Discerning The Spirit Of Anti-Christ
Submitted by Clay Sikes
September 7th, 2004

Never in the history of the Church has discernment been more important to the Body of Christ. It is a most needed gift of all the gifts of the Spirit. With each passing day we are closer to the triumphant return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and with each passing day the enemy's tactics of deception grow. The spirit of anti-Christ is not coming (future tense), but has already come (past tense) (1 John 4:3). It is naïve to believe that we are not all subject to being deceived by this spirit; hence, the importance of knowing what this spirit is all about. Knowledge of this massively deceiving spiritual force is critical in this hour. The scripture below should lay a strong foundation of the potential to deceive, "even the elect."

Matthew 24:11, 24
"Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many... "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect."

Let us begin this study by identifying where the anti-Christ spirit will levy its first major influence in our lives - OUR FLESH! This spirit will always appeal to our inadequacies, our often-poor self-image, lack of success in health, spirituality, ministry, finances, marriage, business, etc., It will offer knowledge, identity, self worth, stability, purpose, and supposedly destiny. The anti-Christ spirit appeals to the worldliness in us - often a worldliness that we do not recognize as being such. It is almost as if one must experience an attack of this spirit to get an understanding of its power. I speak from first hand experience: I have a testimony. Grasp the words of the following scriptures - "Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be maligned; and their GREED will exploit you with false words…"

II Peter 2:1-3
"But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies...Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; 3 and in their GREED they will exploit you with false words..".

I John 4:1
"Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God; Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of anti-Christ, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world."

Here is the acid test. What does "every spirit that DOES NOT acknowledge Jesus" really mean? When we take actions, without the leading of the Spirit, we are NOT "acknowledging Jesus" through those actions. We are moving in our own strength and purpose. When we represent those actions to be God-purposed and God-motivated we have fallen victim to the delusional force of the anti-Christ spirit. Only "he who does the will of the Father," is he who "acknowledges Jesus." When I first saw this connection between I John 4:1 and Matthew 7:21-23 I shouted! Spirit filled Christians who are not Spirit led Christians lead powerless ineffectual works, which are capable of creating chaos in the lives of God's people. But let us take it a step further. What about those who are NOT doing the will of the Father who are prophesying, casting out demons, and performing miracles?

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, BUT HE WHO DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME: YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS"
(Matthew 7:21-23).

Matthew 7:21-23 in NIV calls those who are not submitted to the will of the Father, "evildoers." Many well-meaning Spirit-filled Christians are not Spirit-led. Actions that are NOT originated by God's Spirit can be costly, and those who take such actions are highly susceptible to the spirit of anti-Christ. Emphasis is placed upon the external; what the eyes can see and the ears can hear (Isaiah 11:2,3/II Corinthians 10:7).

How can we do the will of the Father if we are not regularly hearing His voice (John 10: 2-4/Romans 8:14)? No doubt you have seen those with extraordinary gifts to preach, heal the sick, do miracles, and yet felt no witness to them as strong men of God? Many prophesy, cast out demons, and perform miracles, yet do not do "the will of the Father." These men, despite their outward appearance, are not walking in the Kingdom Matthew 7:21-23. From my own experiences, I am convinced that many follow the anti-Christ spirit without any knowledge of what spirit they are following. The sin of presumption often hides itself in noble purposes. Presumption is the birth canal for Ishmael. We will address this in more detail later in this study.

Where many are fooled is in seeing the gifts of God operating in men, then naturally assuming that these men are God-sent. If nothing else is understood in this writing, please understand this - the gifts of God are without repentance (Romans 11:29), which means that God freely distributes these gifts just as he does musical talent, athleticism, etc., Men do not always use the gifts according to God's will. Our own tradition will make the following hard to accept. MINISTRY GIFTS CAN AND DO OPERATE OUTSIDE OF GOD'S SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS.

Separating The True From The False

A number of issues will be discussed here that will assist us in discerning the true from the false; and while the points made in this discussion are by no means the only elements of separation, they will point us in the general direction of understanding. We will first discuss obvious observable differences, and then the more subtle ways of discerning differences.

