The Spirit of Antichrist

1John 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. 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.

Who are the “we” referred to by John, and how do we know the Spirit of truth from the spirit of error?  

We are the church, the body of Christ, the temple of the living God. His temple is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, who are those whom the Lord called to write and proclaim scripture.

The “command” that we must agree to disagree is patently unbiblical, i.e. it is not supported by scripture. If such an assertion is true, then the writers of scripture themselves are unscriptural. Verse 6, in the passage cited above, is one of the boldest statements in scripture.  The scriptures, when read today, mean exactly what they meant when they were originally written, received, and read by the saints. There is no “double meaning”. The Lord did not forget to include certain information which He later revealed through a few “gifted” individuals (neo-gnostics) throughout the ages. 

The spirit of antichrist originates among those who call themselves believers. They depart from the fellowship proclaiming another gospel, another Jesus, by another spirit (antichrist).

John says they were never one of us. (2Cor 11;1-15; 1 John 2: 18-19)
Unfortunately before they leave the true fellowship, they gather many to themselves who follow them into ruin. (1 Timothy 1:18-20)

Acts 20:

28  Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

29  I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;

30  and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.

2Peter 2:

1  But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

2  And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.

3  And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

Jude 1:3  Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4  For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Matthew 7:

15  "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

16  You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

17  So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.

18  A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.

19  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

20  Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

The certainty of biblical prophecy is that they (antichrist) will come, and they will lead many astray; to this very day this is so. The fruit that they we will know them by are not the lying signs and wonders, nor deceptive good works. Their works/miraculous signs will appear to be quite genuine, and so God sends a delusion on them and those that follow them, i.e. those who do not seek the TRUTH.  (2 Thess 2:9-12)  Signs, wonders, the appearance of godliness, etc. are the mechanism of deception. 

John 17:17  Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

The fruit produced by the bad tree is the speaking of another word, than the one given by God. They proclaim a Jesus that is not found in the scriptures; a gospel which He did not proclaim; a salvation that is not given through Him, all by the spirit of antichrist which rejects the only begotten Son, who came in the flesh from the Father.

Therefore, those who listen to them go into the world with them proclaiming a worldly gospel, e.g. health, wealth, “easy believism”, etc. It is a gospel that is palatable to the world, and the worldly gladly receive it.

The saints are those who are sanctified (set apart) in the Truth (His Word).                                                            

The saints go into all the world and make disciples, that is, they bring into the fellowship those whom the Lord is saving by speaking the Truth.  (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2: 41-47)

Those who listen to us are of God. Those who do not listen to us are not of God. 

John 6:45  It is written in the Prophets, 'And they will all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me--

 John 8:47  Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God."

Greater is the one who is in the fellowship, than the one who is in the world.