Being Slain in the Spirit: Biblical or Dangerous Deception?

“Being slain in the Spirit” lacks direct biblical command and risks emotional manipulation, yet examples like Peter’s trance and Paul’s conversion suggest it’s an extra-biblical, not antibiblical, phenomenon. In this 15-minute video, Pastor Vlad Savchuk of HungryGen Church in Washington state explains how Christians should approach it with discernment — accepting it if it glorifies God and bears spiritual fruit, while avoiding chaos and deception.

Editor’s Note: The transcript that follows was automatically generated and lightly edited, so please be aware there could be typos or other small errors. The Stream is working toward a transcription service that does fast, accurate, and reliable work; thank you in advance for your patience!

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Being slain in the spirit. Is it biblical. Or a dangerous. Deception? Now, being. Slain in the spirit. Is. A. Temporary physical response to a spiritual. Encounter. With God that causes. Someone to fall. Sometimes the terms are used falling under the. Power or. Being overwhelmed in God’s. Presence. Now some see this as a move of God.

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Others believe that. This is unbiblical and even. Demonic. So is it biblical? Is it extra biblical or it’s. Anti. Biblical? Now let’s look. At the arguments against being slain in the spirit. One of the biggest critics. Of being slain in the spirit. As well as. Other manifestation of the Holy. Spirit.

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Is John MacArthur. MacArthur’s stance is. That. Modern supernatural manifestations. Are a corrupt of a biblical spirituality. He connects things like speaking in tongues, as well as being slain in the. Spirit with. Pagan religious. Practices. Because actually you can. Look at some of the Kundalini manifestations, and. For. A person who doesn’t know the difference, they. Will say, well, this looks exactly. Like the same thing that is happening in charismatic. Circles, you know,

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but you can look at. Water and alcohol from a distance and come to the same agreement that. Water is alcohol and alcohol is water. When in reality they are not the same thing. The other. Argument that people. Use is the. Absence. Of direct biblical. Command.

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For example, there is no explicit. Mention in the. Bible of. Believers being slain in the. Spirit. As a normal. Practice. So critics would argue that Scripture. Doesn’t command. Believers to seek this. Experience.

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Example like Paul’s epistles, do not teach this as part of church doctrine or church practice. Other people would argue as well, is that this. Falling. Under the power of God. Is very consistent with non-Christian. Religions like Kundalini. Spirit and Hinduism and other shamanistic trances that happen in other. Religions.

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And critics would argue that if it occurs outside of Christianity, it must be deceptive and we should completely stay. Away from it, you know? But Satan even. Used the scriptures to. Come against Jesus, and Jesus didn’t throw away. The scriptures. So just. Because Satan copies and abuses things, it doesn’t mean that we throw. Away everything. That the enemy. Abuses.

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Like, for example, meditation. You know, it’s practice in eastern religions. It doesn’t mean that now we take. Every scripture that talks about. Meditation and throw. It away, because. Somehow. Other. Pagan religions. Have. Taken. This practice. And put it in their own context. The other. Argument against being slain in the. Spirit is the risk. Of emotionalism and money pollution.

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Now, some. People argue that people fall due to peer pressure, suggestion. Or. Psychological. Influence. Concerns about charismatic. Excesses where people. Seek manifestations instead. Of Christ, a fake.

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And manipulated experiences can discredit genuine. Moves of God. And while there’s. A truth. As some people do. It. Out of manipulation, I’ve seen people being. Pushed down. I’ve seen people do it falling. Just. A courtesy fall. And just so that the preacher, you know. Doesn’t feel, I guess, less anointed or something like that.

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Plus, in charismatic. Circles, the issue. Of being slain in the power. Of God or. Falling under the power. Of God has really. Became a religion. And some people. Do it out. Of a routine already, no longer feeling any power. Of God. And so. And. It’s just. More of an emotionalism. And for some people it is a form of manipulation. And some preachers do. Push people, which is wrong.

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The other argument that is used. Is the First. Corinthians chapter 14. Four. It talks about that all. Things should be done in decency and in. Order. Paul emphasized. Orderly worship, whereas. Being slain is sometimes. Perceived as chaotic. And some people say. Well. These manifestations, like being slain in the spirit. Disrupt the services and therefore. They cannot be from God.

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But if you look at the Gospels. And see some of the things Jesus did in the synagogues. They were very disruptive. And they were not in decency and in. Order as. Some people. Perceive. Yet this was God in flesh. Doing those things of bringing. His order or deliverances. There also might not be. Viewed as. Indecency and in order.

