Testing the Spirits

4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this [fn]the Spirit of God is known: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not confess [fn]that Jesus [fn]Christ has come in the flesh is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and is now in the world already. 4 You are from God, little children, and you have overcome them, because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.