Spirit and discernment of spirits

"My dear friends, not every spirit is to be trusted, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets are at large in the world. This is the proof of the Spirit of God: any spirit which acknowledges Jesus Christ come in human nature, is from God, and no spirit which fails to acknowledge Jesus is from God; it is the spirit of the Antichrist, whose coming you have heard of; he is already at large in the world." (1 John 4: 1 – 3)

Principles of discernment:

• "By their fruits you shall know them." (Matthew 7: 15 – 20)
  
• "Whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him." (1 John 2: 3 – 6)
  
• "Every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh." (1 John 4: 2-3)