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. 1 John 4:1 (NKJV)
Many of us get confused with notions and feelings inside of us; we sometimes start wondering if what we are feeling is God’s urging, or is it something else. To help us all distinguish the spirits a little better, let us look at some basic differences between the way God does business and the way Satan does.
When God gives us direction He is specific in His direction and commands. God is straight forward in what He wants us to do, He may not always show us the whole picture, but He will always be clear on the next step we should take. God will also directly call us out on our sin. God does not make us try to piece the puzzle together of what we are doing wrong; He is very clear and concise in His chastisement and punishment. God desires that we learn from our errors; He wants us to become better, more holy individuals. God convicts us of sin. God is specific.
Satan on the other hand likes to be very general. He works with phrases like: “You are a bad person”, “You will never get it right”, and “You are a failure”. Satan unlike God does not like to convict of sin, he wants to condemn us for sin. He wishes nothing more then for us to fail, be crushed, disqualified and silent. He will run us around in circles, tell us one thing and run around on the other side and tell us the opposite. He works through confusion, generalities, and condemnation.
Remember when trying the spirits you should always go and see what the Bible has to say. Let these facts however serve as red flags in your life; if it is confusing, generalized and condemning it is most likely either of ourselves or satan. While if it is specific, corrective, and redemptive it is more likely of God.
I hope this helps you stop allowing Satan to run you on rabbit trails.