A true prophet will point you to Jesus, and the vision HE HAS PUT IN YOU. A false prophet will point you to himself; his vision, his purpose, his ministry, etc., The vast difference between the true and the false is that the true will always, always point you to the Jesus in you: your calling, your ministry, your purpose, and your destiny. The 'true' can point you to nothing but Jesus…the 'false' can point you to nothing but man. The false prophet will always leave you empty in a crisis, while the true will leave you full. The true prophet speaks to your heart, while the false will excite your eyes and ears. THOSE WHO ARE EASILY DAZZLED ARE PRIME CANDIDATES FOR DECEPTION FROM THE ANTI-CHRIST SPIRIT.

While the following observable difference is not a law, I think it worth mentioning. For some years there has been great favor within the Body of Christ for the works of men and the gifts of God that operate in men, while there has been little emphasis upon the true character of God within those same men. Character seems to have fallen by the wayside as Christians, much like their counter-parts in the world, have given their respect to external gifts and works rather than the internal character of God. In other words, it has been 'what the man is all about' rather than 'who the man really is.' Character is internal, while gifts and works are external. Our character is eternal, our gifts temporal. To which should we show the greatest respect?

What is character in the context of this teaching? Character is an identifying factor in separating the true from the false. Character is a man's testimony - Who he is, and what he is. It is what his life says about him. In God's eyes, we are not defined by the externalities of who we are (our name, works, titles), but rather the internalities of what we are (our true character.) Character is a reflection of heart. Who we are in the worst of times will always reveal us (James 1:1-15).

Our testimony (what we purport to believe) and our life are should reflect one in the same. No man can truly lead you where he has never been. A great indicator between the true and the false is that the 'true' can only teach what is true in their life (their testimony), while the 'false' will attempt to teach, will equal passion, what they have never experienced for themselves. Arthur Burt, in defining revelation states, "Situation must be married to revelation. Until your revelation works in your situation, you do not really have a revelation."

"They overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by THE WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY" (Revelation 12:11). If our testimony does not match the word (revelation) we preach, teach, and espouse, we are no more than a sounding gong. I can teach salvation because I am saved. I can share salvation because I have experienced it. My word and my testimony are one in the same. A true prophet teaches what he knows from his heart (Luke 6:45), while a false prophet teaches what he knows from his head.

How does our life experience define us? Watchman Nee, in his book Sit, Walk, Stand opens with "If the life of a Christian is to be pleasing to God it must be found properly adjusted to Him IN ALL THINGS. Too often we place the emphasis in our own lives upon the application of this principle to some single detail of our behavior, or of our work for him. Often we fail to appreciate either the extent of the adjustment called for or, at times, even the point from which it should begin. But God measures everything, from start to finish, by the perfections of His Son. Scripture clearly affirms that it is God's good pleasure "to sum up all things in Christ…in whom also we were made a heritage" (Ephesians 1:9-11).

God measures things from start to finish. Our lives, even our past to some extent, represents who we are, and who we are is what dwells within our heart; and what is in our heart is the fruit of our actions past, present, and future. From a practical standpoint, without accountability to our past, there is little room for correction in our future. As we gaze into life's rear-view mirror, the debris from past mistakes should be less and less visible as we travel the road of life. If the debris piles in our immediate past are not less, the lessons and necessary changes from those lessons should indicate that we are following the wrong spirit.

Some of God's greatest revelation comes through our own mistakes. Is this the best way to hear God? Absolutely not! Is it a sure way to hear God? Absolutely! We tend to retain what we have learned through adversity, and as Christians with ordered steps, our mistakes should always serve a powerful teaching purpose. I have repeated the same mistake more than once, with catastrophic results. I followed what appeared to be the right way, which I now know to be the anti-Christ spirit. It appealed to what I considered to be 'my goodness,' my desire to get on with my destiny and purpose instead of waiting on God.

Deception Comes When We Fail To Love Truth

Scripture reveals that failing to have a sincere love of the truth will lead one to embracing deception. If we have been given light and truth, but fail to walk in it, even what we have will be taken away and the Father will consequently send delusion to these saints.

II Thessalonians 2:10-11
"because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false..."

