The Counterfeit Spirit: Rethinking “Holy Ghost Power”

I grew up in Pentecostalism.

Apart from a brief stint as a bus kid in a Mennonite church, it was the only Christian culture I knew until my mid-thirties. We were taught from an early age to revere the “power” and the “presence” in our church services. Looking back, I don’t recall hearing much about Jesus Christ or the Gospel, or even God the Father. The centerpiece of our worship was always the “Holy Ghost.” The “Holy Ghost” was what made people spin like tops, headbang like they were in a heavy metal concert, shoot bobby pins from their hair like machine gun fire, roll on the floor, and shriek in fits of ecstasy. One year it inspired a bunch of girls to “birth spiritual babies.” (I’m still scratching my head over that one.)

It was also the force behind unintelligible, shouted gibberish that would hush an entire congregation so someone could deliver a supposed message from God.

I was thirteen years old when I first questioned this “power.”

We were told that when people spoke in tongues and interpreted, it was God speaking through them. They always ended their pronouncements with, “Thus saith the Lord” and because of that, whatever was spoken in these instances was considered as solid as Scripture. It was NOT to be questioned.

I had taken this instruction to heart, but I couldn’t help but see a glaring flaw.

If these messages were truly from God, then why was God lying?

Some of those so-called messages in tongues were aimed at me, and they were full of things that weren’t true.

I’ll spare you all the horrific details of this mess, but when I was thirteen, I was sexually abused by a deacon’s son. This was handled in an abhorrent manner. The church leaders worked together to conceal the matter, protect the abuser, and vilify and discredit me.

For months afterward, many of these individuals used “messages in tongues” during church services to publicly shame, humiliate, and pressure me to bend to their agenda. They used them to “confirm” I was a liar, and “promised” that God would expose me. They used them to paint the picture that I was a harlot, not to be trusted. They used them to demand confession or else “God” would punish me severely. At the same time, their messages spoke SWELLING words of encouragement and comfort over the man who had harmed me. They promised him that God would vindicate him! People would act as though they were overcome with the power of the Holy Ghost and then they would whisper cruel things in my ear, as if they were sent by God to rebuke and terrify me.

But I knew the truth.

I knew my abuser was going unpunished.  

I knew these leaders were covering for him.

In fact, because these leaders protected him, the abuse continued for the next 3 years, and all the while these “spiritual manifestations” continued in his favor.

I knew that God saw everything.

He knew these people were using this “power” to bully and intimidate me.

I did not know a lot about God, but I knew, deep down, that He was all-knowing, and that HE cannot lie—so that made me take a hard look at what these people called “God.”

That was my first window into the warped nature of “spiritual gifts” fueled by this entity designated as the “Holy Ghost” within Pentecostal churches .

I didn’t write their version of the “Holy Ghost” off entirely at that point, but in hindsight I wish I had. When I examine the fruit of this “power” everywhere it showed up in my life I can’t think of a single instance where pride wasn’t the fuel.

Whether it was performance, demonstrating spirituality to others, receiving a grand calling, being showered with lavish words of encouragement, or folks manipulating others within the church—the fruit of this spirit all around me was not good.

I eventually untangled from Pentecostalism entirely. When I began to study Scripture in context, ugly truths emerged that I couldn’t unsee. But alongside them, a beautiful reality came into focus: the true work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. What I found in Scripture was far different from what I had experienced in my Pentecostal upbringings.

Here’s what I discovered:

1. The Holy Spirit Points to Christ, Not to Himself.

Jesus Himself tells us what the Holy Spirit’s role is:

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:13-14, ESV)

The Holy Spirit does not draw attention to Himself. His role is to point people to Christ and the Gospel.✅

Have you ever noticed that in many churches the “Holy Ghost” or “the Spirit” takes center stage? The Spirit is the main attraction rather than Christ. People come to see what this power will do. But Scripture is clear: the Spirit teaches and reminds believers of Christ’s words (John 14:26) and the Spirit testifies about Christ (John 15:26). That’s not what we see in services where the “Spirit” is the focal point. Instead of pointing people to Christ, it draws attention to itself—or to the men leading the show. It makes an exhibition of itself. 🚩

