CHAPTER 2:15-17 The world John is speaking of in this 15th verse is God created but the world system, which strives to pull man away from God and center man's thoughts on the things of the world and himself rather than on God. It is this world that John warns us against.
If our attention is centered on the world and our desires are for this world's things; Our love will be cold toward God. Be has to come first.
In verse 16, John warns us against the Christian’s three biggest enemies:
- THE WORLD (lust of the eyes)
- THE FLESH (lust of the flesh)
- THE DEVIL (the pride of life).
All through scripture, the doctrine of these three great enemies of the soul is backed up and reinforced. At this point, I would like for us to take the time to at how we are made, what we are made of, and how the Lord deals with us, and how temptation comes to us.
We are fighting a spiritual battle--before a good soldier can hope to win a battle, he must first know the enemy.
LET'S TAKE TIME OUT TO FORM A BATTLE PLAN:
- Know the enemy
- Know yourself
- Get your orders from headquarters
- Carry out the battle plan
We can form our battle plan from studying the following chart:
There are outward trials, and then inward temptations. When we are experiencing outward trials we are put in a weaker condition and it is natural to be tempted to doubt, to fear, to give up, etc.
(OUTWARD TRIALS BRING INWARD TEMPTATIONS).
William Barclay makes the following statement:
"As John sees him, the man of the world is the man who judges everything by his appetites, the man who is the slave of lavish ostentation, the boastful braggart who tries to make himself out a far bigger man than he is. Then comes John's second warning. The man who attaches himself to the world's aims and the world's ways is giving his life to things which literally have no future. All these things are passing and none has any permanency. But the man who has taken God as the centre of his life has given himself to the things which last for ever. The man of the world is doomed to disappointment; the man of God is certain of lasting joy."
Verse 18: John again, loving tenderness, warns his readers -- it is the last time (in other words the latter days). WHAT IS "LATTER DAYS"?
Oliver Greene describes the latter days as follows:
"In the language of God, "the last days" covers the entire sweep of God's dealings with a lost world from the birth of Christ Jesus the Saviour to the ushering in of the new heavens and the new earth."
John was living in the latter days; we are living in the latter days.
John goes on to warn us about the Antichrist, that he shall come, and also that even in his day, as ours there are many antichrists. These antichrists are not the man of sin but forerunners. After the rapture of the Church, the Man of Sin will be revealed.
THE WORD ANTICHRIST HAS TWO MEANINGS:
- A hostile commander, one who is opposed to Christ.
- One who seeks to put himself in the place of Christ.
William Barclay tells us that the simplest way to think of it is that Christ is the incarnation of God and goodness, and Antichrist is the incarnation of the devil and evil.
To John the sign that antichrists were in the world was the false teaching. Christ also warned of these false teachers: Mark 13:16, Matthew 24:5. Paul also warned the Ephesians that after his departure false teachers would come in Acts 20:29-30.
John sees the antichrists as our enemy and the battleground is our minds.
MORE THAN EVER, TODAY WE KNOW THAT THIS IS TRUE. THE BATTLEGROUND IS OUR MINDS!
CHAPTER 2:19-21 --These antichrists, or false teachers that John is referring to here were part of a local church (not the true church, the body of Christ, but the local church.) They had church membership, but they were not members of the Body of Christ, the true church.
THEY HAD A PROFESSION OF CHRIST, BUT THEY DID NOT HAVE A POSSESSION OF CHRIST!
No matter how attractive their teaching was, they were not true God anointed teachers, they were not even true Christians!
JOHN DID NOT HESITATE TO DESCRIBE THEM FOR WHAT THEY WERE. HE DID NOT HIDE BEHIND A CLOAK OF KEEPING THE PEACE OR COMPROMISE. THE TRUE CHURCH TODAY NEEDS TO TAKE A LESSON FROM JOHN!
1 Cor. 11:13-15 --Again describes these false teachers for us and tells us exactly where they come from and who they belong to!
Verse 20-27 In these verses John again exposes false Gnostic teaching that they alone had special knowledge of God. He tells his readers that if they know the Lord as Saviour, they know the truth, for he is truth. Those who are truly saved also have the Holy Spirit as teacher and guide (I Cor. 2:9-16,)
In 2 John 1:7-11 we have a very solemn warning concerning antichrists and their false teachings. WE ALL DO WELL TO HEED THIS ADVICE! MANY A CHRISTIAN BY NOT HEEDING THIS ADVICE HAVE PUT THEMSELVES IN A VERY BAD POSITION AND HAVE WALKED AWAY TOTALLY CONFUSED AND DISCOURAGED!!
Verse 28-29 --1 John 2:28 John cautions us to abide in Christ. This means to walk near him daily, resting in him, and meditating on his love and mercy toward us, ever thankful for that unbountiful grace that provided us the faith to accept the great gift of our salvation.
