“But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.”
1 John 4:4 (NLT)
This passage reminds us that we’re fighting from victory, not for it. The Holy Spirit within us has already overcome the enemy. The devil may roar, but he’s defeated—the serpent’s head is crushed, and his schemes hold no authority over God’s children. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside us, proving that God’s presence and power dwell within.
John gives believers a simple test for discerning truth from deception: anyone who acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body and speaks truth about Him is from God. Anyone who denies that truth carries the spirit of the Antichrist, which is already at work in the world. But take heart—you’ve already overcome that spirit because the Spirit of God in you is greater.
The world listens to those who speak its language. False teachers speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world eagerly receives them. But those who belong to God listen to His Word and follow the truth revealed through the apostles. When we hold firmly to Scripture, we can clearly see the difference between truth and deception.
So what then shall we fear? If God’s Spirit is greater than the spirit in the world, then we already stand victorious. Stay grounded in truth, filled with the Spirit, and confident that the victory has already been won.