jesusinsight

Interference and Spiritual Growth: A Call for Discernment

  1. The Nature of Interference

Interference is a disruption in a person's spiritual life, often masquerading as concern, spiritual insight, or guidance. It frequently comes when we are most vulnerable — younger, less experienced, or seeking direction — and can cause confusion, distress, and even spiritual harm.

Some who interfere appear trustworthy, even "nice", but may carry personal issues, hidden motives, or unresolved pain. Their influence can create spiritual noise that distracts from your relationship with God.

Note: Jesus does not bring confusion. He strengthens, uplifts, and speaks truth in love. Anything that brings undue fear, shame, or spiritual chaos is not from Him.

  1. The Church vs. Outsiders

The Church — your spiritual home and community — is meant to be a place of covering, protection, and order. It is not the role of an outsider to step in as an authority over your life.

Outsiders may:

  • Share inappropriate or untested "words from God."
  • Say things privately they would never say in the presence of Church leadership.
  • Misuse Scripture or speak from unresolved psychological issues and agendas.

The Church provides discernment, accountability, and mature counsel. When interference comes from outside this structure, it is often spiritually unhealthy and destabilising.

  1. The Impact of Harmful Words

Words have power. Misguided or false spiritual counsel can stay in a person's mind for years, causing confusion and spiritual damage. If someone says disturbing or false things to you under the guise of "spiritual guidance," expose it. Don't let secrecy protect dysfunction.

"Test the spirits" (1 John 4:1). Not everyone who claims spiritual insight is speaking from God.

Even well-meaning and experienced people can say the wrong thing in the moment. A friend was harshly told he was not healed by a well-known person in a genuine healing ministry, because he did not have faith. That error stuck with this friend his whole life as a sorrow and regret.

  1. Personal Experiences and Signs of Interference

Interference often happens:

  • In one-on-one conversations, away from accountability.
  • With someone claiming authority because "God told them" to say something.
  • In public shaming or spiritual posturing that leaves a person isolated or devalued.

A person in ongoing, unrepentant sin cannot rightly offer spiritual advice. True spiritual leadership comes through humility, servanthood, and character — not through dominance or spiritual showmanship, or someone at odds with a perceived "right" agenda which conflicts with the Lord.

  1. Manipulation and Entrapment

Harmful interference often promotes entrapment — controlling dynamics where spiritual freedom is suppressed. Some manipulators use fear, guilt, or spiritual threats:

  • "Do what I say or God won't bless you."
  • "You're not growing in Christ unless you follow this exact instruction."
  • "You are not grown enough so you don't know yet."
  • "If you do not agree you are in sin as much as the sinner is."

These tactics are abusive, and not representative of how Jesus interacts with His people. His yoke is easy, His burden is light (Matthew 11:30).

  1. Spiritual Abuse and Long-Term Damage

At critical moments in your walk with God, interference can feel like an assault. Many people, deeply hurt by these experiences, leave the Church for years or even decades. That alone is a tragic testament to the damage caused.

Some individuals even claim "demonic knowledge" of your past, using it to shame or disarm your growth and expose you to others who then want nothing to do with you. This is manipulation, self-glorification, and may border on occultism — something utterly incompatible with Christian faith.

The past is forgiven. We do not shame people over what Christ has already redeemed. Where is the respect to trust Jesus to save and sanctify his own beloved, with us as good stewards.

  1. Choosing the True Source of Healing

If you're seeking healing, be discerning. Choose the path of biblical growth and faith, not sensationalism or occult-like revelations about your past.

You may face a choice:

  • Join a faithful, Bible-believing community that prays for your healing and growth.
  • Or, follow the "knowledge" of someone who taps into mysterious or supernatural claims apart from Christ, even at times saying they are providing the way of Christ.

The Gospel offers full salvation, not half-baked solutions. God does not need clairvoyants or spiritual middlemen to work in your life. Quick fix fortune telling does not work and never has.

  1. Beware of Deception

False spiritual leaders can look convincing. They may enter a church "with razzle and dazzle", but have no spiritual foundation. Paul warned that even Satan masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14) – meaning the outcome is not good.

Church communities can be vulnerable when people chase appearance over substance. I've seen entire church regions dismantled by illusions — by people turning away from their appointed leaders to follow deception.

The way someone "dresses" may either reflect who they are, or who one "thinks" they are.

  1. Scammers and Spiritual Charlatans

Much like scammers in the secular world, spiritual manipulators prey on:

  • Naivety
  • Past trauma
  • Emotional vulnerability
  • Fear and threat
  • Group pressure
  • Exclusivity
  • Tools such as punishment (not discipline), exclusion in the name of love and so on
  • Imposed guilt and loss of Freedom in Christ
  • Control or deception based on misuse of scripture, or current social views, education or extent of knowledge

Surprisingly, people often trust strangers more than their own Church family. But true safety comes from wise counsel and spiritual accountability — not from secrets or private "downloads" from supposed prophets.