If we abide in him like that we will be looking forward to his coming and will be living expectantly! We will not be ashamed. We will have been obedient!
Verse 29 --William Barclay has the following comment which says it all! "In verse 29 John comes back to a thought which is never far from his mind. The only way a person can prove he is abiding in Christ is by the righteousness of his life. The profession a man makes will always be proved or disproved by his practice."
CHAPTER 3: 1-2
In these verses John tells us to stop and consider closely the great love the Father has for us that he would adopt us into his family and call us his children!
These two verses are full of promise for the children of God! They tell us of the great love the Father has for us. They tell us of our standing in the family of God, a position to ever be thankful for. They tell us of a day when we shall be with Jesus and have new bodies. The process of being conformed to his image will be complete. We shall not only see him face to face, but we shall be like him! They promise us that we shall see him as he is--we shall behold him in all his glory! Nothing hidden, nothing concealed from us! WE HAVE NO IDEA HOW GLORIOUS THAT WILL BE! Maybe this was part of what Paul was thinking of when he said, "BUT IT IS WRITTEN, EYE HATH NOT SEEN, NOR EAR HEARD, NEITHER HAVE ENTERED INTO THE HEART OF MAN. THE THINGS WHICH GOD HATH PREPARED FOR THEM THAT LOVE HIM." I Cor. 2:9
In his book, William Barclay shares the Scottish paraphrase of these verses and it is so beautiful, I want to share it with you:
Behold the amazing gift of love
the Father hath bestow'd
On us, the sinful sons of men,
to call us sons of God!
Concealed as yet this honour lies,
by this dark world unknown,
A world that knew not when he came,
even God's eternal Son.
High is the rank we now possess,
but higher we shall rise;
Though what we shall hereafter be
is hid from mortal eyes.
Our souls, we know, when he appears,
shall bear his image bright;
For all his glory, full disclosed,
shall open to our sight.
A hope so great, and so divine,
may trials well endure;
And purge the soul from sense and sin,
as Christ himself is pure.
When death these mortal eyes shall seal,
And still this throbbing heart,
The rending veil shall thee reveal
All glorious as thou art.
In these verses John warns us that because we are the children of God and are being conformed to the image of Christ, the world will not accept us. If the world rejected Christ, then we too can expect to be rejected. Jesus said "the servant is not above his master".
Verses 3-8 --We need to read these verses carefully, and go back to them for reference again and again as we study this section of scripture
William Barclay explains these verses beautifully and the following is an excerpt from his book:
THESE VERSES EMPHASISE OUR OBLIGATION OF PURITY
The man, who knows that God is at the end of the road, will make all life a preparation to meet him.
This passage is directed against the Gnostic teachers. As we have seen they produced more than one reason to justify sin.
John goes on to analyze sin and state that no one is superior to the moral law.
- He tells us what sin is: It is the deliberate breaking of a law which a man well knows. Sin is to obey oneself rather than to obey God.
- He tells us what sin does: It undoes the work of Christ. To sin is to bring back what he came into the world to abolish.
- He tells us why sin is: It comes from the failure to abide in Christ. So long as we remember Jesus, we will not-sin; it is when we forget that we sin.
- He tells us whence sin comes: It comes from the devil; and the devil is he who sins. We sin for the pleasure that we think it will bring to us; the devil sins as a matter of principle. The New Testament does not try to explain the devil and his origin; but, it is quite convinced--and it is a fact of universal experience--that in the world there is a power hostile to God; and to sin is to obey that power instead of God.
- He tells us how sin is conquered: It is conquered because Jesus Christ destroyed the works of the devil. The New Testament often dwells on the Christ who faced and conquered the powers of evil (Matthew 12:25-29, Luke 10:18, Col. 2:15, I Peter 3:22, John 12:31).
HE HAS BROKEN THE POWER OF EVIL AND BY HIS HELP THAT SAME VICTORY CAN BE OURS.
Verse 9 --This verse of scripture is a prime example of how we are to study the entire Bible in context, comparing scripture with scripture. At first glance, without studying farther a person would be tempted to think that here was a good example of the Bible contradicting itself, but this is not true.
The Greek language has many tenses, just as ours does. Earlier when John said "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.", sin in this passage was not "THE STATE OF SIN", but INDIVIDUAL ACTS OF SIN.
EVEN THOUGH WE ARE SAVED AND DELIVERED FROM THE STATE OF SIN, IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THERE IS NOT A SPIRITUAL WAR GOING ON: THE FLESH WARETH AGAINST THE SPIRIT!
We will all (saved individuals), commit individual sins, and we will all fall-short of the glory of God!
What John refers to when he says "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."