Other aspects open us up to deception: rebellion against the governmental order of God; harboring idols; and a spirit of unbelief are some of the more evident things. Truth and error will both increase alongside one another during the times in which we live. We must not despise or reject prophecies and teaching, but must carefully examine every word.

Some Who Perform Miracle Healings Are Not Necessarily God's Men

As we delve deeper into understanding, as we previously mentioned, we humans are quick to judge based upon outward appearance though we are warned not to (Isaiah 11:3/II Corinthians 10:7). We are quick to judge good and evil and often that judgment is based upon what we see and what we think to be God.

Be aware in the area of healing, miracles, and other signs and wonders: all that appears to be founded in God IS NOT. While it important to give God the glory for such healings, it is equally important to properly discern the vessel through which such gifts operate. In short, miracles are not a sign of God's unequivocal endorsement of the individual, but rather a sign of His great compassion for His people. There are many within the Body of Christ today who are taking these signs and wonders as God's unmitigated endorsement of the individual and his ministry. There are leaders within the Body who are using these gifts as a platform upon which to pillage the Body for money and support of their personal agendas.

As previously stated, miracles and signs and wonders performed by individuals are no more an indication of God's character in a man than the gifts that beset great musicians, athletes, or scholars - as mentioned, the gifts of God are without repentance, meaning that God can and does bestow His gifts upon whomever He desires. Those who discern properly will quickly recognize the farce that is often being perpetrated upon the unsuspecting Body. The time has come for the unsuspecting Body to awaken to God's call to come in behind the veil and commune with Him; to awaken to the fact that God desires to have communion and relationship with His people. This intimacy produces discernment, which causes us "to know them by their fruit" (good or bad).

God wants a one-on-one relationship with us; a relationship that puts man in complete dependence upon his God with little to no dependence upon man. To the extent we depend upon man, to that same extent we forego God. To the extent we depend upon God, to that same extent we will forgo our dependence upon man. The time has come to be awakened to the gift of discernment that is activated in you as you seek God, spend time with Him, and obey His voice - "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). The real character of God is formed in us as we spend time with God allowing a true relationship to develop. If we are not eating the "bread of life" - God's spoken word to us individually, we are missing the most dynamic part of God's design for man while living upon the earth.

Obedience: A Key To Discernment

While there are observable elements of the anti-Christ spirit, there is also a much more reliable method of discerning this spirit.

God made me to rule "my territory," that appointed place and sphere in which only I can rule with competence and the assurance of God's backing. I pray that God draw me to the places that I am assigned to rule and quickly repel me from those places that I am not assigned. I am to work with all my heart, as unto the Lord, in the places of God's assignment. To step out of my assigned boundary is to step out of God's will…my joy stops, toil and strain start, and it is here that I must awaken to my trespassing; it is here that I must return unto my own territory, but how do I get there from here? "In repentance and rest is my salvation; in quietness and trust is my strength" (Isaiah 30:15).

Just as sun produces light, repentance and rest enhance and brighten discernment: and quietness and trust produce strength. As I draw near to God, He draws near to me. Often, I must slow down my activity-based life; repent of my trespasses, reenter into the "rest" of God to accurately discern "my assigned territory." As I draw near to God by obeying Isaiah 30:15, "my territory" is plain to see because the greater (drawing near to God), always includes the lesser (clearly discerning my territory). Sharp discernment will alert us to the spirit of anti-Christ as it attempts to enter our assigned sphere.

True repentance is a giant leap in drawing near to God; it is a form of worship that ushers in the presence of God. Toil and strain should be our alarm, and repentance and rest our remedy in returning to quietness and trust, which is our strength. The true measure of our repentance determines the level of our discernment. Few remnant Christians knowingly hold unrepentant sin, but many of us unknowingly and ignorantly have unconfessed sin in our lives. As we ask the Lord to reveal our hidden and even unknown sin, He will; and as we confess it, it will be removed and accurate discernment will abound.

It is very easy to transition from works of the Spirit to works of the flesh when we have a history of God-appointed success and years of tradition and training. Moses could not fathom simply speaking to the rock when hitting the rock had worked before. It is in this simple Bible illustration that we find the difference in our destiny and how easy unknown sin can creep in. The Promise Land is for those who refuse to live from the intelligence of past traditions, and only obey the Spirit's leading today. Our past successes can cause us to be open to the lure of the anti-Christ spirit.

