The Devil’s Anointing: How to Recognize the False Anointing that Mimics the Holy Spirit
A false anointing can be the result of encountering the real.
When something legitimate is observed, and the corresponding result is produced, those who do not know the Spirit and have not paid the price for the anointing may attempt to manufacture what they have observed.
Simon the Sorcerer
A good example is in Acts 8 when Peter came into contact with Simon, the sorcerer. Simon had witnessed the power of the Spirit being transferred by the laying on of hands. Not knowing what to do, Simon asked if he could purchase the power!
And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! You have neither part nor portion in this for your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you” (Acts 8:18-22).
Simon is the perfect example of someone not understanding the anointing and trying to attain it in his own carnal way. It is interesting to consider that the devil doesn’t have an anointing, so he uses natural devices to accomplish his plans.
This whole idea of a false anointing is dangerous territory and of great concern, as it can create a snowball effect. Once a mode or method is advanced that is not of God yet is called a work of God, it has the potential of turning into a practice that is not rooted in God. People who marry that method fortify falsehood and allow a stronghold to be instituted.
False Anointing & Spiritual Encounters
There is an issue whenever an emphasis on experiences supersedes the gospel.
Please hear me—there is a place for desiring spiritual gifts and the things of the Spirit, but never should it replace the gospel. A culture more interested in these things than good and healthy doctrine is of great concern.
By and large, believers have been exposed to less and less Bible, resulting in no bearing and no understanding of right and wrong. Ultimately, the biblically malnourished arrive at a place of little to no discernment—the result is deception.
Rightsizing A False Anointing
The kingdom of darkness does not mind if these believers are caught up in desiring the supernatural. Believers baptized in the washing of the water of His Word are what darkness fears, as the Word of God alone brings a rightsizing to spiritual encounters.
Some might say, “Why is this such a concern and such a big deal?” The Word of God shows us that it is human nature to exchange the truth of God for a lie, which means that if we take anything as truth over the Word of God and then navigate life by that understanding, the lie will take hold—especially in the areas of spiritual things (see Romans 1:25). To rightsize there must be a return to the love of the truth—the Word of God.
Good News
The good news is you can rise to your God-given potential in faith and discernment! Be encouraged, read your Bible, pray in the Spirit, and things will become clear. Do not be led along by every new wind of doctrine or every new experiential thing that comes along. Test the spirits by the Word of God, listen to ongoing healthy teaching, and you will successfully navigate the new mystical things that seem to arrive on the playing field with every generation.
A False Anointing Does All the Right Things For The Wrong Reasons
When a false anointing is in operation, it significantly affects those who don’t know much. The naïve are quick to end up in a false anointing. The way out of this is a correction—even a rebuke.
Correction is Good for Your Soul
Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid (Proverbs 12:1).
I hope to simply cause a love for the Word of God. As there are many things taking place around the world with a variety of unique manifestations, we should be looking at them only from the perspective of the Word of God and keeping our focus on the lordship of Jesus Christ.
Beware of Conspiracies
You are not to say, “It is a conspiracy!” In regard to all that this people call a conspiracy, and you are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it (Isaiah 8:12 NASB1995).
This is a great scripture to consider when dealing with conspiracies and unique issues. Notice it says, “Do not say ‘a conspiracy’ concerning all that this people call a conspiracy.” In other words, do not run along with everything labeled a conspiracy—keep your head on straight!
Conspiracies Hijack What Your Faith is Designed to Do
Conspiracies highjack what your faith is designed to do. We must return to the firm foundation of the Word of God, no matter what comes our way. Yes, some conspiracies are shown to be true. However, the real reason we don’t run down the conspiracy trail—even if the conspiracy is proven true—is it can take our focus away from the Word of God and lead to an obsession over conspiracies.
This generation will be exposed to more strange and weird phenomena than any generation before it. Christians who are prone to conspiracies and the sensational, not having the reins of the Word of God governing their hearts, will fall prey to much of what is coming.
The Answer for Every Believer is to Polish the Glass
Think about looking through a dirty window into an old house—something I did at a very young age with abandoned houses in the country where we lived. To look inside those dirt-worn windows required cupping my hands above my eyes and leaning tightly against the glass while standing on my toes.
Doing this allowed me to see through those dirty windows partially. Straining to see what was inside made me realize that I wouldn’t be able to see much. The glass had a visually obstructing combination of dim lighting and dirty glass. This lack of light and murky glass nearly restricted my visibility altogether. The answer was to shine a light and polish the glass!
It was remarkable to see into this structure when there was light and the advantage of a newly cleaned window. This parallels many people’s lives; they have no sensitivity to the Holy Spirit or the Word of God.
The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23 “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! (Matthew 6:22-23 NASB1977)
Seeing through that dim glass is, among other things, a reference to your soul. Made up of the mind, will, and emotions. Clarity comes through the soulish arena as it is brought into order by the Word of God and prayer. If the soul is cluttered, so is everything else. David played the harp for Saul, and it caused a tormenting spirit to leave him, and peace would come to his soul (see 1 Samuel 16:23).
Today we have Jesus, and as a result, believers have a much higher level of access to the peace God provides. We find clarity and achieve greater insights into the spirit realm through peace.
The Mirror
This understanding of a dim mirror is very insightful. Now we see in a mirror is a reference to how we see our identity from the Word of God. The Word of God is the mirror!
James 1:23 describes the Word of God as a type of mirror, saying, “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror.” The understanding here is that when anyone hears the Word of God, they are given an image of who they are.
Their identity is being laid out before them. However, after leaving the presence of the revelatory reflection presented, they go away and forget what they looked like. The Word reflects who you are in Jesus. You forget the image you were meant to walk in when you do not renew your mind to what you heard.
Second Corinthians 3:18 drives this understanding home for us even more! “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
