1 John 4:1-6 (ESV)
4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.
• How do we tell the truth from the lie? John keeps it simple. He gives us the test of the Spirits. Those that confess Jesus as Lord, the savior and Christ, speaks with a godly spirit.
3b This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.
4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
• The truth has overcome the lie. Even though we are not alone in the world, we share it with an enemy who hates us and wants to see the kingdom of God defeated. The good news is that God has overcome the enemy. WE have overcome the enemy. Jesus is greater than he who is in the world.
• The word of God is has overcome the enemy; look how strong it is:
o 12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
• The truth cuts through the lies. The truth does not have to keep its story straight. The world does not stand a chance against the truth. God is that truth.
• John 8:32 “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
• When we abide in God’s word, when we sit under his teaching, when we soak in the word of God and let it permeate our lives, our actions, our thoughts, that is when we know the truth. This is our strength, confidence and our foundation
5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
• We, as those who follow God, will never belong. We are not of the world and the world knows it. It can sniff us out a mile away. John has described at great length in this letter all the ways that Christians are to be recognized.
• Do you remember what they are? What does it mean to be from God?
• We practice righteousness. We love one another, we abide in his word. We walk in the light. We confess our sins. We share the good news with others. We do not love the things of this world.
• Here John adds those who know God listen to us. Listen to his teaching.
• There will be people who do not understand what you say. Who will twist your words and distort your views and convictions. They are of the world and they do not understand the way of God.
Summary
Victory in Jesus
– God is greater than he who is in the world. What an incredible fact!
– Are you living like a winner? Are you celebrating? Are you thankful? The victory in Jesus should inspire confidence and action.
Do not be ignorant of opposition
– You and I have an enemy that is looking for ways to weaken us spiritually, are you aware of that, and what are you doing to protect yourself against it?
Do not neglect the support we have
– What does your spiritual support system look like? Christian community. Are you spending time with other believers on a regular basis, or is it really just here on Sunday?
– Who are you calling when you are struggling with sin? Who is keeping you accountable?
– With the spirit living in us, are you attuned to it? Are you listening to the movement of the spirit in you?
Isaiah 61:1
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;”
The spirit of truth sets us free. We have a spirit of victory living in us. That is what we celebrate at the table each week.
Acts 1:8
“you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”