1 John 4:4 - The Stronger One.
1 John 4:4 (NKJV) You are of God, little
children, and have overcome them, because He who is in
you is greater than he who is in the world.
COMMENTARY PEARLS
It seems as though every phone on the
market constantly has a new version coming out.
Each time there are new features, but all I
really want is a phone that has enough battery life
to get me through the day.
I dont care about the color of the
phone or all the extras, because those things
dont help me when Im constantly plugging in,
recharging, plugging in, and recharging.
In the Christian life, however, we want
to stay permanently plugged in. We want to stay
plugged in to Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us,
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in
the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10
NKJV).
But the Devil doesnt want that. He
wants to get you as far away from God as he
possibly can. So, heres what you need to do: Start
your day with the Lord. When you get up in the
morning, dont start your day with social media.
Dont start your day with checking your emails or
texts or the news - especially these days.
Instead, start your day with the Word of
God and with prayer. That will equip you to deal
with all the stuff that comes your way during the
day through your emails, texts, and everything
else.
And remember this simple statement: He
who is in you is greater than he who is in the
world (1 John 4:4 NKJV). In other words, God is
more powerful than the Devil and all the demons.
Thats why I stand in the Lord and in
the power of His might. I dont stand in
myself and the power of my own might, because I can
quickly collapse - just like you can.
Stand in the Lord and in the power of His
might. And keep as much distance from the Devil as
possible. [Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
Do not be misled: Satan is strong in
power and cunning. He has laid low some of God's
choicest servants because they underestimated him and
overestimated themselves. Even Samson with all his
strength was no match for Satan. Nor was Solomon with
all his wisdom.
So how can you keep the devil and his
buddies out of your "house"? One stronger than the
one who controls you must deliver you. Only one
qualifies as stronger than Satan: Jesus Christ.
I want to make it clear that genuine
Christians need not fear being possessed or controlled
by demons; Jesus is not into a time-sharing
program with Satan. The Bible tells us, "He who has
been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked
one does not touch him." (1 John 5:18)
Oh, Satan may knock on the doors and
rattle the windows. He may threaten to "huff and
puff and blow the house down." But he cannot
enter because someone stronger has taken up
residence. "Greater is He that is in you, than he that
is in the world." (1 John 4:4 KJV) From
Breakfast with Jesus by Greg Laurie (Tyndale House) pp
55-56 mod
COMMENTARY
At the time of Israels exodus from
Egypt, there was no mightier army on the face of
the earth than Pharaohs army. Imagine what it
must have been like for the Israelites to see
that army pursuing them with chariots and horses,
with shields and swords and spears. If it were
happening today, it would have been tanks and hummers
and aircraft coming at them all at the same
time.
The Israelites thought they were dead. So
what did Moses tell them to do? He said,
Dont be afraid. Just stand still and watch the
Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see
today will never be seen again. The Lord himself
will fight for you. Just stay calm (Exodus
14:13"14 NLT). Just stay calm Thats kind of
hard to do.
Sometimes the devil comes at us with
everything he has, with all his temptations and all his
deceptions. We think were not going to survive it.
Yes, we will. The Bible says, 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).
Christ is in you. You belong to the Lord.
Yes, the devil can tempt you. He can hassle you.
But he cannot overcome you, because you are
under Gods protection.
That is why Ephesians 6 tells us about
the believers spiritual armor: the helmet of
salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the sword
of the Spirit, and so forth. But before the
apostle Paul begins describing this spiritual armor,
he writes, A final word: Be strong in the
Lord and in his mighty power (Ephesians 6:10
NLT).
Stand still and watch the Lord rescue you
today. [By Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
Anytime we resist some temptation, overcome
some spiritual challenge, or triumph in a contest
of faith, we do so because God's Spirit lives
in us. We move ahead in a walk with God by
relying on His power, not ours. [Life Principles SB
By Charles Stanley]
CLOSING THOUGHT
Living by Relying On Gods Power
Perhaps you've already experienced the
yo-yo syndrome in your Christian life - feeling
strong in your faith one minute and then giving in
to temptation the next minute. Back and forth.
Up and down. Sometimes it feels as if the pull
of sin is so strong that there is nothing that
can overpower it. But there is something
stronger in us: "the Spirit of God ... lives in you"
(8:11). And "the Spirit who lives in you is greater
than the spirit who lives in the world" (1 John
4:4, December 4).
If God's Spirit is in us, why do we still
struggle with sin? One reason is that even though we
are God's children, we still have our human
nature. We will wrestle with the old nature until we
go to heaven. But Paul reminded his Roman
readers that they had no obligation to that little
voice that says, "Go ahead, you know you want to
... Once we become Christians, our only
obligation is to the Spirit, who calls us to a better
life, a more alive life.
Learning how to live by God's Spirit is
the process through which we grow as Christians.
Learn to pray for God's Spirit to give you
strength to stand - even against your own sinful
nature when necessary. [The One Year Bible for New
Believers re Rom. 8:9-14]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS TOPIC
Romans 8:31 - Winners In Christ.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2017/20170821-2011.html
Colossians 1:27 - Christ In You, The Hope Of
Glory.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2016/20161104-0940.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides:
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio:
https://bible.awr.org/the-signs/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug
Batchelor:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
