Scripture:
1 John 4:1-6 ESV
[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. 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. [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.
Observation:
A few mornings ago, I wrote about being deceived, how important it is to know that scripture, and what it says about you. As I prayed about what to write about, I couldn’t help but think about verse 4. I’m not going to jump ahead, but I want that verse to be on your mind. The apostle John considered himself the one that Jesus loved. He knew who he was in Christ. So testing the spirits was part of his regular practice, and he wanted those whom he was writing to, too, to also be testing the spirits. Knowing that it’s easy to be deceived. There were false prophets that had gone out to twist what GOD wanted everyone to know. So I believe what John is saying is know the word of GOD, and line up what is being said against what you know to be truth. He gives us a way to identify whether or not the spirit behind what is being said is a spirit of truth of a false prophet. Telling us that if the spirit is confessing Jesus Christ to be the center of it all. Then it is from GOD. But if not, we need to be very careful about how we proceed. The word antichrist is used here and is something we need to be aware of. John is telling us the spirit of the antichrist was already in the world way back then. Anything that is anti-Christ or against Christ is the spirit of the antichrist. Honestly, John is giving us some great tools here. To stay on guard against being deceived. So let’s open up verse 4 a little bit. Jonh wants his readers to know that they are from GOD and have overcome so much already. But there is more to overcome. However, the same spirit that rose Jesus christ from the dead lives inside of them and that spirit is greater than all else. John, give us a little more information about how to identify whether the spirit that you are working with is from GOD or from the world. He tells his readers to pay attention to how they are speaking. If they are from the world, they will be responding with worldly things, and if they are from GOD, they will respond with godly things.
Application:
I know there is a lot in that scripture. Way more than I have opened up, but I wanted to zero in on verse 4, to be honest. First and foremost, I want to say that when you put the word into practice, it releases the Holy Spirit to do what HE is built for. It’s not just words on a page it is truth in print. GOD wanted us to know how to fight. So he put HIS spirit into men so that we would have guidelines on how to live. I can’t begin to tell you the way my life changed when I started not only reading the bible but applying it to how I live. Honestly, it’s how I test the spirits. I know whether or not someone is of GOD because what they say and do will line up with HIS word. It’s how I want my life to be. I’m telling you it’s not just a book. It’s not just words on a page. It’s a pathway to living a life that will bring glory to the one who created you. When I started doing my best to line my life up with how the word tells me to live, the blessings of GOD started to unfold. Testing the spirits to me has a lot to do with being a doer of the word and not a hearer only. To make it clear, what Jesus christ did on the cross changed my life. HE showed me how to put my flesh to death and live according to the Holy Spirit. Also known as the spirit of truth. Ok, so there is that word truth. We need to know the truth because it’s not only what sets us free but it holds us together… it’s the first piece of armor. It’s also how we test the spirits. GOD’S word is truth. I have to say this because it’s relevant to knowing that greater is HE who lives in me, then he who is in the world. A few minutes ago, there was a lot of anxiety in our home. So we went to the LORD in prayer. Somewhere in the middle of the prayer, we felt a spirit of peace sweep over us. It’s just like the Philippines 4:6-7 said it would be. The key is trusting GOD’S word enough to do what it says. When you do that, you will see the power of the Holy Spirit released to do exactly what GOD’S word says it will… so listen, here is the point…GOD’S word is truth, and if you live by it, you will be free. Test everything against it. Does it line up with what Jesus said?? If so, you’re good, and if not, stop. There are 2 ways you can look at scripture. Bit only one of them is right… you can use it to justify what you do… or you can use it to modify how you live. I don’t know about you, but I want my life to reflect that Jesus is my LORD and SAVIOR.
Prayer:
Father, you have given us everything we need. We want to live a life that shows who you are. Help us to understand your word. Write it on our hearts so we know the truth. We want to see when something is right and when it is not. The last thing we want is to be decived by anyone. We know themat your son is the key to all of it, and his scarlet thread is woven through the entire Bible. Open our eyes so that we will see all that you are. Allow us to know your truth, therefore being set free from the bondage of sin and death. It’s in the mighty name of Jesus we pray, amen.