall do the works He has done and even greater works (Jn 14:12). Words of knowledge often come in the deliverance ministry context. These can easily be checked against the gift of discernment (for truth or error), or the gift of discernment of spirits (so as to know which spirit the information has come). Words of knowledge regarding the name of a specific demon or the next step required in the deliverance process is a very welcome gift from the Spirit.

In spite of all of these gifts, the Holy Spirit will sometimes withhold information. Just the other night some people were asking me to discern certain things about their eldest child that was clearly none of their business. I immediately received a check in my spirit not to divulge the information that came to my mind and there was also a shutting down of the gift so that no new information would come. God's Spirit is sovereign; He will give as He wills.

A combination of spiritual gifting in the area of deliverance will result in the following:

First, there can be a lessening of any emphasis on manifestations to give evidence of habitation by evil spirits. Through discernment of spirits one can know, even before meeting the person, whether or not evil spirits are operational, and if deliverance is the next step needed in the counseling process.

Second, there is no longer any need to communicate with the demonic during a session. Other than to make them listen to the confession of the believer and hear the commands of expulsion, no direct contact needs to be made. There can be a clearly defined game plan designed ahead of time for most sessions. If there are pieces of the puzzle missing, the Lord will reveal these through words of knowledge and show how to appropriate them through wisdom. The length of our deliverance sessions has been cut down from several hours to lasting about one to one and one-half hours. By discernment we are also able to know beforehand if the person is serious about his commitment to the Lord. When they are not, we save ourselves a lot of wasted time and energy and can, instead, focus on instruction in righteousness - hoping the person will have a change of heart.

Third, there can be an accurate detecting of outside attacks: of flaming arrows and cursings that are attacking, or will attack, the person in the near future. There can also be instruction given on how to protect oneself from demonic attack in one's relationships or work environment. There are usually family related hierarchies that can be detected and dismantled.

Fourth, there can be determination as to when specific trials are of the Lord. Instruction can then be given to help the individual stand firm. Deliverance is not always the answer for every demonic situation. Often when certain truths are appropriated or when there are certain changes in lifestyle the demonic will flee.

Fifth, there is the ability to discern specific principalities and powers that may be planning to interfere with a deliverance session. At other times, there may be a coven of witches that will attempt to interfere - either through sending curses or by astral travelling into the sessions. Discernment is useful for (instantly) being able to deal with these circumstances. At other times, very large and powerful demons may start to descend and destroy the hedge of protection around the deliverance session. It is useful to see this before it happens and act accordingly. Just recently I was able to suddenly see the Prince of Russia coming to interfere with our breaking of some heavy strongholds in a family. We were able to proceed very quickly and have everything completed before he was able to get through to the session. The Lord then met him enroute and took care of him.

Sixth, there is the ability to discern the need for healing. Information can be obtained as to which areas the Lord would have prayer directed. Often information is given by the Lord as to where further counselling should be directed.

Seventh, when needed, there is the ability to communicate telepathically into the spirit realm as well as watch what is going on in spiritual reality. I have often issued commands to the demonic in this way, in order to not interfere with the calm atmosphere of the deliverance session. There does seem to be added power in "speaking forth" commands so, often I will do this under my breath.

1. Be grounded in the truth. It is critical that all Christians be firmly grounded and planted in the word of God that is found in the Bible: "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work" (2 Tim 3:16). "...And in His law he meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers" (Ps 1:2b,3). It is the truth that sets us free - both from sin and from the kingdom of darkness. It is also truth that keeps us free so that we are not deceived by Satan and led astray. The more truth that we can instill into our minds, the less chance there is that our minds will be led astray. We are instructed in Scripture to test all things to see that they be true. God's revealed truth in the Bible is the standard to which all things must conform. We see in Hebrews 4:12 that "the word of God is ... able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart".

2. Remove all internal demonic access. It is critical for all Christians who wish to learn the mind of Christ to be completely free from demonic inhabitation or access. If there are demonic creatures within any area of the body, soul or spirit they will have access to the thought life and will be able to interfere with any process of relaying information from any one of the minds to any other. Demons cannot read a person's mind from the outside, but they most definitely can from the inside. Please refer to "War and Freedom" for making sure there is no internal demonization.

