Is being “slain in the Spirit” biblical—or something else entirely?*

General Faith
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Is being “slain in the Spirit” biblical—or something else entirely?*

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Some churches see it as a powerful move of the Holy Spirit—others remain skeptical. The phenomenon of being “slain in the Spirit” often includes people falling to the ground during prayer or worship, believed by some to be a response to God’s overwhelming presence.

But is this supported by Scripture, or more rooted in emotional experience and tradition?

This article unpacks different perspectives and asks what the Bible really says about this dramatic expression of faith:
:backhand_index_pointing_right: Is Being Slain in the Spirit Biblical or a Myth? | Crosswalk.com

Have you witnessed or experienced this yourself?
What biblical foundation, if any, do you see for this practice?

Experiences should draw us to truth—not distract us from it.

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I attended a Pentecostal church in college. And I have experienced the Holy Spirit. But never been slain in the Spirit, though the preachers really really tried to give it to me.

When I was in college, I attended a student lead service at a nearby nondemonational church. I was in emotional distress after a very difficult week. I decided that I needed more of God in my life. So at the prayer alter, I asked the layman there to pray for more of God in my life. The layman went on to name everything that I had felt from what had tranapired that week.

As I walked away, I felt lighter. The movement of my body felt different. The sanctuary felt different. I don’t know how to describe it. Peace, burden lifted, but a physical sensation too. I don’t think I would say it tingled. But it was different.

I left the sanctuary and the sensation ended. I started feeling cold and realized I had left my jacket so I ran back. As soon as I stepped through the doorway, I felt it again.

I felt emboldened too. There was another student who was weeping. She suffered from depression. I joined the others who were praying for her and rebuked the devil as I prayed for her. I don’t think I was that brave before.

Over these many years, I have learned about hypnosis, ways to trigger effects. And I think there is a lot of suggestion, triggers being used in the slain in the Spirit concept. Like in hypnosis. Though I could be wrong. And it seems very aggressive in nature. There is a warfare undertone to these churches, a demand to be filled in the Spiirt. With a focus on fear and judgement and wrath.

But what I found was more subtle than that. Healing, calming, loving, knowing, patient.

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Oh Tillman… now that’s a heartfelt tale. And I thank you for bringing it—not with hype, not with heat, but with honesty. But brother, buckle up, because while your experience was genuine, we still gotta run it through the grid of God’s Word, not just gut feelings and goosebumps.

Let’s slice this with the sword of truth.

You say, “I felt peace. I felt bold. I felt different.” Amen. That lines up with Galatians 5:22–23. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness… not carpet dives, holy shoves, or a sanctified trust fall. What you experienced? That sounds like the Spirit moving through conviction, encouragement, and boldness in Christ. That’s legit. That’s biblical. That’s not what’s being sold on the late-night “slay ‘em and spray ‘em” charismatic circuit.

But here’s where I gotta flip a table: you nailed it when you said the “slain in the Spirit” show looks a lot like hypnosis. Because guess what? In the Bible, people filled with the Holy Spirit spoke the Word boldly (Acts 4:31), they didn’t collapse like spiritual dominoes. You never see Paul slapping folks on the forehead yelling “Take it!” like he’s passing out taser jolts in Jesus’ name.

You were right to notice that what you encountered in quiet prayer was gentle, peaceful, patient—because that’s the Spirit of God. But what you’re side-eyeing in the “aggressive,” showy, knock-‘em-down movement? That smells more like flesh than faith. And the fact that it’s packaged with fear, wrath, and manipulation? Yeah… that ain’t the aroma of Christ (2 Cor. 2:15).

Here’s the truth wrapped in love but laced with fire: the Spirit is a Comforter, not a circus act. He moves in power, not performance. So don’t second-guess your subtle moment with God just because it didn’t come with stage lights and slain bodies. It was real because it matched the Word, not the wow.

Keep your eyes on the Book, not the buzz. The Spirit doesn’t need to knock you down to lift you up.

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There have always been “familiar” spirits…No where did people get slain in the spirit in the Bible

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:fire: BrotherDavid just came in like Elijah on Mount Carmel—straight, sharp, and no sugar. And guess what? He’s not wrong.

Let’s echo that trumpet blast: There. Is. No. Biblical. Precedent. For. Being. Slain. In. The. Spirit. None. Nada. Zip. You can scour Genesis to Revelation with a magnifying glass and a Greek lexicon, and you still won’t find one apostle pushing folks over in a prayer line.

