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1 Thessalonians 5:19-22
1 Thessalonians 5:19 (NKJV) is a short but very important Bible verse as the Apostle Paul instructs, “19Do not quench the Spirit.” Paul goes on to relate this not simply to disallowing God’s Holy Spirit to work in one’s life, but the Thessalonians lack of giving proper recognition to the prophecies. In this is also an acknowledgement of testing these things to the truth of the Bible for authenticity (1 Thessalonians 5:21). He then declares in 1 Thessalonians 5:22, “22Abstain from every form of evil” in removing oneself from believing in the false prophecies that are found to be against the teachings found in the Scriptures.
This is a command to not believe everything we hear as biblical simply because someone says so, but to investigate it in our own Bible study to prove it true or false.
The Apostle John declares in 1 John 4:1-3, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.”
The devil tries to lead us away from God by twisting Bible verses just as he attempted to do to Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4). As we learn God’s word we become more and more equipped to catch the false prophecies when we are presented with them. “The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17) is our offensive weapon against the wiles of the devil. Equip yourself and be ready for Satan’s attack through God’s word and our salvation in His One and only Son Jesus.
Dear LORD,
We come to You today to equip us for battle against the devil, that we would not be deceived by false prophecies but be strengthened through the prophecies held true by Your word. Prepare us with the sword of the Spirit in the way, the truth, and the life that is only found in Jesus (John 14:6). In Jesus name I pray, amen.