3. Remove all external demonic interference. Of special importance for anyone who is learning to listen to the voices of his own mind, or the `still small voice of God', is the blocking of any demonic interference from the outside. Demons have the ability to project thoughts into a person's mind. By watching a person, they can become very adept at knowing exactly when, how and what to project towards a person. For this reason it is important to rule out any interference on their part. This can be done by: a) Praying that God would provide protection around you that would keep the kingdom of darkness away from you and your mind; b) Commanding that anything from the kingdom of darkness that would wish to be involved with you, or interfere in any of your mental processes be bound with chains that cannot be broken, that they be stripped of all their spiritual armour, and that they be removed to a place where they can have no involvement with you; c) Also command that any demons that are in the immediate environment be removed and that you be covered by the precious blood of Jesus and thereby be completely separated from anything from the kingdom of darkness.

4. Remove any blocks to clear communication. For some people who have a lot of inner hurt or pain, it is helpful that there be some work done on inner healing. Damaged areas in any part of the body, soul, or spirit can result in a breakdown, or a distortion, of the clear passing of information between the three minds. Clarity between the three minds is achieved by developing each of the three areas that correspond through all the areas: the mental, the emotional, and the sexual. The mental area is clarified by grounding in the truth and mental discipline. The emotional area is clarified by removing and healing all areas of woundedness, and by learning to express and get in touch with the full range of emotions. The sexual area is clarified by proper sexual functioning within marriage. Fasting, sexual abstinence and being in a quiet environment increases the sensitivity of all the areas towards each other and specifically the spiritual (Ps 69:10; Mt 6:16-18;I Cor 7:5). It is also important that the body be in good physical health, and be well rested for the conscious mind to function clearly and properly.

5. Learn to talk between the three minds. This is really not a very complicated process to learn, but takes practice over time to develop proficiency. In its simplest essence it is just asking yourself questions and then waiting for the answers; but then again, but it can also be very complicated. Let me give some guidelines:

a) The minds operate as a conduit with your soul being the intermediary. When your conscious mind (physical) asks a question it communicates with the soul which either provides an answer itself, or asks the spirit. If the spirit answers, it will answer the soul, which in turn will then pass the answer on to the conscious mind. It is very critical that the soul be trained properly to answer and pass questions in appropriate ways.

One of the things that must be understood about the soul mind is that it thinks in black and white, and it does not always differentiate between different meanings for the same word or sentences. You must be extremely precise and accurate in the wording of questions that are asked of the soul if you want to always get a proper answer. Let me try to explain this with an example: Let's say that a person is lost in the bush and is beginning to lose any hope of finding a way out. If the person was to ask the Holy Spirit (who is always with us leading us into the truth), "Am I going to die?" The process will be as follows: 1) The conscious mind asks the question; 2) The soul interprets the question and asks the spirit; 3) The spirit which is in continual communion with the Holy Spirit will receive an answer from God and give the answer back to the soul; 4) The soul will answer the conscious mind. The problem is that the soul will take the question at face value and the answer will invariably be "yes". You see there has been no specification as to `when' the person will die. If the question was, "Will I die out here in the bush, without being found or finding my way out?", then the question can be properly interpreted by the soul. The soul will answer precisely the question asked, but we must be extremely careful that there can only be one meaning to the question. For those that are familiar with the hypnotic process of talking to the inner person of an individual you will have seen this phenomena of the soul.

b) Because of the nature of the soul to operate in the ways that I have just described, it is useful to ask questions that can be answered `yes' or `no'. When I began to train myself in this process I set up a prescribed list of answers that was appropriate for the soul to answer: Yes / No / Maybe / Partially right / Partially wrong / I don't know / It's none of your business! etc. This allows the soul to prompt you to ask more clear questions. It also allows the spirit to direct you as to when God will be telling you that certain things are off limits for gaining information.

It is also easiest to ask questions that can be answered with one word answers because most of us have trouble listening internally to what is going on. One word answers are a lot easier to pick up and tune in to. When a person has learned to quickly pick up on the voice of one's own soul then the process can be extended to full scale conversation. There will also mature in the development process the ability to talk directly to God and hear his voice and differentiate it from one's own internal voices.