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But we have. To understand is that when the Holy Spirit moves, we don’t grieve. The Holy Spirit. But this also. Doesn’t mean we don’t create. Weird, bizarre stuff that have. Absolutely no point. But when the. Power of God touches people and people get delivered, or people fall, or people. Get on their knees. Or people weep. for some people, this is not decent. they need to not show any emotions.

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And so I think we have to really take those. Scriptures in context and not necessarily take them out of context and squeeze any and every move. Of the Holy Spirit. Within our congregations. Now, is the issue. Slain in the spirit, falling under. The power extra biblical or. Anti. Biblical? So we. Have to understand is that in the Bible. There are extra. Biblical things and there are anti biblical. Things.

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So extra biblical practices are not explicitly. Mentioned in the Bible. But. They are not contrary. To the Bible. For example, there are a lot of extra biblical practices like for example, we have church buildings. A lot of us spend a. Lot of money on church buildings who are in ministry. Like it’s. Not in the. Bible. We don’t see church. Buildings, in the New Testament and Paul telling. Every church to have a budget for their building

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altar calls, for example. people coming. Forward. And receiving Jesus Christ going to a room. We don’t see that in the Bible. So that’s extra biblical, but it’s not anti biblical. It’s not contrary. To. The teachings. Of the Bible or. Something that. All of us are used to. we. Don’t imagine church. Without. It is Sunday school. It’s also not in the Bible. It’s extra biblical. But it’s not anti. Biblical.

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So some people argue. That being slain in the. Spirit falls into the category of extra biblical practices. Now what. Are anti. Biblical. Practices. Anti biblical. Practices. Are things that contradict. Clear teachings of the scriptures. Now if being slain in the. Spirit were. Condemned in the. Bible, it would be anti biblical, but no passage explicitly forbids it. So of course there’s this debate. Between the Cessationist and the continuationist.

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Cessation is believed that supernatural gifts have ended with the. Apostles. Therefore, any manifestation. Of the Holy Spirit is really. Deemed as no. No Continuationist, and I’m one of them, believe that miracles and manifestations they do continue today, and our interpretation of the. Book of acts and the Gospels. They influence our view. On spiritual gifts and their manifestations.

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So here. Are some of the arguments used. For. Being slain in the spirit. Or, as I would call it, biblical precedent for. Falling under the. Power of God. So Peter’s. Trance. The Bible says, Peter. Fell into a trance. Now we don’t. Know if he fell backwards or forwards, if he just knocked out. And went into the spirit realm.

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But this does suggest that encounter with God. Can. Cause an altered physical state. Book of acts, chapter. Ten, verses nine and ten. Now Paul’s trance. The Bible says that Paul. Fell into a trance and. Received. Divine revelation. Book of acts. Chapter 22, verses 17 through 18. We see. Jesus and. Soldiers. In John 18, verses five and six. When Jesus. Said, I. Am. The soldiers fell to the ground.

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Now do they fall backwards or frontwards? We don’t know. But it does suggest God’s presence. Can. Physically overwhelm people, Which is consistent with instances. Where people would encounter the presence of God or presence. Of an angel, and would. Fall out of fear with falling dead, and God would touch. Them and say, don’t be. Afraid.

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So God’s presence. Can be extremely overwhelming. Paul’s conversion experience in the book of acts, chapter nine, verses. 3 to 4, we see that Paul fell to the. Ground when he encountered. Jesus on the road to Damascus again. Did he fall backwards or forwards? We don’t see that, but. It does indicate. God’s power. Can sometimes cause someone. To fall. Involuntarily.

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We also see the. Dedication of Solomon’s Temple, second Chronicles, chapter. Five, verses. 13 and. 14, that the priests. Could not stand to minister. Before God because of God’s glory. This shows that God’s. Presence can. Physically affect people again. It doesn’t say there whether they fell backwards and frontwards. So I do not want to read into those. Scriptures what it does. Not say. But the main principle. Is this the presence of God. Can cause an overwhelming feeling within the people of God that they fall.

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Now we also must understand is the. Power of God. The power of the Holy Spirit. Can. Flow. And. Could do wonders. For example, people sought to touch Jesus because power flowed from him. Handkerchiefs when. Paul were. Healing, people and demons. Were cast out. a woman. Touched the. Hem of. Jesus’s garment.

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So if God’s. Power can flow. Through a touch, it’s kind of reasonable to believe that he could cause. Someone to. Fall. Have you ever. Touched an electric. Socket? An accident? You know. There was a shock that goes through your body. Now, God’s power is gentle, but God’s power is power. There are times when the. Power of God touches you. Your knees just give out. You feel as light as feather and you feel heavy.

