Stop Letting Feelings Lead Your Faith - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - December 30, 2025
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2-3, ESV).
After lovingly warning a friend of the dangers of a particular false teacher she was going to see at a conference, she got offended with me and said something along the lines of "I have the Holy Spirit! Don't you think I will be able to discern or sense His conviction if something's not right??"
In this instance, my friend was emphasizing what she believed the Holy Spirit was telling her by how it made her feel at the time.
Friends, but that is not how we as Christians are to live. We are to walk in the Spirit, and the Holy Spirit guides us into all truth (John 16), which is found in the Word of God, not by an 'unction' or 'funny feeling.' Relying on our feelings means we are putting our confidence in our flesh, and our flesh will only lead us away from righteousness and God's truth. Since the human heart is deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9), it can lead us astray if we rely on or try to follow its sometimes-emotional leadings. This is how people in the world live their lives. #allthefeels
The Apostle Paul encourages believers to live differently:
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2-3, ESV)
We must search the scriptures to learn how to walk in God's ways. The Spirit of God is the one who works in us to transform us and strengthen us to walk in righteousness.
Studying the Bible is how our mind is renewed and how we are sanctified as believers. We cannot walk in righteousness based on how we feel, whether something is right or wrong, and call it conviction. I am sure there are ways I am accidentally or unknowingly violating God's perfect law, even though the Holy Spirit indwells me- I still wrestle with a sin nature even as a believer. I must abide in Christ and die to self daily. We abide in Christ through faith by abiding in His Word by the grace and power of the Holy Spirit. Faith in Christ comes by hearing the Word of God, after all (Romans 10:17). The Holy Spirit is constantly transforming us from our new birth until we meet Jesus face-to-face.
Since we cannot entirely depend on our feelings to determine whether something is sinful or not, we also cannot depend on our feelings to determine whether something is true or false. Regarding discernment, are you testing everything against scripture? That is where we gain knowledge to be able to test all things and judge righteously. We must ensure that everything we hear preached in the name of Christ aligns with His Holy Word.
Friends, if I were to depend solely on feelings, I would be wrong quite often. As believers, we do not "sense it in our spirit"- that's called human intuition. We don't rely on intuition; we walk in the Spirit, dear ones. And the Spirit will use the Bible to light our path and show us how to walk in righteousness.
Unless you are testing what the Holy Spirit is guiding you into by God's Holy Word, you can't be confident that Satan isn't misleading you. "Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light, so it is no surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness" (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). Let us remember to stand firm upon God's word and trust He has given us all we need in it for life and godliness as we lean upon the help of the Holy Spirit, who guides us into all truth that conforms us day by day into the image of Christ, which is the ultimate transformation- a life built on truth, not feelings!
Photo credit: ©Unsplash/Aaron Burden
Related Resource: Praying Through Psalm 51: Restoring the Joy of Salvation
Can a heart stained by the worst kinds of betrayal ever truly be restored?? When the world demands justice, does God offer a different way back? In this devotional on Psalm 51, we step into the wreckage of King David’s greatest failure—the affair with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah. We move beyond a simple apology to uncover the specific Hebrew anatomy of David's confession: Pesha (rebellion), Avon (twistedness), and Hata'ah (missing the mark). We explore the shocking reality that under Mosaic Law, David should have faced the death penalty, yet he boldly asks God to "create a way" where the law offered none. If you’ve ever felt like your mistakes have disqualified you from God’s presence, or that you are not worthy due to your past mistakes, this episode offers a roadmap from guilt to gladness. Come ready to run toward the Father who doesn't just want your perfection, but your broken and contrite heart. If this episode helped you connect with God, be sure to follow Praying Christian Women on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