WE ARE NO LONGER IN THE STATE OF SIN WE ARE JUSTIFIED IN GOD'S EYES THROUGH CHRIST JESUS!!
A Christian cannot habitually sin. No Christian can possibly be a deliberate and consistent sinner. A Christian cannot live a life where sin dominates his actions.
Many people have professed to know the lord, but their lives do not reflect their profession. These people are not truly saved. True salvation changes lives!! (2 Cor 5:17"therefore is any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
The bible does teach that a Christian can backslide, but before that life will be totally taken over by sin, and before that person becomes totally used by Satan to bring shame and reproach upon the name of Jesus, they will be removed. There is such a thing as the sin unto -death. (I John 5:16, I Cor. 3:15,)
Verses 10-18 --these verses are very specific in their description of a child of God. These verses prick the conscience and stir the soul!
Wescott, a renowned bible scholar has said "life reveals the children of God. There is no way of telling what a tree is other than by its fruits, and there is no way of telling what a man is other than by his conduct. To be righteous is to love one another. The entire Christian faith is based on love! What are to two commandments Christ gave? (John 13:34-35, Matt. 22:35-40.)
From the time a person accepts Christ they accept their obligation to love. John tells us the final proof that a person has accepted Christ is their willingness to love. NOT JUST TO LOVE THOSE WHO ARE EASY TO LOVE, BUT TO LOVE THE UNLOVELY!
Only through Christ loving through us can we love like that...
IT IS NOT NATURALLY IN US...THAT’S WHY IT IS FINAL PROOF OF OUR SALVATION!
Verse 15 -- Here John compares those who allow hate to reign in their hearts to murderers. I am sure when he said this that his mind raced back to that day on the Jerusalem hillside when he sat and listened to our Lord as he preached his beautiful Sermon on the Mount. Matt. 5:21-22, On that day Jesus made it plain that if we hate our brother it is the same as murder. We murder his self-confidence, his sense of worth, and we rob him of the satisfaction of being accepted and treasured as a person. THIS IS VERY SERIOUS, AND YET ALL OF US HAVE COMMITTED THIS SIN. OH, HOW THE HOLY SPIRIT CONVICTS MY HEART EVEN AS I WRITE!!
MY GREATEST SHORTCOMING IS NOT LOVING AS MY LORD WOULD HAVE ME LOVE. AND MY GREATEST NEED IS TO SO SUBMIT TO THE LORD THAT HIS LOVE COULD FLOW THROUGH ME. I NEED YOUR PRAYERS.
Christ set the example for us to love in his life, his ministry of reaching out to the needs of all around him, his willingness to suffer in our place, his willingness to die for us, and so precious to each Christian, his loving tenderness when he deals with us about unconfessed sin as he is so willing to show us his great grace and mercy given to us through his loving forgiveness!
Verse 18 --John goes on to tell us that we must love in practical ways. Again William Barclay states "Fine words will never take the place of fine deeds; and no amount of talk of Christian love will take the place of a kindly act to a man in need, involving some sacrifice, for in that action the principle of the Cross is operative again.
Many of the descriptions of the Armour of God were shown to me be Oliver B. Greene who was a wonderful preacher/teacher. (Chalma Smith 1974)
VICTORY IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE (Ephesians 6:11-18)
Picture yourself as a soldier and let's think of some things we would need as good soldiers.
What thoughts have you had in the past when you heard the song "Onward Christian Soldiers"? Would a man do his best in battle and have a good chance of defeating the enemy if he didn't believe he could do it?
Turn to Eph. 6:10
"Finally my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might". This is why Paul admonishes us to be Strong in the Lord- and in the Power of His might! When we put our dependence solely in the Lord and the power of his might, we recognize that we have the victory!
Then we can claim Phil. 4:13
"I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me".
As we have the confidence to win, we must now recognize who our adversary is: Does anyone remember what one of the biggest hazards and problems was in the Vietnam War? (You could never be sure who your enemy was.) That had to hinder victory. When we learn that Satan is our enemy and that he is real and we are in a spiritual warfare and also when we learn what weapons and strategy he uses, then we can prepare ourselves for the battle!
I Peter 5: 8-9 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." What comes to your mind as you think of a roaring lion? Compare those thoughts with Satan: Satan cannot be fought by physical means or in our own strength. He is a spiritual being and has supernatural powers. Only thru Christ are we conquerors, yea, more than conquerors!
This is why Paul says before any other preparation is made, we must be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might..............................................................................
No good soldier ever went into battle without the proper equipment and dress. It would be so foolish for a soldier to face high powered artillery, atomic weapons, tanks etc, with a mere sling shot! Some of you may be thinking-----David did, and he won! David had more than his sling shot; he had clothed himself in the whole armour of God! He said to the Philistine, "And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword or spear, for the battle is the Lord's. He will give you into our hands."
