I can’t wait to get to 1 John 4:4! It’s one of my favorite verses! It’s honestly part of the reason I was drawn to this letter by this beloved disciple.

But I can’t just rush to the hope of 1 John 4:4, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” without first reading John’s repeated caution to test every spirit, every voice that is coming at me. (1 John 1-3).

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.”

That old saint’s words are cautioning all who wear the name of Christ to not believe everything we hear because “many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1).

MANY

When John wrote this letter, people had a hard time believing Jesus had truly been a MAN.

Today, people have trouble believing Jesus is truly GOD.

Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, and Muslims do not believe that Jesus is God.

But, we can’t stop there. We have to test EVERY voice we hear. Are they truly preaching the Lordship of Christ or some watered down, man-made, pick and choose, version of the gospel?

And how will you know unless you study the Word for yourself?

Day in.
Day out.

Let’s take in truth so we can refute the lies of the enemy!

So we can “demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ”. (2 Cor 10:5)

Let take in truth so the Holy Spirit, the Helper, can remind us what Jesus has told us—

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26)

One BIG reason we should daily study the Bible is so the Holy Spirit can remind us of truth to refute the lies of the enemy.

And friend, you’ll never outgrow or out-know your need to take in truth because whether you are 28 or 88 you’ve got a target on your back.

If you are a child of God, you can’t lose your salvation, but you’ve got an enemy who would love to rob your joy, kill your peace, and destroy your witness. (John 10:10)

So friend, let’s keep on keeping on! Let’s remind each other to keep on keeping on all the way Home!

read1John

Note – this is a continuation of my study of 1 John.