Overcomers

Temple Baptist Church - 2-25-2015

1 John 4:1-6

 

 

Introduction:

 

A.  Last week, we took a brief look at the spirit world.  Though many descriptions are given to fallen angels, called spirits, and also the spirits of men, they fall into only two categories:  good and bad, of God or of Satan!

 

B.  Our context is written to those who lived in John’s day and, prophetically, to those of our day. 

 

1.  The spirit of antichrist began in heaven with Satan’s rebellion, escalated when Satan tempted Eve in the Garden, and has consistently remained until this day. 

 

2.  The spirit of antichrist stands against everything that Christ stands for and does all that it can to destroy everything that God loves and every person for whom Christ died.

 

3.  As long as we are in the present, evil world, we will continue to war against our flesh and our spiritual foes.

 

C.  In John’s day, “this is that spirit of antichrist!”  God’s people have always fought that spirit “tooth and nail!”  Satan is ever present; his fallen angels always active; his people hating God and God’s children.

 

D.  In our day, “ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is!”  We understand what time it is and should live with excitement and expectance.  Until we go home, John gives the believer hope through biblical exhortation.  Exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching.

 

E.  Now, let us look at that exhortation:

 

1.  Keep on the firing Line!  “whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world”  I said this morning that you are a combatant, captive, or casualty in war.  To many have given up the fight and now set on the sidelines while blaming others and things for their failure.  The battle is real, the enemy is focused, and we are the “bad guys.”

 

2.  We are Overcomers!  “and have overcome the”  Though the battle is not yet over, we are already victors through our faith.  We will see that again in chapter 5.  The war is over and the battle is the Lord’s.  All we have to do is trust Him and continue to follow the path of truth and the trail blazed by our forefathers.

 

3.  Our Lord is greater than Satan!  “greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world”  He is greater in His person; He is greater in His power; and He will neither leave nor forsake His own.  Satan can only do what he is allowed to do because we, as Job, are hedged about.

 

4.  We are of God!  “Ye are of God, little children”  The world follows the path of the world and hears the voice of the world.  They will not change their direction until the Lord changes their hearts and lives.  We are of God and KNOWETH that he HEARETH us.  Words with “eth” endings imply a continuing present situation.  The world hears the world and the world will not HEARETH us not.  They have never listened and will never listen.

 

5.  Hereby we know the Truth!  “Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error”  We know the truth because the truth is the opposite of error.  A good “rule of thumb” is to see which way the general trend is heading and go in the opposite direction.  And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free!  We have the Word of Truth; we have the Spirit of Truth; and we have the love of the Truth in us.