1 John 4:1-6
1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
I don't know if anyone else really relates to the concept of overcoming the spirit of antichrist, but I surely didn't.
I couldn't exactly put my finger on what it really was, and well.... I just couldn't understand it.
The other day, though, I was reading through definitions, and came across the meaning of the word antichrist - quite simply, it means "the adversary/opponent of Christ." In other words, he that is "anti" Christ.
So that's every spirit that is not of Christ. How very simple! Should've known that earlier.
This brought to mind a verse from John that described the devil- "...[h]e was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." (John 8:44)
Satan = the father of lies. He abode not in the truth.
On the other hand, as the child of God, Who is The Truth, I am called to abide in The Truth.
So, I asked God to show me the lies I was believing and replace them with His Truth.
I think elusive would be a good description of lies. They look so right and so good and so almost-like-truth. The day soon passed and I still haven't identified any lies I was believing. Desperation starting to sink in, I begged God to show me the areas where I was listening to the world. (I have a blog post to write soon, and I got to write about something!)
I'm so grateful that God is a good Father and cares for His children. He does answer prayer!
I was working on my verses (again! Forgive me for being so redundant, but everything does seem to happen when I work on my verse cards...), which were yet again falling behind schedule, when a certain Anonymous requested my help in preparing meals.
Now, preparing meals means time consumed, which is not good for working on verse cards. Therefore, I, being very logical, refused. Well, almost refused.
You see, God started to convict me of how much I trusted Him.
Thus began the "Inner Dialogue".
I may have asked Him to make me a blessing, but did I let Him?
Why don't I?
Ahhh... ummm... Well, I just need to be in control. If I had complete control of my schedule, then everything would be great and on schedule.
Really? Do I really believe that God does everything well?
If I really did believe, then would I worry about following God's call (i.e. cooking for Anonymous)?
Well, then maybe I suppose I might be struggling with that a bit.
I started to ponder what I had been learning and what I had just been thinking.
By then it was getting obvious what lie I was believing, but I started to realize I had a deeper problem - trust in Who God is.
The last 1 John "chunk" I had meditated on mentioned doing things that were pleasing in God's sight. As I had studied that, it became quite apparent that "without faith it is impossible to please Him" (Heb. 11:6).
Faith. The "Inner Dialogue" resumed.
Did I have faith that The Truth is Who He says He is?
Of course I ought to.
He says He's good, so regardless of what I feel now, I'm going to choose to trust Him.
So if I really trusted the fact that He's good, what would I do?
Help Anonymous cook, of course.
Down went the verse cards and up went spatulas, pots, and pans.
It's an incredible thing that communion with God is possible even when one is processing beef. Such a revelation!
An overcomer (1 John 4:4).
One who gets the victory.
Always victorious (2 Cor. 2:14).
Because He has won the victory.
Because GREATER is HE THAT IS IN ME than he
that is in the world.
I have no need to fear. Just to choose faith. Faith in the Greatest, Most High One. Who loves me.
He cares for me so much. In fact, those verse cards that were set down in order to help with cooking actually got perfected by the time we ate. No kidding. And I don't think I've gotten so many verses "done" in such a little time before.
In Him, I am an overcomer.
I have no need to fear. Just to choose faith. Faith in the Greatest, Most High One. Who loves me.
He cares for me so much. In fact, those verse cards that were set down in order to help with cooking actually got perfected by the time we ate. No kidding. And I don't think I've gotten so many verses "done" in such a little time before.
In Him, I am an overcomer.
- Has Spirit
- Has children
Attributes of the Son:
- Come in the flesh
Attributes of the Spirit:
- Greater than he that is in the world
Cross-References:
vs 3 --> 2 John 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
vs 4 --> Rev. 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
vs 4 --> Rev. 21:7-8 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Mini Study - To Overcome
1. to conquer
A. to carry off the victory, come off victorious
i. of Christ, victorious over all His foes
ii. of Christians, that hold fast their faith even unto death against the power of their foes, and temptations and persecutions
iii. when one is arraigned or goes to law, to win the case, maintain one's cause
Definition above taken from Outline of Biblical Usage
Who can overcome/is an overcomer?
- The Lord (Ex. 14:14)
- Jesus (John 16:33, Rev. 5:5, 6:2, 17:14)
- Young men (1 John 2:13-14)
- Little children (1 John 4:4)
- Whatsoever is born of God (1 John 5:4)
- He that believes that Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 5:5)
What is to be overcome?
- Evil (Rom. 12:21)
- The wicked one (1 John 2:13-14)
- The spirit of antichrist (1 John 4:3-4)
- The world (1 John 5:4-5)
- The beast (Rev. 15:2)
- The beast's image (Rev. 15:2)
- The beast's mark (Rev. 15:2)
- The number of the beast's name (Rev. 15:2)
How can one overcome?
- When the LORD fights for us - and our job is not to fear, but to be strong and of good courage, and to hold our peace (Ex. 14:14, Deut. 1:30, 3:22, Josh. 10:14, 10:25, 23:3, 10, 2 Chron. 20:29, 32:8, Jer. 1:19)
- [overcome evil] with good (Rom. 12:21)
- By our faith (1 John 5:4)
- By the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 12:11)
- By the word of "their" testimony (Rev. 12:11)
What are the rewards of an overcomer?
- To be given to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God (Rev. 2:7)
- Not to be hurt of the second death (Rev. 2:11)
- To be given to eat of the hidden manna (Rev. 2:17)
- To be given a white stone that has a new name written in it, which only the recipient knows (Rev. 2:17)
- To be given power over the nations (Rev. 2:26)
- To be clothed in white raiment (Rev. 3:5)
- To have name in the book of life (Rev. 3:5)
- To have name confessed by Jesus before the Father and His angels (Rev. 3:5)
- Pillar in the temple of God (Rev. 3:12)
- To have the name of God, the name of the city of God, and Jesus' new name written upon the overcomer (Rev. 3:12)
- To sit with Jesus in His throne (Rev. 3:21)
- To inherit all things (Rev. 21:7)
Notes:
2 Chron. 13:12 And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.Rev. 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
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