Mark 16:19-20 “So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. (20) And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.”
In this section, we will discuss the second evidence for identifying supernatural manifestations that are not the work of the Holy Spirit: signs that do not confirm the word of God. Clear evidence that supernatural signs are the work of demonic spirits is when they occur without the proclamation of God’s word.
In the above quoted passage of Scripture, our Lord had just instructed His disciples to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). The Scripture continues by stating that as we obey and preach the gospel, Jesus works with us, confirming His word with accompanying signs. This passage primarily refers to preaching the gospel to the unsaved, where signs and wonders—such as healings—are allowed by the Lord to help people believe the gospel and be saved. However, the principle of the Lord confirming His word also applies to signs and wonders manifested in the church.
When the word of God is taught in the church, the Lord often confirms it through the manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit. The apostle Paul supports this truth in Galatians 3:5, where he explains that God supplies His Spirit and works miracles among us by the hearing of faith. The "hearing of faith" Paul refers to is the preaching of God’s word, for faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). Therefore, churches that faithfully teach the word of God can expect the Lord to confirm His word through the operation of the gifts of the Spirit.
What is unscriptural, however, is when churches or ministers teach very little, if any, of the word of God yet still experience supernatural manifestations in their meetings. Such manifestations would, at the very least, be of questionable origin.
Acts 14:3 “Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.”
The above passage of scripture again confirms the truth that God bears witness to the word of His grace. Where the word of God's grace is proclaimed, it is normal for the saints to experience the gifts of the Spirit being manifested in their midst. Many churches do not teach sound doctrine but rather proclaim a distorted gospel, and they do not experience any signs and wonders in their midst—which is entirely scriptural, as the Lord cannot confirm the distorted word that they teach. However, other churches and ministers also proclaim a distorted gospel yet experience signs and wonders in their midst. These churches and ministers have stepped into a realm of the supernatural which is not from God, because the principle remains the same: the Lord will only confirm His word and cannot confirm a gospel that is not His.
Hebrews 2:1-4 “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. (2) For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, (3) how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, (4) God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?”
The above passage of scripture clearly teaches that God bears witness, with signs and wonders, to His proclaimed word. In some parts of the church today, meetings are held where little if any of God's word is taught, yet they still experience various "signs and wonders." God does not violate His word, so these signs and wonders do not originate from Him. The false prophets who display these supernatural manifestations consistently teach a distorted gospel that focuses on signs and wonders rather than salvation and righteousness. Although these ministers teach no sound doctrine and very little of the gospel, they can produce supernatural manifestations through their ministries because they work with demonic powers rather than the Holy Spirit. The majority of their teaching and preaching consists of stories and testimonies designed to encourage their audience to seek after signs and wonders and be "open" to the spirit realm.
Michael E.B. Maher
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