The Holy Spirit vs the enemy spirit

What’s the difference between a critical spirit and speaking the truth in love? I believe it’s a very similar question to the difference between the Holy Spirit and the enemy spirit, Satan.

Same starting point

Both can start with the same data: “Something isn’t quite right.” With a critical spirit, inspired by the enemy spirit whose very name “Satan” means accuser, it’s possible that the observation is flat out wrong – a lie from the pit of hell. An accusation can be totally false, and a critical spirit can assume motives that are polar opposite to the truth.

But let’s assume for a moment that we’re talking about something that actually isn’t quite right. Something that’s truly amiss: an error either in action or attitude, a sin of either omission or commission. Both a critical spirit and the Biblical mandate to speak the truth in love can start from that same accurate observation. Both Holy Spirit and enemy spirit can truthfully point out something that needs attention.

But facing opposite directions

From the same starting point, however, everything moves in opposite directions. A critical spirit is devoid of love. A critical spirit is rooted in pride, comparison, and judgment. Oftentimes highly judgmental people are operating out of their own unhealed wounding, and perhaps wrestling with unforgiveness either toward themselves or toward others.

Satan’s accusations, even if accurate, always have a goal of hopelessness. Satan came to steal, kill, and destroy, and the purpose in pointing out something that’s wrong is to dig the hole deeper, driving either the other person or ourselves into despair. Confession, forgiveness, healing, reconciliation, trusting dependency… all of those are the last result Satan wants to see.

Speaking the truth in love, inspired by Holy Spirit, is powered by the limitless love of God, and points in that direction. Hope is the goal, and hopeful is the tone. Love believes all things, trusts all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Speaking the truth in love deepens friendship, not produces enemies. 

The rub

Many of us have seen the damage of a critical spirit, and want nothing to do with that. That’s good! But it’s so easy to overcorrect and drive into the other ditch, never speaking the truth in love. We become peacekeepers instead of peacemakers. The Body remains weak and immature as a result.

I wrote Jesus’ Surprising Strategy all the way back in 2013, only two years into giving full time attention to Jesus’ John 17 prayer for unity. Twelve years ago I felt like God pointed out at least five different levels of unity: the first two levels fairly common, and the last three highly uncommon. I referred to “speaking the truth in love” as the least common of all. Amazingly… I still agree with myself!

If only we could learn how to engage in difficult conversations and do so where the whole environment has the aroma of love… Ask any healthy and long-lasting marriage (note - both healthy and enduring) the secret of their success, and I can virtually guarantee that if they’re still growing in love, it’s because they’ve learned how to work through challenges as a team, instead of avoiding them or worse, trying to win every argument. 

The antidote to a critical spirit isn’t to never confront – it’s to learn how to love deeply enough to overcome our fears and speak the truth in love.