Why is this so important in this hour? Prophetically, we have entered a time in which acts of obedience will trigger a supernatural response from heaven. Obedience to the Spirit opens the door to God's power. Obedience to the Spirit opens the door to miracles. It is important to note that the sentence did not say sacrifices or good works opens the door….there is a vast difference between the acts of men, and the acts of men directed by God's Spirit.

Intimacy Produces Discernment

Prior to marriage, Tracy and I went through a time of courtship in which we displayed the best of our behavior. During this period the birds were always singing and the sun always shinning. We spent every available second absorbing and learning all we could about each other. This wonderfulness continued through the first six months of marriage, and then, as the honeymoon ended, the reality of the relationship, both its strengths and weaknesses, became obvious to us both. We realized that to make it we must have consistent communication.

As we faced difficulties and trials that newly weds face, we soon learned a valuable lesson - "Reliable communication permits progress" (Proverbs 13:15 TLB). The NIV is even more direct, "Good understanding wins favor, but the way of the unfaithful is hard." God's Kingdom rest upon understanding while Satan's depends entirely on misunderstanding.

As is the natural tendency during trials, the last thing either of us wanted to do was communicate, or said more honestly, communicate properly. The purpose of this writing is not to extol the virtues of our marriage or to portray us as poster children for marriage; we are not, but we have come to an important understanding that has an enormous parallel with our relationship with the Father. Communication is the essence of life between any two living beings - stop the communication and death begins.

If we do not spend time with each other, listen to each other, and communicate what we want to see out of each other, we soon see the aforementioned death creeping into our life and marriage. As a direct parallel to this analogy, I can say with equal emphasis, that the same is true with my relationship with the Father. If I do not take the time to be with Him, to hear Him and His direction for my life, I soon see the inevitable death that is so sure to come. God desires us to spend time with him, to communicate and have fellowship with Him, and like all spouses, He likes to be worshiped and adored, and also like all spouses, He does not like to play second fiddle to other Gods (things that occupy the bulk of our time). Our greatest deterrent to being a victim of the spirit of anti-Christ is intimacy with God.

Dickie Welch, a friend, recently ministered that while many of us have been focused on the improper traditions (old wineskins) that besiege most modern churches, the greatest tradition that we as individuals battle are those in our own lives, especially in our own homes. Interestingly, he pointed out that there are 168 hours in a week, of which, most of us spend 40 at work and 40 sleeping. He further pointed out that most of us spend an average of 4 hours in church each week, leaving 84 hours for other endeavors. He reasoned that we probably average 3 hours a day on chores, errands, and other responsibilities leaving 60 hours of time devoted to other things. He then posed the question, "How much of the 60 hours do we use to spend with God?"

When I am in fellowship, I am in a flow in which there is joy and strength - that flow can only come by spending time with the Father, getting His specific direction for my life. From that intimacy comes joy and life and once it has been experienced, nothing short of it will do. I know when I am not spending enough time with the Father; the first thing to go is my joy and strength. Communication breakdowns are often a result of one party or the other not communicating or not listening. God never fails, so again the failure in this communication is totally mine, most notably because of my unwillingness to spend the quality time needed to produce intimacy. It is here that I am susceptible to false leadings.

As with a married couple, true intimacy is impossible without a continuous flow of good communication. I recently felt I heard the Father say to me that he was not a prostitute to whom remuneration could be paid for favors. While I was quick to see this as a strong indictment of traditions within the modern church, especially with the tithe and prosperity message, I was taken aback when the Holy Spirit said, "I am speaking to you Clay! You want intimate knowledge, favor, and understanding without having an intimate relationship; you want the reward without the responsibility." Any husband who has demanded intimacy from his wife without an ongoing proper relationship knows of what I speak.

If I will take the time (ascend) to the Father, He will cause me to (descend) to this world with substance for my life, and occasionally for the lives of others. The voice of the Bridegroom is calling to His Bride. It is a call to communication, a call to intimacy. It is here that the heart of the Father is birthed in men and discernment comes alive.

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