1 John 4:3 (NASB)
and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.
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Bible Commentary
1 John 4:3 is a Bible verse from the New Testament which teaches us how to identify the spirit of the antichrist. It is a chilling revelation that the spirit of antichrist is among us. He has great power and his ways are very subtle and deceiving.
As believers of Jesus Christ, we have certain perceptions about the antichrist and how he will appear. We have been taught in Bible classes about the warning signs of 666 and his power to charm and deceive people in great masses. I, for one, have always thought the antichrist would rise up through a powerful person. Let’s look into this more closely.
The devil’s primary objective is to take our love and passion away from God and direct it toward false gods. If he can separate God from His bride, the church, then he has succeeded in causing God pain and causing confusion and distraction in God’s people.
Generally speaking, because we have been an unfaithful bride to the Lord and turned our backs on Him to chase after false gods, He has given us over to our sin (1 Timothy 4:1). This dates back to the curse when Adam and Eve rejected the truth of God and instead took hold of the lies from Satan.
Because of our unfaithful ways, Romans 2:24 says, “…God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for a lie…” Romans 2:26 says, “For this reason God gave them up to vile passions…”
After the fall of man, the earth was given over to the lusts of our hearts and put under the devil’s authority, and he has been very effective with seducing spirits and doctrines of devils (1 Timothy 4:1).
God is Spirit and the devil is a fallen angel, both living and operating in the spiritual realm. A spirit does not live in only one host, or person, but moves in and out, like the wind. The Greek meaning of Spirit in 1 John 4:3 is: breath (blast) or a breeze.
As such, the devil’s power of seducing spirits and doctrines of devils also move in and out, like the wind—not thriving in only a person at a time, but moving in and through people (individuals or groups), fame and wealth, institutions (businesses, churches or schools).
Unlocking the Truth – Affinity to Truth
We have all been affected by these seducing spirits and false doctrines—they exist in church communities and in secular communities.
He attacks our weaknesses, the places where we have fallen away from the faith—the lusts of our hearts, which are like an addiction. These addictions could be sexual, financial, needing approval of people, food, drugs or any number of things. Notice in 1 John 4:3, it says the “spirit of the antichrist.” Don’t be fooled into thinking you are kept from the antichrist because you have no affinity to a person with great power, or because you are not associated with a church.
We have all breathed in that spirit of antichrist when we were lured away from the faith to a false god that became like an addiction–striving for people’s approval, sexual immorality, status, fame and wealth, etc.
The more we were lured away, the stronger the seducing spirit became and our hearts lusted after it. You can test yourself by asking yourself if the thing you desire most in your heart is of faith and truth, or something else. Examine your motive and your intention:
· Why do you want what you want?
· Is it for the good of people, or is it to satisfy your addiction or lust?
· Is that urge from Jesus Christ, or is it from a seducing spirit that lured you away from Christ?
It takes great courage to look at the truth. Can you reach down to the deepest desire of your heart, grab hold of it and give it to God by faith? When you are willing to release it to God, it creates an open door where Jesus Christ comes in to reign, and that urge ceases to have power in your life. Where the antichrist reigned before, Christ now becomes ruler.
The antichrist has no power over Jesus Christ.
When you give it up to God, God honors your willingness and your sacrifice. In the place of that addiction, He will give you peace, righteousness and more of Himself.
There is nothing greater and more satisfying.
Study the Bible verse of 1 John 4:3 to rout the power of the antichrist, and invite the power of Jesus Christ to reign. Amen!
