“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God …” (1 John 4:1)
Our safety depends on our hearing the true voice of the Holy Spirit. There are many who pretend to speak in His Name. But the Lord’s sheep will run from them.
Our great need is to grow ever more sensitive to the true voice of the Holy Spirit. Beware of those who would usurp His place in your life. No one should ever say, “Listen to me always.” Even Peter spoke by the inspiration of the Father one day and the next day was an oracle of Satan. He warns the flock of God: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8)
Honor is certainly due those who fear the Lord; but even the best of men can err at times. To implicitly trust and obey the word of any man is idolatry. It is not unwise or sacrilegious to question “the anointing” that is at work in another. Unbelief at times is warranted. Believe not every spirit.
We must hear the voice of our one, true Shepherd always. If we don’t, men can take us out of His hand. Never decide that any man, however anointed, can always be trusted. Our Shepherd can and does often speak to us through others, but that does not make them infallible. Trust and obey God alone. Live by the word of His mouth.