Who's Talking To You?

Photo Credit - Kyle Bushnell

Developing Spiritual Acumen and Discernment in an Age of Deception

When my little grandson talks to me in a tone that doesn’t sound like him, I don’t ask, “Who are you talking to?” I ask, “Who’s talking to Noni?”

Sometimes it’s not him talking. It’s hunger talking, or tiredness talking, or frustration talking. Asking that question helps me look beyond his words and see what’s flowing through him.

And that’s what the Spirit of God is asking us to do today: To ask, “Who’s talking to you?”

Not what leader, what political figure, what news anchor, or influencer, but what spirit is speaking through them. Because everything that speaks carries a spirit, and every spirit flows from a fountain.

“Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?” — James 3:11

From What Fountain Are These Words Flowing?

We are living in a time when the ability to discern spiritual influences is not optional. It’s essential! The Bible calls this discernment. I like to think of it as part of developing spiritual acumen. Just as there’s such a thing as financial acumen—the ability to understand money and make wise decisions—and technological acumen—the ability to understand and use tools and innovation—we must develop spiritual acumen: the ability to sense, discern, and respond wisely to the unseen spiritual realities shaping human behavior.

Spiritual acumen isn’t about what you know; it’s about how and what you perceive by the Holy Spirit. It’s learning to recognize what fountain words and actions are flowing from.

Everything that speaks carries a spirit, and every spirit flows from a fountain.

That means that everything we hear; words, attitudes, music, messages, or even advice, comes from somewhere inside the person who’s saying it. It’s like water flowing from a fountain.  Dr. ML King referred to spirit as the “Soul Force” to describe one’s moral and spiritual power.

If the fountain is clean, the water will be refreshing. If the fountain is dirty, the water will taste bad.

"For whatever is in your heart determines what you will say." Matthew 12:34 NLT

In the same way, our words flow from what’s inside our hearts, what we believe, what we value, and what’s guiding us on the inside. Some people speak from a place of peace, love, and truth. That’s a good fountain. Others speak from fear, pride, anger, or selfishness. That’s not a good fountain. So when I say “everything that speaks carries a spirit,” I don’t mean something spooky. I just mean that every message has an attitude, a motive, and a source behind it. The words may sound holy, but the fountain may be polluted. And when we stay close to God, His Spirit helps us tell the difference between what’s flowing from Him and what’s not.

Let’s Go Deeper

Discerning the Spirit Behind the Voice

Backdrop… Jesus was with his disciples and told them he would go to Jerusalem, suffer, be killed, but he would arise 3 days later. Peter rebuked Jesus for His words.

Rebuke: Peter was trying to put Jesus back in his rightful place, according to his personal understanding of Jesus' role as Messiah. He couldn’t accept Jesus’ words because Jesus' words conflicted with his human expectations.

When Jesus rebuked Peter in Matthew 16:23, He didn’t say, “Peter, you’re wrong.”He said, “Get thee behind me, Satan.” In other words, Peter, this isn’t you talking. Something else is speaking through you right now. Jesus didn’t attack Peter’s humanity. He discerned the spirit behind his words, and he spoke to that spirit. 

We are living in critical times, where discernment has never been more necessary. Voices are everywhere; on our screens, in our sanctuaries, at our dinner tables, and work spaces. Politicians are speaking, podcasters are influencing, personalities are persuading, and in all of this noise, spirits are moving! It’s not enough to listen with our ears; we must listen with our spirits. We must learn to discern the spirit behind the voice. What may sound right on the surface may carry a very different spirit beneath it. I encourage you to pay particular attention to.....

1. The Spirit of Rebellion (1 Samuel 15:23)

“For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry...”

Rebellion often disguises itself as strength, conviction, certitude, and confidence, but actually rejects God’s order and the idea of mutual accountability. This person wants to bypass or dominate, which can reveal a deeper rebellion against God’s design for humility and community.

2. The Spirit of Saul (1 Samuel 8–15)

The people asked for a king “like the other nations,” and God warned them that they would be getting a ruler who would take, oppress, and centralize power. Saul began with humility but became insecure and grasping, wanting the title of anointed without the heart of submission. A leader with this spirit seeks control.