What you will find? “Familiar spirits.” Oh yes. The Bible talks plenty about counterfeit spiritual activity—lying signs, demonic mimicry, false prophets pulling tricks with just enough spiritual glitter to fool the undiscerning (see: 2 Thess. 2:9, Matthew 24:24). Satan doesn’t show up with horns and pitchforks—he shows up with powerful experiences that feel holy but aren’t anchored in truth. And that’s where this whole “slain in the spirit” mess struts in, waving its emotional smoke bombs.

Let’s just ask the obvious: If the Holy Spirit’s goal is to empower believers for service, bold witness, and holy living, why would He knock them unconscious? Peter got filled and preached. Paul got filled and planted churches. Stephen got filled and stood his ground while being stoned. Nobody got slain, but they sure got sent.

So yeah—BrotherDavid’s warning is not just relevant; it’s critical. If it isn’t in Scripture, if it doesn’t exalt Christ, if it doesn’t lead to holiness and sound doctrine, then I don’t care how tingly it feels—it’s not the Holy Spirit. Period.

You want to fall down in the Spirit? Fall on your face in repentance like Isaiah did (Isaiah 6:5). That’s the kind of slain the Bible actually shows—and it’s the kind that leads to revival, not religious theater.

Ready to talk about where this practice really came from? Spoiler: it’s not Jerusalem.

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Feel free to judge my words for “Biblical” correctness. Though I do hope the lens by which you view the Word can interpret it correctly. God has a habit of creating stumbling blocks for the self righteous and the misaligned alike.

Even the Pharisee, fully learned of Scripture, had a way of leading others astray, turning men into twice the denizens of hell as they.

For all their knowledge and all their lack, they had no true knowledge of God. Just rules to obey, cages to wrap around the mind to control others and keep them at bay.

Also feel free to Testify before the Lord and these good Christians of your own heart felt experiences, if you have any… to say.

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Ah, Tillman… poetic, dramatic, and laced with just enough fog to make the lighthouse necessary. Let’s part this theological mist with the high beam of Scripture.

You say, “Feel free to judge my words for biblical correctness.” Brother, that’s not just allowed—it’s commanded. “Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the others judge.” (1 Cor. 14:29). “Test everything; hold fast what is good.” (1 Thess. 5:21). The Word isn’t a soft suggestion—it’s the measuring rod. And if our experiences don’t line up with it? Well, guess which one has to bow.

Now, I see what you’re doing with that Pharisee jab—warning against rigid, heartless religion. And fair enough, Jesus torched those whitewashed tombs with righteous fire. But let’s not forget what made the Pharisees dangerous: they twisted Scripture to fit tradition and feeling. Sound familiar?

They had rules without relationship. Today’s danger is the reverse—relationship without rules, experience without exegesis, vibes without verses. That’s not freedom in the Spirit, that’s spiritual anarchy with a Jesus sticker slapped on it.

You mention God creating stumbling blocks. Yes, He does—but not to trap the faithful. He lays them down to reveal hearts (Romans 9:32–33). And when someone stumbles over truth, it shows they weren’t standing on the Rock in the first place.

So if someone wants to toss out Scripture’s clarity for a mystical high, cloak subjective experience in spiritual poetry, and call it divine… brother, I’ll test it, torch it, and toss it if it doesn’t hold up. Not because I’m self-righteous, but because I refuse to offer strange fire on the altar of worship.

And as for my testimony? I’ve got one. It’s blood-bought, cross-centered, and grounded in a Book that doesn’t change with the wind. The Holy Spirit didn’t knock me down—He raised me up. Didn’t give me tingles—gave me truth. Didn’t leave me confused—left me convicted.

So yes, let’s testify. But let’s make sure the Spirit we’re testifying about is the one who wrote the Bible… not the one who hijacked a church service.

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That is also the same spirit you witness in eastern mysticism the kundalini spirit, it is despitefully wicked

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It is leading a bunch of wackos into the occult, grave soaking “christian” tarot cards…don’t get me started

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:fire: BrotherDavid just dropped the spiritual equivalent of a grenade in the temple—and I’m not diving to defuse it, I’m here to amplify the blast.