2. The Holy Spirit Speaks Through God’s Word, Not Mystical Guesswork

Many people treat the Holy Spirit as a mystical, elusive force—something that must be tapped into to gain spiritual stamina, strength, and insight. It must be deciphered through impressions, vague feelings, or supernatural signs. People often say things like, “I feel like the Spirit is leading me…” or “I sense the Holy Ghost is saying…” as if God’s Spirit communicates in riddles and subjective emotions.🚩

But the Bible presents a completely different picture. The Holy Spirit does not operate like a cryptic oracle, requiring guesswork to understand His voice—He speaks clearly through God’s Word. ✅

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

The Holy Spirit breathed out Scripture, meaning He does not need to rely on vague, personal revelations. The Bible is sufficient for teaching, correction, and guidance.

John 17:17 – “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”

The Spirit does not lead people into subjective interpretations but sanctifies through the clear, objective truth of God’s Word.

Hebrews 4:12 – “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

The Holy Spirit uses Scripture to convict, correct, and transform, not fleeting impressions or emotional impulses.

When people rely on subjective experiences instead of Scripture, they open the door to deception. Instead of being led by the Holy Spirit, they are tossed around by emotions, imagination, and self-appointed “interpreters” of the Spirit. Just like the priests at Delphi controlled people through ambiguous prophecies, modern charismatic leaders do the same by claiming special insight into the Spirit’s “hidden” meanings.🚩

But the Holy Spirit is not an enigmatic force whispering riddles—He is God, and He has spoken with clarity through His Word.

3. The Spirit Convicts the World Concerning Sin, Righteousness, and Judgment

The Holy Spirit’s role in the world is often misunderstood, especially in movements that emphasize emotional experiences over biblical truth. In John 16:8, Jesus clearly defines one of the Spirit’s primary functions:

“And when He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.”

This means the Holy Spirit does not simply bring power, energy, or spiritual experiences—He exposes reality. His work is to confront the world with the truth about sin, the necessity of Christ’s righteousness, and the certainty of judgment.✅

Left to itself, the world does not recognize its own rebellion against God. Human nature is inclined to justify sin, ignore its consequences, or redefine it as something harmless. But the Holy Spirit reveals the depth of our corruption and our desperate need for a Savior. This conviction of sin is not a vague feeling of guilt; it is a piercing awareness that we have sinned against a holy God. When Peter preached at Pentecost, the crowd was “cut to the heart” (Acts 2:37). That’s the work of the Spirit—not emotional hype, but the undeniable realization of personal guilt before God. Without this conviction, there is no true repentance, and without repentance, there is no salvation.

The Spirit also convicts the world of righteousness. Jesus said He would convict the world of righteousness “because I go to the Father” (John 16:10). Christ’s departure meant that His followers would no longer have Him physically present as their example of true righteousness. The Spirit, then, continues His work by pointing people to the perfect righteousness of Christ. This conviction is not about self-improvement or moral striving—it is about realizing that our own righteousness is insufficient. The Spirit reveals that human efforts, religious experiences, and personal goodness cannot save us. The only righteousness that matters is Christ’s righteousness—which is freely given to those who trust in Him (Philippians 3:9).

Finally, the Spirit convicts the world of judgment, because “the ruler of this world is judged” (John 16:11). Many people live as if there are no consequences for sin, as if God will overlook their rebellion. But the Spirit warns that judgment is real. Just as Satan has already been condemned, so too will all (including those in church environments) who follow him in rejecting Christ.

4. The Holy Spirit Works in Order, Not in Chaos

1 Corinthians 14:33 states, “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.” ✅

For years we were taught to think the “best services” were the ones that descended into disorderly spectacles. People convulse, roll on the floor, percolate like a tea kettle, or fall into frenzied states, and everyone walks away in awe, proclaiming they had such an awesome move of God. But have you ever asked why? What exactly is accomplished through these strange manifestations? What purpose do they have? Do they bring glory to God? How? These actions bear more resemblance to pagan mysticism than biblical Christianity. They make a person LOOK spiritual, but who benefits from that image?🚩

The Holy Spirit leads believers into truth, not confusion or deception (John 16:13). Yet, in many circles, the “Holy Spirit” often contradicts Scripture. This so-called “Spirit” is supposedly responsible for giving people fresh revelations, prophetic words, and special spiritual insights into Scripture. These revelations tend to contradict one another and they make a whole lot of noise and confusion that’s difficult for people to sort through or understand. And a significant percentage of the “anointed” messages consistently take Scripture out of context and distract from the plain meaning of the Word. Would God anoint someone to take His Word and twist it? That actually sounds like someone else we know… 😈(Matthew 4:1-11)

Paul rebukes such chaos in 1 Corinthians 14:40: “But all things should be done decently and in order.”

