How do we discern an angel in our midst? 1 Cor 12 gives us information about the gifts of the Holy Spirit and one of those gifts is the “discerning of spirit”. It is not the “gift of discernment” but the “gift of the discerning of spirits”.
Spirits are unseen entities. God is a spirit. So when you operate in this gift of discerning of spirits then you can discern or pickup on God’s presence.
Here’s an example I am sure that you all have probably encountered with this gift in operation whether you knew it or not and that was a time you met someone and knew instantly they were a Christian. This has happened to me several times. There was one time I even discerned right away a couple were pastors. I just picked up on this, discerned it by the gift of discerning of spirits. You and I discerned they were Christians because of the spirit of Christ in them.
Every born again Christian has this gift in them by the Holy Spirit who resides in them. Every Christian has this gift but for the gift to operate in them they will have to cultivate the gift of discerning of spirit and use it.
Like when you are in a worship service and you feel the spirit of God and you may have told another person, “I really feel the presence of God.” Why? Because you discerned by this gift of discernment, God’s presence.
Cultivating the gift of discernment and using it you will be able to discern the spirit of God’s presence, the presence of a demonic spirit, the presence of an angel or the natural spirit in a person or their nature inside just as you discerned or picked up in your spirit, “That person is a Christian.” Since you know about this gift now, you will readily discern a difference.
God is a spirit, angels are spirits and demons are spirits, so with the gift of discerning of spirits you can discern and ascertain the identity of those spirits and their presence. You can use that gift and you can tell which of these entities is present. This gift is inherent in the Holy Spirit.
This gift resides in your spirit where the Holy Spirit dwells since you got born again. This gift is in the Holy Spirit and it’s in you and it is there so that you will not be confused in this hour what spirit you are encountering; whether it is the Lord, angels, demons or the natural spirit of man. So we can discern angels.
In order to pick up on angels we need to believe they are there in the room with us. Angels are always with us. We should be glad of that since there is so much demonic in this earth.
God is with us in the earth all the time. The bible tells us,
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. KJV
The bible also tells us that angels are encamped around us,
Ps 34:7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.KJV
So angels are right here with us, even in the room or place we are right now. So we first have to believe they are present.
Secondly, we must believe we can see angels. God made us so that we can see angels. We just have not tuned into the spirit and believed we could see in the spirit is why we haven’t seen them.
Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know (or see)… KJV
Ephesians 1 tells us we have eyes to see in the spirit and we can see angels with these eyes of the spirit man.
Next we need to ask the Holy Spirit to show us the angel in the room for He is the One that will show us.
So right now just close your eyes and say, “Holy Spirit, where is there an angel in this room?”
When the Holy Spirit teaches you how to discern angels it is the same way He will teach you how to give a prophetic word and everything else, He will lead you. So just as he moved on you to prophecy or used you for anything else just ask Him where the angel is and then wait for Him to tell you.
Maybe at first you might not see an angel but ask Him to describe the angel to you and its location.
And if you don’t right off see the angel just practice this every day until you do and say, “Holy Spirit, I know there is an angel in the room. Please show me where the angel is. Please tell me about the angel.
And then just wait on Him like you have done when you got a prophetic word, word of knowledge, etc. Just wait and listen and look into your spirit what He reveals.
You might see like a bolt of light which are cherubim angels.
Sometimes your natural eyes can be opened to see the angel and other times you just know an angel is there because the Holy Spirit opened your understanding to the angel. Angels don’t appear unless God desires.
It would be all right if you declared, “I see,” because in Ephesians 1:18 it says,
Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; KJV
This scripture says, “The eyes of our understanding.” It is the eyes of your understanding that are opened.
So you start getting understanding from the Holy Spirit. He will put in your thoughts, “There is an angel over there.” “This is why the angel is here.” He might even tell you his name because there is a reason this angel has that name and has come to minister to you for that purpose. These are things I have experienced
God assigns an angel to you for life.
Rom 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. KJV
God even assigns angels to your ministry and they will never leave because that is their assignment. The angels are here to help you in your ministry and make it easier. The more angels you have assisting you the better.
You are the assignment of angels in the earth.
We need to love our angels and use them and that pleases God.
The bible talks about stewardship and stewardship is more than stewarding finances for you are a steward over everything God gives you. He has given you the angels to assist you and so you need to use them, and yes, according to the Word of God and the will of God, and receive from them the plan of God for your life and the purpose of God for your life for which he has sent them.