Being ‘slain in the spirit,’ has no basis in the scriptures. There is not one single example of such a display in the entirety of God’s word. This experience is easily discerned for what it is, if one will only go to God’s Word and notice carefully how all the men of God conducted themselves in the presence of God’s Spirit. Never did they ever once fall on their backs as all Charismatics and Pentecostals do when they are ‘slain in the spirit.’

A comparison of those who are ‘slain in the spirit,’ and those who truly met Christ any where in the pages of scripture, reveals this experience for the satanic deception and display of the flesh that it truly is. This is said not to impugn the character of the many sincere Christians who participate in this practice. It is meant only to show what the scriptures reveal about the truth on this subject.

Those who are “slain in the spirit,” invariably fall on their backs. No one would ever be so disrespectful of a mere human leader, as to fall on his back in the presence of any earthly President or King or any dignitary. Yet that is exactly what the Adversary has many thousands of sincere children of God doing in the name of our Lord.

What does scripture reveal to us as proper and scriptural deportment in the presence of the Spirit of our God? If the scriptures show us what is proper than it would behoove us to follow the example set for us in God’s Word. It is “written for our admonition.” Let’s put the example of God’s servants in scripture ahead of the examples of those who call themselves God’s servants yet have no respect for His Word. Let us look to God’s Word for our direction in this matter.

When Joshua met the Lord how did he conduct himself? Did Joshua fall on his back?

Jos 5:14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?

Jos 5:15 And the captain of the LORD’S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

How did Ezekiel conduct himself in the presence of the Spirit of God?

Eze 3:23 Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold, the glory of the LORD stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face.

I could go on to give dozens of example of how all men of God, mentioned in scripture, acted in the presence of the true spirit of God. But all other examples are as nothing compared to that of our Pattern Older Brother. It just so happens that God’s Word is, as always, so consistent. Here is how our Savior conducted Himself in the presence of His Father:

Mat 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

It is the height of disrespect to our Father to fall on our backs in his presence when He has so clearly set the example in His word for our conduct in the presence of His spirit. It is the height of disrespect for His Word to see how all of his servants comported themselves in His presence and then to continue to carry on with our own “idol of our heart” which has us to do the exact opposite of what is revealed as proper, and scriptural (Eze 14:1-9).

The Pentecostal and Charismatic spirit that fosters such ungodly and unscriptural displays of the flesh is not, generally, a spirit of rebellion so much as it is s spirit of ignorance. Just as the spiritually immature Jews of Paul’s day these brothers and sisters in Christ, “have a zeal for God but not according to knowledge.”