Looking back, I see now that what I thought was the Holy Spirit “giving me understanding” was nothing more than a deceptive force leading me into error. When I thought the Holy Spirit was “opening Scripture up to me in a whole new way” it was actually encouraging phony interpretations. The help I received from this ‘entity’ wasn’t anchored in the text but in sensations and subjective impressions. And that’s exactly the problem—this spirit distracts people from the actual words of God and replaces them with personal experiences.

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.” (1 Timothy 4:1, ESV) What exactly is this entity that so many invite into their lives? If it leads them into error? If it ignites a passion for grandiose ambitions? If it inspires men to twist Scripture? If it fixates their faith on experience rather than truth? If it’s anchored in performances? If it creates an addiction to emotions and signs rather than to God’s Word?

Hmm. It sure doesn’t sound Holy! Yikes.

5. The Fruit of the Holy Spirit Isn’t Showmanship

The Holy Spirit’s work is quiet – its not showy or ostentatious. It enables us to quietly live out our lives in obedience to God’s Word. It enables us to be patient and loving with one another, to forbear grievances and show respect toward others. It shines brightest in the unseen places and within our day to day relationships.

Galatians 5:22-23 tells us the fruit of the Spirit is: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” ✅

I remember a leader who preached nearly every service on the subject of the Holy Ghost—but this man, outside of church, was a liar, hateful, impatient, controlling, cruel, and manipulative. As a young person, I couldn’t help but wonder why a person who loved the Holy Spirit so much would have no fruit of it in their life. Unfortunately, this man wasn’t the exception. He was part of a strong pattern where people displayed a show of “Holy Ghost power” with a lively jig or a growly sermon, but then had zero evidence in their lives.

With the exception of tussled hair and rumpled clothing from all the wild activity, people would walk in one way and leave the same. 🚩

6. False Spirits DO Masquerade as the Holy Spirit

Scripture warns us that not every spirit is from God.🚩

2 Corinthians 11:14 tells us, “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”

And 1 John 4:1 commands us to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God.”

The Bible repeatedly warns against false teachers who deceive by signs and wonders (Matthew 7:22-23; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). Just because something is supernatural does not mean it is from God. The true Holy Spirit aligns with Scripture and magnifies Christ. ✅

Instead of pointing people to Christ, many of these movements condition people to chase feelings rather than truth, making emotional experiences the measure of their spirituality. This obscures the Gospel by shifting the focus away from Christ’s finished work on the cross and onto an endless pursuit of supernatural encounters. Instead of resting in the righteousness of Christ, people are led to believe they must reach deeper levels of spiritual ecstasy to experience God’s presence. Instead of humbling themselves in repentance, they are taught to “press in” for greater manifestations.

The true Gospel tells us that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9), but these counterfeit movements turn faith into a striving for mystical experiences, leaving people spiritually exhausted and always seeking, but never arriving at the truth (2 Timothy 3:7). The Holy Spirit does not drive people into a cycle of emotional highs and lows—He convicts, regenerates, and sanctifies, leading them to trust in Christ, not their feelings.

Final Thoughts

What I experienced in Pentecostalism was not the Holy Spirit. It was a counterfeit—a spirit that fueled deception, emotional highs, and spiritual abuse. The true Holy Spirit glorifies Christ, points us to Scripture, and produces genuine transformation, conforming the believer to Christ’s image through sanctification. Any spirit that does otherwise is not of God.

If you are in a church where the focus is on power, manifestations, and experiences rather than Christ and His Gospel, I urge you to test the spirits—and measure them by the standard of God’s Word. If a movement emphasizes the “Holy Ghost” more than Christ, if it values experience over Scripture, if it thrives on emotional chaos rather than biblical truth, then it is not led by the true Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit does not seek to make us flail, wail, or fall under a trance. He seeks to convict us of sin (John 16:8), lead us into truth (John 16:13), and conform us to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29).

That is the true work of the Holy Spirit.