As each spiritually aware Christian moves about his area he will sometimes be aware of certain places that provoke his spirit, often just to a feeling of not wanting to be around the place. In some cases a sense of fear, oppression and a real heaviness can come over him. A deep knowing that something is wrong will trigger his spirit into some kind of reaction, showing him that the Spirit of God is making him sensitive to some other spiritual power. A word of knowledge may flow through the Holy Spirit into his thoughts or feelings giving revelation about the spirit concerned. This practicing to discern what is good and evil is essential to spiritual awareness.

The Lord does not want us to be affected in any way by the demonic realm. He is not in the business of patching up the old, but of making all things new, so He gave us, His children, the authority over all the power of the evil one, to deal with such influences in our lives, homes, towns and countries. When He said ‘Go into the land and possess it’ that is what He meant. Take it for yourselves, cleanse it and live in it with My blessing. Nothing is automatic. He said ‘You do it’. He will do nothing for us if we can do it for ourselves. For He desires that we rule and reign as He would, as if He were here on earth.

From Discerning the Mixture. David Tidy.