When people are on a barren track, the dirt of the ground, the wilderness, what can they offer?

  1. The Fruits of the Spirit vs. the Fruits of Rage

True spiritual leadership bears good fruit — love, joy, peace, patience. When someone is shouting at you to obey, ask: Where is the fruit?

People may justify rage by saying it's "righteous anger," but more often, it's a triggered emotional outburst, not Spirit-led conviction.

Put down your sword until you've learned when to pick it up.

  1. Arrogance Disqualifies

Even if a message makes logical sense, arrogance in the messenger disqualifies the message. Arrogance is not from God — it reveals a heart not submitted to Him. We need a stronger Church that closes the door to such behaviour and guards the flock more closely.

Misrepresentation of scripture is diverse and voluminous. Jesus will witness peace with truth. Jesus lives with us as the Holy Spirit is in our Spirit (see John's first letter).

  1. Social Values and Knowledge

From time to we we come across controversial questions and answers. Most of the population is sincerely wanting to follow their leaders and have not devoted huge amounts of time to things like thought processes, awareness, where people's views are coming from and so on. We just want to follow Jesus in good faith, so it is easy for many good people to be upset by hinting at threatening to shake up those sincere desires. Therefore, the flock is either being nurtured and protected, or to self ends being manipulated, which is revolting. In these situations it is of key help to know where a teaching has come from. We may be told what to think now and accept what society says, what educational institutions say, what leaders say, but where does it all come from?

When electricity was invented, people completely and therefore confidently thought it would cure any disease or ailment. Hence the origins of electroconvulsive  therapy (ECT). Electro shock therapy has been legally banned in various countries, but still exists in various forms today. Various medical and government institutions will make ECT sound okay, but other sources give the case as to why it is inhumane and must be banned. We will see this issue of for and against in our hot news topics today.

The more a limited extent of content and view is repeated to the public, the more it gains ground. This bias and subsequent emotions and activities is one of our greatest challenges.

So yes, we do have examples. There are many. We may be shocked to learn of falsehoods that have been re-packaged and passed down to us. We just don't know these things until we see them in black and white in historical records. Concerning principles, our article on Slavery is a good example. Some examples have shocking impact on people's lives, or are topics or darkness the Lord prefers we do not go into, not because we can't look at the content, but the presentation is a concern for the purposes of this website and people's benefit.

So what else is there not on those historical records that we do have? This should not shake us around if we are developing in discernment and right judgement through the work of the Lord. If anything, it shows validation of good development.

Final Thoughts: The Call to Discernment

Interference is always designed to distract from the deeper relationship we are meant to have with Jesus. It confuses, derails, and discourages. It is poor if not bad performance.

Everything in this world will pass — our possessions, achievements, and even our health. But our life in Christ is eternal, and so is His Word. You may know nothing about the person who badgers you into thinking God has told them what to tell you, which may also be about their own issues and needs for recognition. If the enemy of Christ knows a critical vulnerability it can be highly painful if targeted. This experience is bound to happen at some stage in our life.

Don't let interference throw a spanner in the works. Walk closely with God. Stay accountable. Test everything. Love the Church. And never substitute the Spirit of God for the voice of a stranger. We love the discernment Christ placed within us when we were born of His Spirit. Those who are vulnerable are more easily targeted, such as new Christians or people under duress.

Sometimes people fantasise about what they think is in their senses and emotions, believing they are in a valid prophetic position, but the content is frankly ridiculous and won't mean anything real. If, however, there is a genuine prophetic concern from the Church, we must pray to have revealed what is for our protection and guidance. The Apostle Paul faced this issue when others cried at his leaving them. When younger, I personally had friends whom the elders pleaded not to leave their Church. It was not of the characteristic of interference. I do not know how this was dealt with in prayer and Spirit as I was too young, but the outcome was bad. I cannot share more on this. Confusion sets in when we are disturbed by genuine interference, but heartfelt seeking can be one of our experiences when confronted with a situation we must ultimately deal with.

When someone interferes you should know if this is the case, and refuse to allow their words to move into your heart. If someone predicts anything terrible will happen to you, in your prayers reject it so the enemy does not have the foothold and legal right to make that happen. Often the person who upsets is the one who eventually you never see again or who does not really care about you anyway. There are at times a word from the Lord is about what a person is doing or has done to you or a loved one. What the Lord leads you in is consistent and will not be at odds with the years he has taken with you to know His voice, character and presence. The Holy Spirit moves in various ways. At times we face the unexpected, at other times the Lord reminds us to let things unfold while we remain at peace, he may say it is time to take action that is in faith or coupled with being informed, or at times he lets us know what another person is going to ask so we may prepare a good response. If someone is interfering you may seek the Lord on how to handle the situation, or even take a stance to cut the person's action off if necessary. We are not required to be subject to or yield to that which people want for our own disablement and submission. The Lord works with us as people, not as robots or slaves to any form of brainwashing and consequential error.