Some people may find it easier to `visualize' answers in their minds like on a screen rather than using internal listening. Others will get a `sensing' of answers and can develop processes for that. Each person will be a little different, so it is important that each one develop a process that works best for him.

c) Because many who will start to learn and develop this process will be quite concerned about the source of the information that will be discerned, it is important that there be a system for checking the information to be sure that it is true. The easiest way to do this is to, right after receiving any information, command: "Right now in the power and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, I command that whatever being who has answered that question be put in the presence of Almighty God before whom you cannot lie - is that answer the truth, yes or no?" The next answer you hear (see or sense) will clearly tell you if you are getting information that is true. Over the years we found that demons would always tell the truth when held in the presence of Almighty God. (The next answer they would say after being put there would be the truth. The next answer after that would often be a lie again and the process would have to repeated over and over again.) We also found that you had to be very clear and specific in questions so that there could not possibly be two answers to a question. Demons love to deceive by telling the truth, but in a twisted way which can have two or more meanings. So, for those who are developing discernment by this process, it is important to check answers now and again to be sure that one is not tuning into anything from the kingdom of darkness. If you are being led astray, it will quickly become evident when you find out that an answer is not the truth. Also, do not ask the questions out loud for it is very easy for any demons outside to respond by projecting thoughts into your mind. We should also NEVER consult demons for information as God has made it very clear in Scripture that He is a jealous God and will bring a curse upon anyone who goes after other gods.

d) Whenever possible, work with someone else who can hold you accountable, and whom you can hold accountable so that if either of you become deceived it can more easily be detected. If possible, find someone who has proven discernment to bounce your own discernment off of and to get support and guidance. At no time should we look for information internally that can be found in scripture. God has provided us everything that we need for righteousness in the Bible. These internal processes are to be used to increase one's own legitimate senses of the varying levels of reality, and one's ability to learn to actively communicate with God in the spirit in a way that allows us conscious involvement.

e) Pray for God's guidance and gifting. It is God that works in and through us for His good purposes. On our own all is futile.

For those that wish to learn to see into spiritual reality (or rather to consciously see what their souls and spirits see) it involves a very active use of the imagination. The imagination is the window into spiritual reality. It is for this reason that it is so easy to train children to see into spiritual reality. The new age teaching methods used in the school system that use guided imagery etc. are so dangerous for young minds. It is important for those who are developing the ability to see into the imaginary world (which is often very real) that there be a constant checking as to what is seen clearly and what is just purely imagination. Over time there will develop a clarity and trust in one's own imagination to give accurate information.

As Christians we have God's Holy Spirit to inform us and lead us into all truth. He will clearly teach us what is true, what is good, and what is evil. With proper discerning we are able to learn what causes that uneasiness in our spirits and discover what is the exact truth when we hear it. We should all, over time, be able to develop the ability to discern the workings of the kingdom of darkness and the workings of the kingdom of light.

Each of the giftings of the Holy Spirit can be added to the above process and can contribute greatly to our ministries. I know of no way to really develop any of the gifts which I receive from Him other than to say that by developing the above processes it is much easier to get in touch with any information that the Holy Spirit would wish to give to me. Pray and ask that God would gift you as He sees fit and as your ministry requires.

To get into a complete description of how to do dream interpretation would take an entire book, but let me give a few suggestions that may be useful:

1. When you a have a very significant dream write it down so that you can refer to it later.

2. If possible get a good book that refers to dream symbols and gives some suggestions regarding possible meanings of universal dream characters. I am not referring to those books that give all sorts of predictions of the future regarding each symbol but rather those books that provide some general meanings and guidelines. You will find that certain symbols will have specific meanings just for you. As you go through each of the symbols of the dream the meanings of some will be clear but others will be hidden. Use the process of discussing between the minds, and of asking the Holy Spirit to illuminate the meanings. For those who wish to take dream interpretations seriously I recommend that they purchase a number of books, especially those written from a Christian perspective to use as a base to gain understandings.

3. Realize that dreams are only symbolic of things which are happening within or without the space-time continuum. Directions regarding future events or possibilities are not set in stone and often, through God's intervention in reality, will be changed. Also realize that God does speak to us through our dreams and sometimes dreams will be representations of His working in the realms of our soul and spirit.

4. Often Satanic attacks will come at us while we are asleep. This is often because the kingdom of darkness is a kingdom that loves darkness rather than light, and most covens etc. operate into the wee hours of the morning. Be sure to instill into one's own heart the abilities to actively resist the kingdom of darkness. I often find myself verbally confronting demons who are attacking during the night in my sleep. My wife will often comment how I was `really going at it last night' and I will clearly remember the confrontations that occurred in my sleep. Be ready for these attacks.

    ¹. Please do not get hung up with the models that I use here. We really do not have three minds but think of it in terms of - "we operate as if we have three minds". The point I am trying to make is that each aspect of man has a consciousness of its own that works separate from, as well as in conjunction with, each of the other two parts.

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