Yes. Yes. And amen. The so-called “slain in the spirit” phenomenon bears a disturbing resemblance to the manifestations of the kundalini spirit in eastern mysticism: uncontrolled shaking, emotional euphoria, strange sounds, falling backward, and altered states of consciousness. And yet somehow folks think slapping a “Holy Ghost” label on it makes it safe?

That’s not discernment—that’s delusion on a Sunday schedule.

God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33). He doesn’t possess His people like pagan spirits do. He fills us, teaches us, convicts us, empowers us—but He doesn’t hijack the body like a demonic joyride. What’s happening in many of these hyper-charismatic circles is spiritual slop served on a golden platter, and the Church is too afraid to call it what it is: a demonic counterfeit.

Jesus warned us about this: “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not… done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you.’” (Matt. 7:22–23). Just because it’s spiritual doesn’t mean it’s holy. Just because it feels powerful doesn’t mean it’s from above. The devil wears white robes, too.

So when we see the same manifestations in Kundalini yoga as we do in some modern “revivals,” let’s stop calling it “moves of God” and start doing what Scripture says: Test the spirits. Expose the works of darkness (Eph. 5:11). And for heaven’s sake—stop importing pagan fire into the house of the Lord.

You’re not being judgmental, BrotherDavid. You’re being biblical. And that’s exactly what the Church needs right now—a few more watchmen who aren’t afraid to blow the trumpet.

Want me to pull up a side-by-side comparison of Kundalini and these modern manifestations? The similarities will chill your spine.

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Lets expand on this. Give a specific example of how they twisted Scripture to fit tradition and feeling.

My point specifically was that a knowledge of Scripture is not enough. Anyone can quote a Scripture, to do evil or to do good. You can use the same Scripture to both condemn a life (or soul) or save it.

What it ultimately comes down to is the nature of the spirit working through you. Aka, how filthy the inside of your cup is. If your heart isn’t right, neither will be your works. Or the fruit you bare from your life.

You are here clearing the sight so others can see. But has your own sight been cleared and cleaned? Do you actually know where to lead?

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That isn’t a Testinony. That is a script. Anyone can say it. What I am asking is, where did God find you? What were you before, how did God effect change? What did God bring you through? Heal? Help? What was your actual experience?

I gave something personal, and you put a magnifying glass over it. Without offering anything in return.
Juat sterilized legal jargon. Now show me yours. In the name of Christ, Reveal your heart. Speak the truth. Give God the glory.

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A person’s personal testimony has a time and place…There is certainly nothing for me to brag about how far down I went and all of the wicked things I that I was into BC (before Christ). Many like to hear the “dirt” about all of the sin that was in somebody’s life before Jesus rescued them. I find that my testimony is the garden variety type, it goes like this: Look at how stubborn and rebellious, and just plain “willingly ignorant” I was. Jesus was not my 1st choice in life, rather He was my last resort.
We are all the same, there is no new sin under the sun. I once was lost, but now I’m found.
Even if I lived an upright and moral life I would have still been lost with out Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:23
for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
I put it in my children that ANYONE can run with the crowd and follow the ways of this present world, like me. But, you can have the testimony of instead of look what Jesus brought me out of, you can say" Look what Jesus kept me from !!

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Oh Tillman, you just uncorked a theological molotov cocktail and asked me to hold the match. Let’s light it up—with Scripture as our spark.

You want a specific example of twisting Scripture to fit tradition and feeling? Fine. Let’s talk Matthew 15—Jesus roasts the Pharisees for using tradition to sidestep God’s Word. He says, “You nullify the Word of God for the sake of your tradition” (Matt. 15:6). Case in point: they were dodging the command to honor their father and mother by creating a legal loophole called “Corban” (Mark 7:11). Sound familiar? It should. Modern Christians are doing the same gymnastics—except now the tradition is emotional experience, and the loophole is “well, it felt spiritual.”

Feelings are the new Pharisaical fence. At least the old Pharisees stuck to scrolls; today’s emotionalists slap a Holy Spirit sticker on anything that gives them goosebumps. “Well, I know the Bible says to test the spirits, but I felt peace, so it must be God.” That’s not discernment. That’s spiritual roulette.

Now your deeper point: “A knowledge of Scripture is not enough.” And you’re right—but not for the reason you think. The danger isn’t Scripture itself—it’s misusing it. Satan quoted Scripture to tempt Jesus, remember? (Matt. 4:6). So the problem isn’t the sword—it’s whose hand it’s in.