Paul explains the importance of this as he explains in Eph. 6:11-12 "Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
Eph. 6:13 "Wherefore take unto you the whole amour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."
Paul tells us to take the whole armour of God. Our defense is not by our own strength and ability. He did not say make your armour, but take God's armour! He also tells us to take the whole armour of God. In fighting a soldier would look for the weak unprotected spot of the enemy and concentrate on it. The devil does this to us. Any area of our life we do not clothe in the whole armour of God is vulnerable! If we think we can handle one detail in the flesh, we are open to defeat!
Verse 13 says stand several times, what is meant by this? In the Greek, this implies a stand against great opposition. The evil day is describing when Satan comes at us most intently. Don't give an inch! Stand firm! Scripture says -neither give place to the devil. You see, he is the type that if you give him in inch, he will take a mile! If we allow Satan to have access to, or control of any part of our lives, he will never be satisfied until he has destroyed every area of our lives that could be a witness for Christ. He is a greedy adversary and will not stop until he has destroyed us!
...........................................................................
Verse 14: "Stand therefore, having your loins gird about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;"
What is a girdle? How was a girdle used in battle? The girdle protected the inner parts, and held the sword. If we don't submit even the most private areas of ourselves to Christ, we cannot handle the sword of truth as we should. We will lack faith to claim the promises and the power to teach the word and live by it (the word of God being the sword of truth).
What does Paul mean when he says be girded about with truth? Jesus said--- "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free."John 8:32: "I am the way, the truth and the life."John 14:6; "I am the vine, ye are the branches; He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing."John 15:5
Therefore, the girdle of truth is JESUS!
...........................................................................
Verse 14: "--and having on the breastplate of righteousness;"
The next piece of armour is the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate is a defensive weapon. What does it protect? (The most vital parts, where the wound would be fatal). Satan will come at you and tell you that you don't have what it takes to live for Christ. He will tell you that you are not strong enough or good enough. This is why we are to take on the breastplate of righteousness; not our own, because, all our righteousness is as filthy rags. We are to take on the righteousness of Christ!
Phil. 3: 7-9: "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith;"
I Cor. 1:29-30: "That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption."
Therefore, the breastplate of righteousness is JESUS!
Eph. 6:15"And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace."
Put on your Gospel Shoes! Paul is inferring----always be ready-----be prepared thru study----thru prayer----thru total surrender----be ready to share the Gospel of peace anywhere, at any time! Only when our feet are shod (covered or protected) can we stomp all over Satan! What is the gospel of peace? Scripture tells us this about Jesus--"His name shall be called wonderful, counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace!"
Therefore, the gospel of peace, our gospel shoes are JESUS!
Verse 16: "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked."
We have a shield, and with our shield we quench the fiery darts of Satan. Be sure you do not forget your shield! ABOVE ALL, this is of utmost importance! The shield is faith. "So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." Do not rely on your own faith to sustain you, for we all grow weak in faith from time to time, but rely on the faith of Christ. His faith will always sustain you!
Eph. 2:8-9: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; Not of works, lest any man should boast."
Claim Galatians 2:20"I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. If we see clearly that the shield of faith that guarantees the quenching of all the fiery darts of the wicked one is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ."
Therefore, the shield of faith is JESUS!
Eph. Verse 17: And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God."
What areas does a helmet protect? The brain. Each child of God must have the assurance of their salvation! Satan will rob you of this piece of armour.
Recognize that our helmet of salvation is none other than JESUS!
II Timothy 1:12"For the which cause I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."
"Christ in you, the hope of Glory!" Read John 3:16 often; believe this scripture and stand on it!
Therefore, the helmet of salvation is JESUS!
Eph. 17: "And take the helmet of salvation and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God."
Please take note! This is our only offensive weapon! What is an offensive weapon? (This is the weapon we use for attack!)
Hebrews 4:12:"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and-of the joints and-marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
Speaking of Jesus--Revelation 19:13: "And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood; and his name is called The Word of God."
Do you want to attack Satan and defeat him? Know the word of God and use it! Realize that the word, the Bible, is the communication to us from Jesus, telling us about himself, what he expects of us, and what he promises us thru his word!
Therefore, the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God is JESUS!
----------------------------
Eph. 18: "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints."
Now that we have our armour on, do we run right out to battle? NO! WE GET OUR ORDERS FROM HEADQUARTERS!
Never forget that a good soldier always obeys orders. In order to know our orders, we must be willing to ask for leading, listen for leading and be obedient to the leading of the Lord!
NEVER FORGET, THERE IS NO ARMOUR PROVIDED FOR OUR BACKS!
We are never commanded to retreat, but we are commanded to be diligent in the work of the Lord and to stand steadfast!