3. The Spirit of Babylon (Genesis 11; Revelation 17–18)

Babylon represents the arrogant exaltation of self: “Let us make a name for ourselves.” It’s the spirit of empire, intoxicated with control, wealth, and dominance. It crafts grand images that appear holy or patriotic but are rooted in pride and manipulation.

4. The Pharisaic Spirit (Matthew 23)

This religious spirit loves power, praise, and position while rejecting humility, justice, and mercy. A leader with this spirit may cloak authoritarian desires in religious or moral language, presenting themselves as a “savior of the nation” while acting contrary to the Spirit of Christ.

5. The Spirit of Anti-Christ (2 Thessalonians 2:3–4)

The “man of lawlessness” exalts himself above all that is called God. Whenever a human ruler demands ultimate allegiance, unquestioned loyalty, or replaces the lordship of Christ in people’s hearts, that is anti-Christ in spirit. In short, the religious spirit behind such leadership is a counterfeit authority spirit which enthrones self rather than Christ, distorts reverence into fear, and uses spiritual language to serve ego and empire. It’s deceptive because it often mimics righteousness while rejecting the true character of God.

These spirits aim to separate us from clarity, peace, and the flow of divine wisdom.

But Not Every Spirit Speaks

But not every spirit speaks! Some reveal themselves by how they move. I remember talking with someone who has a pet snake. She said that one day, she was in the house and she thought she saw something moving. It was quick and fleeting, but she felt like she had seen something. Well, her pet snake had gotten out of its home.

We can’t see the wind, but we can see the effect of it. We see the trees sway or hear the wind chime sing, and we know the wind is blowing. Discerning the spirit behind the voice, then, isn’t just about listening to words, but also watching the movement behind them; the patterns, the posture, and the atmosphere created.

When you see…

·       Honest voices being squeezed, silenced for speaking truth

·       Freedom squeezed, pressed on every side

·       People squeezed, drained of hope, dignity, and peace

·       Families squeezed into a state of survival mode

·       Systems suffocating those they were designed to serve

You are watching life slowly being squeezed out a people. This squeezing is happening quietly, coil by coil, constricting and choking the life out of the person/people. What image comes to your mind? What creature does this sound like to you? I give you one guess.

Have you noticed this invisible current moving through our culture? Things said are being taken out of context. Words are changed into things people never meant. Messages are full of distortions. Conversations that should bring clarity bring confusion. A single word sparks outrage. Misunderstanding becomes the norm. Behind it all, you can feel a power that feeds on pride, offense, confusion, and the refusal to humble oneself. This “twisting” of communication, distorting of truth, and creating division through misunderstanding is not just social decay. There is a spirit behind this behavior,

We must move beyond the headlines and personalities and ask, What is the spirit behind the words, policies, the movements, and the decisions?

Photo Credit - Jon Tyson

ASK...

• From what fountain is this flowing?

• Does it produce peace or pressure?

• oes it draw me closer to truth or deeper into fear?

• Does it exalt Christ or exalt self?

• How do their words affect your heart towards God?

• What do you "see" when you hear their words, and what is the effect of their words?

  
  

Developing Spiritual Acumen

Spiritual acumen grows through intimacy with God. You can’t discern the counterfeit if you don’t know the voice of the real.

It develops through:

• Stillness — tuning your spirit to God's frequency

• Emotional Quieting- clearing interference so discernment is unclouded

• Scripture - sharpen perception through the living Wordlike a two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12).

• Surrender — keep your heart free from pride and offense for pure vision

• Obedience- act on the revelation received

• Purity of intention- keep love as the motive and measure

Final Thought

In this generation, deception won’t always come dressed as evil. It will come dressed as anointed. It will sound moral, just, even godly. But the fountain is not pure.

So before you believe the sound of a voice, remember the question my little grandson taught me to ask: “Who’s talking to you?” Because when you discern the fountain, you guard your faith, your peace, and your purpose.

From Light to Light,

WandaP