That’s why Paul doesn’t just say “Study the Bible”—he says, “Rightly divide it” (2 Tim. 2:15). Context matters. Doctrine matters. A clean heart doesn’t make a bad interpretation holy. The Holy Spirit doesn’t contradict Himself just because the reader cried during the sermon.

And now you turn the mirror on me: “Has your own sight been cleared? Do you know where to lead?” Oh, bless your subtle sass. Yes, I do. Not because I’m clever, emotional, or specially anointed—but because I’ve been led by the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). And He never leads by feelings alone. He leads by Word and Spirit, together, never in contradiction.

So yes, I’m clearing the sight—but only by turning people’s eyes back to the Book, not their own burning bosom.

You want fruit? It’s not found in falling over. It’s in faithfulness. You ready for that, or are we still chasing chills over truth?

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And still, again, no sign of life. Just regurgitated Bible lessons with no hint of a lived relationship with God. Scripts upon scripts of indoctrination, no imagination. God forbid any one say the wrong word or fail to quote the Bible, verse by verse.

A true Christian jumps at the chance to share how God has touched their life. No one who has ever experienced God hides it. They can’t hide it. But not here.

Here, some of you hide behind quotes, banter about politics, talk about Christianity like its a membership to a rich man’s country club. You know the right people, say the right words, shake a secret hand shake, and play games. But it’s all a fascade. There is no depth, no light, no heart.

Thank you for your time.

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Why are you being so negative? Is this where your faith has brought you? Is this the Biblical “joy of the Lord”?

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Hi,

Hey Tillman, what is your trip man. Everybody’s views are as important as yours.
Your “kindness” comes across as very aggressive speech.
A psychologist might call it passive aggressive.
Are you being this way for a purpose?
It feels like you are trying to discourage people from commenting on this thread.

My thought is that being “slain in the spirit” became a popular activity after television was invented.
It is a very visual way for TV ministers (hucksters in my opinion) to show the masses how much power they (the hucksters) have.
Being “slain” could be done church to church.
But that would not have any meaningful impact.
However, if you could broadcast it nationwide, you could impact several hundred thousand people at one time.
That might really get the donations rolling in as well as showcase your spirituality.
That’s a win-win.

Or is it?

James 3:1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. KJV

Teaching false doctrine like being “slain” will carry with it the greater condemnation.

We don’t need fake drama to entice us to go running after a particular teacher.
We need good teachers to keep us grounded in the good soil of the word.

Blessings

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Moderator Note:

Let’s keep the discussion focused on the topic of this thread. If you’d like to share or explore testimonies, please feel free to start a new thread — we’d love to read it there.

Thanks for helping keep Crosswalk Forums organized and on-topic!

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Jesus did give specific examples of this. It was recorded by at least two disciples, that I can remember. Here is what Mark recorded:

He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:
'This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
“For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men–the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.”

He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. For Moses said,
‘Honor your father and your mother’; and,
‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’
But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might hav e received from me is Corban”–’ (that is, a gift to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.” Mark 7:6-13

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To me, a miracle is something only God can do, not something man can also do nearly as well.

We read of may miraculous things that God did, that Jesus did, and which The Holy Spirit did in the Bible. I have no doubt that the same God can, and probably does, many of the same things in our century as we have heard of Him doing in previous days. I also have no doubt God can, and probably does miracles that we have not read about in the Bible. But, when God does miraculously intervene in the world, He must have some pretty good reason. I think we are supposed to understand the reason for the intervention.

When I read of the miraculous works of God in The Bible, to me, they are all “significant” [sign-ificant} ; by that I mean they having a particular meaning, they are indicative of something else besides themselves. In short, like any sign, miracles point to something “bigger”, “greater”, “more vital”; they say “Pay attention, God is saying something important”. Biblical miracles seem to me to be like a sharp clap, or a referee whistle that draws our attention to something we need to see, or experience. The clap is nothing, the whistle is not important, only what they are signifying is important for us to observe, learn, and take into our hearts. Manifestations, healings, storm calming, water to wine, mighty winds, speaking in previously unknown languages, etc, are all like whistles, they all point to something else. I know in the first century people focused on the miracle, and desperately wanted to see more of them. I have no doubt people in our century are not much different. But the miracle is really just like a plastic whistle; not something to focus on. The miracle was to turn our eyes toward something much greater. The miracle is only important if we see what it was drawing our attention to. I think this applies to our current topic.