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In fact, one of the definitions of the. Word glory is weightiness. So it is possible to experience this power. And some people respond differently to this. Some people respond without any emotion and. Others respond with. Very strong emotional. Expressions. Now also, I need to highlight that not only what we see in the Bible. The power of God. Touching. People, but this. Phenomena has been reported. Throughout church history.

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If you read. Jonathan Edwards in Great Awakening Revival. Or Charles. Finney. Revivals, or. Pentecostal and charismatic moments, you will see that many. People report having. Deep encounters with. God, which led to. Lasting transformation. And there were some manifestations that. At first. Seemed just. Bit awkward to people who. Have not been. Used to. Any manifestations of the Holy Spirit.

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So it’s easy to come to a quick conclusion and say, well, this is demonic. Just because you’ve never. Experienced it or just. Because you’ve never. Seen it. Well, we have to be careful. That we don’t label everything “that is demonic.” Why? Because we might be grieving the Holy Spirit. Yes. So how do we discern what is. Demonic and what is from the Holy Spirit?

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We have to check the fruit. Jesus said, “You shall know them by their fruit.” Matthew chapter seven, verse 16. If people. Are truly. Changed, convicted, and drawn. Closer to God. Should the manifestation be. Rejected? A real encounter. With God can have physical effects without. Being demonic. Or fake. And you can look through the scriptures of different physical. Sometimes are called strange things people have experienced in the scriptures.

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The Bible doesn’t hide those things. The Bible doesn’t shy away from those things. So to say that. God can no longer move in the. Way where people experience laughter. Or uncontrollable. Tears or where people go into a trance, or they receive visions, or they prophesy, or they have dreams, or they fall under the power of God.

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You know, we have to be very careful that we don’t throw the baby with the bathwater, but we judge this. Experience. By the fruit. Now, I do want to address the Kundalini spirit argument. Just. Because something can. Be a counterfeited. That doesn’t mean. That the real is false. Satan mimics. God’s power.

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We see in. Exodus chapter seven. We see in Matthew chapter 24 verse 24. There will be false signs. And false. Christ that will come. And so the question. Is not. Whether people shake. And. Fall, but who gets the glory? What is the fruit of this? Who does this point to? Let’s not develop this unhealthy fear of the fake that we have a greater fear of the fake than we have hunger for the real and genuine.

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Yes, not. Every manifestation is genuine. First John four one is test the spirits whether. They are from God. Some experiences may be emotional, some may be manipulated, but it doesn’t. Invalidate the real experiences that people experience.

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So, in summary, is being slain in the spirit biblical? There is really no direct command. To seek this experience, but that a biblical. Framework. That shows people. Falling or people not being able to stand in the. Presence of God. So is. This then. Extra biblical or anti biblical? It is extra biblical, but it’s not. And they. Biblical. Because there is no passage in the. Bible that forbids this.

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Should you as a Christian accept it if it glorifies God. And produces. Spiritual fruit, you should not reject it. But you should exercise. Discernment and. Separate. Genuine encounters from emotionalism. Now, if you’re. Watching this and you. Are a pastor, or you are a preacher. Traveling evangelist, and you. Practice. Praying for people and they fall. Could you please stop. Pushing people? It doesn’t add to your anointing.

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Number two. Having more people laying on the floor. Is not. Going to change their. Life because you pushed it. Let the Holy Spirit. Touch them and if he. Does it. And they fall. Will praise God if he. Does it and they fall. The real question is what fruit is. Going to happen from that. Touch? That’s really what we’re pursuing.

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I’m far more interested. In seeing people healed, delivered breakthrough. Happen in their life than somebody. Shake, bake, roll on the floor or fall on the floor while I. Welcome the manifestations. Of the Holy Spirit. I think a lot of people, we’re just tired of people. Trying to manufacture things and produce things in the. Flesh. When the Holy Spirit. Is not moving and they’re trying to make him move by making people. Fall.

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It doesn’t honor. God. It doesn’t honor the. Holy Spirit. And it does not. Aid spiritual. Fruit in their life. Thank you for. Watching this video. Let me know in the comments below. Have you experienced being slain in the spirit? What was that experience like? Have you been pushed before? What was that experience like? Share your comments. Below.

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In my personal. Experience, I have experienced where I fallen, but I would say most of the time I’ve. Been pushed. I’ve prayed for. People and I’m very. Careful not to push people. because I just, I just know how that feels. And so sometimes I pray and people just about to fall and I hold them back. Or if the ushers. Holding the bag and it really. What I want people to experience the presence of God. And if that causes them to fall, well, so be it. But that’s not the aim.

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The aim is for them to know. Jesus, develop. The fruit, and experience breakthrough that only God. Can bring.