John is warning against false prophets and teachers.  He says that there are ‘many’ false prophets gone out into the world.  There were then, and there definitely is now.  The way to know if a prophet or a teacher is under the influence of a wrong spirit is to look at whether or not they confess or acknowledge that Jesus Christ was born as a man, that He came in the flesh.

We need to have discerning ears when we listen to teachers and prophets—to those who say they are proclaiming the truth.  If the spirit behind them denies either the deity or humanity of Jesus then watch out.  It may not be obvious in what they say.  They may not come right out and say it.  You may have to ‘listen between the lines’ so to speak.

If the influence is there that Jesus Christ is not the Son of God or that Jesus didn’t come as a man, that He wasn’t tempted like us yet didn’t sin, or that He didn’t die or rise again to pay for our sin, then don’t listen to them.  They are not influenced by the Spirit of God.

Confession:

I will not believe everyone who claims to be a prophet or teacher.  I will test to see whether they are of God or not by listening to hear if their teaching agrees that Jesus is the Christ and that He came in the flesh to live as a man and take the punishment for our sins.