There are things that are coming that we need to be prepared for…and they are not small things.

As Christians we are called to live by the Word of God. Not just when it’s convenient, but all the time. We look to His Word for comfort, wisdom and direction. And that is all good. But what do we do when worldly culture, conflicting politics, deceptive religious doctrine, sinful temptations and the troubles of the world become more intense while the strategies of the enemy become more difficult to determine? What will we do, as Christians, when the signs of persecution and attack against our faith comes toward us? And how will we know when it does?

There is one powerful gift that is given to us through the Holy Spirit that will warn, prepare and equip us for the present and on-coming battles. It is the gift of discernment.

Discernment is the most significant weapon we have as followers of Christ, to know when we are to move, when we are to fight, and when we are to be still. This gift affords us the ability to seek and know the wisdom and understanding of God, to defend ourselves against deception and sin, and to walk in the knowledge of His timing.

A great English preacher named Charles Spurgeon once described having the gift of God’s discernment this way:

“Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is the difference between knowing what is right and almost right.” -Charles Spurgeon

Discernment gives us the ability to know, understand and prepare or take action, when the enemy is at work around us.

How do we know when discernment is necessary? It is alway necessary; but, there are levels of intensity. For instance, when you are in a situation that makes you feel an uncomfortable heaviness or presence, discernment may be alerting you to leave or pray. Or, when you are in potential physical, emotional, or spiritual danger but cannot pinpoint it, your power of discernment may create an inward urgency to be cautious.

There are battles coming. Through discernment, you can reclaim your peace and direction from the onslaught of any approaching darkness and chaos.

As we seek God through prayer and studying His Word, we are able to surrender and look to Him for guidance and wisdom. His Holy Spirit will begin to develop strong discerning abilities within us. The Holy Spirit is our teacher, trainer and guide in learning the skill of discernment…and He wants us to know how to wield this powerful weapon of spiritual warfare.

But don’t take my word for it. There are so many verses in the Bible that explain the importance and power of discernment. It gives us instruction on learning how to use it to defend ourselves and arm ourselves with the promises and declarations of God that will defeat the “fiery darts” of the evil one, when they are launched at us. Here are some of the scriptures regarding discernment:

The goal of discernment is executing the ability to test and respond to the spiritual warfare all around us. It is a gift from God, that works through His Holy Spirit in us. It is one of the most important weapons in our spiritual arsenal to empower us to defeat the onslaught of our enemy, the devil. Without it, we are vulnerable to deception, oppression and sin…basically, cooked. With it, we become “more than conquerors, through Him (Jesus), who loved us” (Hebrews 8:37).

Blessings, vw1.