The Dangers of Spiritual Life 365
naturally then, all resources from God are cut off. And it is hence
impossible for such ones to continue to experience true spiritual life.
Should Christians be insensitive to their condition, Satan assaults
them even more mercilessly. He may either mislead them (at a time
when they are unconscious of the presence of God) into thinking they
are living by faith, or make them suffer without a cause under the
delusion that they are suffering with Christ in their spirit. Wherefore
Satan by means of a false spirit deceives believers into obeying his
will. Such experiences occur to spiritual but undiscerning Christians.
Spiritual ones ought to possess spiritual knowledge so that all
their movements can be governed by spiritual reasoning. They
should not act impulsively according to fleeting emotion or flashing
thought. They should never be in haste. Every action must be
scrutinized with spiritual insight in order that only what is approved
by the spirit’s intuitive knowledge is permitted. Nothing should be
done which is propelled by excited feeling or abrupt thought;
everything must be carefully and quietly examined before it is
executed.
To examine and test our walk is a very important element in
following the spirit. Believers should not while away their spiritual
life foolishly; they must examine carefully all thoughts, feelings, etc.,
which come to them in order to discern whether these arise from God
or from themselves. The natural inclination is to take life easy, to
adapt oneself to whatever happens. If so, one will often welcome
what the enemy has arranged. Usually we do not investigate these
matters, but Scripture commands us to “test everything” (1 Thess.
5.21). Herein lies both a characteristic and a strength of spiritual
believers. They “interpret spiritual truths in spiritual language” (1
Cor. 2.13 RSV marginal). The word “interpret” here means in the
original “compare” (RSV marginal), “mixing” or “putting together”
(Darby note), or “determined” (Darby note). The Holy Spirit
purposely gives spiritual believers such power for them to use to test