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John 10:1-18 (KJV) - Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Jesus tells a parable about a pasture land that is given to the sheep that follow Him. This peaceful pasture land is given through the gift of eternal life. The sheep represent those the Lord has called by name, loved, and cared for. Jesus said that the sheep know His voice and follow Him (into eternal life) - a stranger they will not follow (John 10:3-5).

Many people want to know how to hear God's voice. However, the BIGGER desire (or question) must be to KNOW His voice. God speaks to us all...and so does the devil (and our own lust). The issue is to recognize God's voice above all others, so that when He speaks, you know it is the Lord.

There are many that would ask how they are to hear God's voice. He speaks to us through the Holy Spirit (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit will only speak what He receives from the Father, nothing more, nothing less. The voice we hear could be considered a voice without sound or one that speaks from within (i.e. still small voice).

To recognize His voice, you must be attuned to Him. Just as a new puppy to a home learns to respond to their owner's voice, we do the same with the Lord. Our recognition comes through spending time with Him and understanding His character and Word. The Lord will speak in a manner that is different from the devil or the flesh (lust).

Three Things about God's Direction:

1. God will not contradict (or go against) His Word. Period.

2. God will not go against His character. God is love (1 John 4:6-10). The Scriptures also reveal what love is (1 Corinthians 13:1-8) and some of the Lord's character traits. He will not go against His character in telling you to do something.

3. God's direction will always lead you closer to Him (righteousness, integrity, holiness), not further away.

The Direction of the Devil and the Flesh (Lust)

To describe the devil or the flesh (lust), they are the opposite from God. They will seek to have you contradict God's Word, go against His character (and will), and will lead you further from Him. Their direction is filled with receiving pleasure now and pleasing the emotions of the flesh.

To illustrate this, let's review Matthew 4:1-11 when Jesus was tempted by the devil:

Matthew 4:1-11 (KJV) - Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

1. The devil will use physical needs to tempt you. After fasting 40 days and 40 nights, Jesus was hungry. The devil comes to Him and says if He's hungry, then He should command these stones to be made into bread. The devil is addressing a physical need (hunger), yet Jesus says that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4).

If we live by bread alone or the things only within 'natural' lives, such as sight, taste, touch, or smell, we can be swayed toward sin. Now, this may not occur on the first occasion, so don't believe you got away with something. (Remember, one act of disobedience from Adam caused all mankind to be born into sin.) The devil seeks to steal, kill, and destroy you. He plays for keeps and will lead you down a 'nice looking' path before the final falling away from the Lord and eternal life.

All it takes it a little 'flesh' or sin to spoil the whole man.

2. The devil will also use God's Word against you. If you do not understand God's Word, he will twist it to suit His purposes. In tempting Jesus, the devil takes Him upon a pinnacle of a temple and says, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone (Matthew 4:6).

The scripture the devil is referring to is found in Psalm 91:11-12, For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Jesus responds saying that it is also written that we are not to tempt the Lord thy God (Deuteronomy 6:16; Matthew 4:7).

The Lord will give His angels charge over us, but we are not to test Him by jumping off a building to prove it.

It is important to know God's word and its context!

3. The devil and the flesh (lust) will use emotions to steer (or control) your decisions, such as anger, jealousy, pride, desire for money or status, etc.

Matthew 4:8-9 (KJV) - Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

Lastly, the devil offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them...if He would fall down and worship him. Far too many times people are led into sin and following the devil (and the world) by giving into the glory and pride of life, positions, and possessions (1 John 2:15-17).

We are continually bombarded with thoughts of having more, getting rich, and living the American dream. That dream may be what many desire, but at what cost did they receive it. For them, the cost is often their eternal soul. A person cannot serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24). This is why Jesus responds saying (as it is written), you shall worship the Lord only serve Him (Deuteronomy 6:13; Matthew 4:10).

Desires and emotions can be very strong and consuming. Without a clear thought, they can lead you to do all manner of evil - BECAUSE THEY EXIST WITHOUT CONTROL. This is what the devil and the flesh wants of you - to live without restraint.

James 1:13-15 (KJV) - Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

If you study God's Word long enough, you will find that self-control and discipline is paramount for a child of God (1 Peter 1:13-15).

Where We Go From Here

Now that we understand some basics concerning how the Lord, the devil, and flesh desire to speak to us, it becomes important to recognize when God speaks. A stranger, as Jesus points out in John 10, is someone that the sheep does not recognize. For you, this is the devil and the flesh (lust). They are strangers because they seek to lead you toward eternal destruction rather than eternal life with God.

When the devil and the flesh speak, they are often accomplied by emotional 'pushes' to lead you in a specific direction. (Remember what was written above.) Additionally, their 'voices' sound different from the Lord's. They are often louder (in pushing you) to make a quick decision. They are strangers to your life in God. Let the peace of God rule in your heart (Colossians 3:15).

If there comes a time when you are confused about what to do (or if you hear something you are unsure about), take a moment to pause. If you become overly anxious, worried, upset...you can be tempted to make a bad decision that makes your situation worse.

If you are unsure of the Lord's direction or if He said it, ask Him to confirm His message to you (and pause). This has happened before in the Bible (Judges 6:11-40) and it is OK to ask for confirmation if you cannot recognize His voice. The Lord will often use visions, dreams, other people, or even situations to confirm what He spoke (and if He spoke it).

The Lord may not answer you immediately, but sometimes He does. You have to remain sensitive and open to the Spirit's leading. The Spirit will not move according to your master design for your life (or your timing). As a child of God, you must live according to the Lord's desires...so that when He speaks, you will recognize His voice and take heed to what you hear.

Warning

Be very cautious if you desire ONLY to depend upon other people to speak God's Word to you. Some people would find it easier to just trust what someone else says God wants them to do, rather than hearing from God themselves. Sure, there can be some righteous men and women out there that seek to do God's will, but there are many, many people (i.e. Pastors and other leaders in the church) that will take advantage of you (2 Timothy 3:1-8; 2 Timothy 4:3-4). As Jesus spoke of hirelings in John 10:12-13 that do not care for the sheep, sadly, many of these people surround you today.

Learn to recognize God's voice for yourself so that you will not be a victim to abuse within the church or within your personal life.

A person's position does not guarantee they live under God's authority. Check the fruit of these people - what they do and what they say (Matthew 7:15-20; Acts 17:1-13).

Know His voice! So when He speaks...you listen and follow!