1 John 4:4 - Victorious Truth.
1 John 4:4 (NIV) You, dear children, are
from God and have overcome them, because the one
who is in you is greater than the one who is in
the world.
1 John 4:4 (NLT) 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 (NCV) My dear children, you
belong to God and have defeated them; because God's
Spirit, who is in you, is greater than the devil,
who is in the world.
1 John 4:4 (AMP) Little children, you are of
God [you belong to Him] and have [already]
defeated and overcome them [the agents of the
antichrist], because He Who lives in you is greater
(mightier) than he who is in the world.
1 John 4:4 (MSG) My dear children, you come
from God and belong to God. You have already won
a big victory over those false teachers, for
the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything
in the world.
WORD STUDY
We can overcome by recognizing false
teachers and refusing to follow them. He who is in
you is the Holy Spirit. He who is in the world
is the devil (5:19). [Nelson SB]
Greater Is He Who Is In You. Believers need
to be aware and alert to false teaching, but
not afraid, since those who have experienced the
new birth with its indwelling of the Holy Spirit
have a built-in check against false teaching (cf.
2:20, 27). The Holy Spirit leads into sound
doctrine for genuine Christians, evidencing that
salvation has actually occurred (cf. Ro 8:17). True
believers have nothing to fear, for even Satan's hosts
with their perversions can't take them out of the
Lord's hand. Here, as in 2:18-27, protection
against error or victory over it are guaranteed by
sound doctrine and the indwelling Holy Spirit who
illumines the mind. [MacArthur SB]
INTRODUCTION
It is easy to be frightened by the
wickedness we see all around us and overwhelmed by the
problems we face. Evil is obviously much stronger
than we are. John assures us, however, that God
is even stronger. He will conquer all evil -
and his Spirit and his Word live in our hearts!
[Life Application SB]
COMMENTARY PEARL
We belong to God like children belong to
their parents. As we get to know him, we can tell
truth from deception. When others claim to speak
for God, but they don't represent his character
- his love, his mercy, his justice, or his
peace - we will be able to tell. Knowing God's
heart, his intentions, and the timbre of his voice,
we are able to represent him well. We cannot
claim to know God by simply abiding by laws and
rules. We must press into the relationship of
Spirit to spirit.
There is victory in the truth of God's
liberating love. There is freedom in his overwhelmingly
good and true nature. The gospel of Christ is the
good news of our redemption. May we find our
triumph and success in his finished work!
Spend time with the Lord today in prayer
and meditation on his Word and ask him to reveal
himself in a deeper way through fellowship with his
Spirit. [365 Days of Courage by Sara Perry of
Broadstreet Pub]
COMMENTARY
When Youre Bullied, Remember Who You Are
What is your identity? If you are a
Christian, then you are a son or daughter of the King
of Kings and Lord of Lords. You are a part of
God's family. You were created in his image. God
loves you. He made you for a purpose, and he has a
plan for your life.
You need to remember who you are when
youre harassed or bullied. Why? Because bullies
can smell weakness, insecurity, and low
self-esteem a mile away. Bullies don't usually go after
confident or self-assured people. They look for
someone who is feeling down or insecure or weak.
They want to pick off people when they're in
their most vulnerable moments.
Who are you? You are not what other
people say you are. You are who God says you are.
God always speaks the truth, and it is the truth
that sets you free and gives you confidence and
courage. You're going to be vulnerable to deception
and manipulation until youre confident in who
you are. You need to settle today the issue of
your identity and who you are in Jesus Christ
because it will shape every area of your life.
God is your Creator. Jesus died for you.
The Holy Spirit lives in you. You have the
Trinity behind you. You dont have to worry about
bullies, because bullies have no real power over
you.
The Bible says, "Dear children, you
belong to God. So you have won the victory over
these people, because the one who is in you is
greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John
4:4 GW). Satan may be trying to take you down
through a bully. But the One who is in you is
greater than he that is in the world.
Remember your identity, which is what
David, one of the great Israelite kings, did when
he wrote: "When I am afraid, I will put my
trust in you. I praise God for what he has
promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
What can mere mortals do to me?" (Psalm 56:3-4
NLT)
If God is on your side, it doesn't matter
who's against you. You may have heard the phrase,
One plus God equals a majority.
If God is for you, what can people do to
you that would change who you are and how God
feels about you?
Not a thing. [Daily Devotional by Rick
Warren: https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
Take It Seriously
Often, people open the door to demonic
influence unintentionally. For instance, they like to
read their daily horoscope or think its fun to
play around with a Ouija board. Maybe they go to
meetings where someone says they can contact a dead
relative on their behalf. But all these things can
open the door to demons. And many people who
thought they were innocently dabbling in these
things have come under the power of Satan himself.
That is why we must stay away from these things.
The Bible warns, And have no fellowship with
the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather
expose them (Ephesians 5:11 NKJV).
The Devil couldnt care less about
crucifixes, holy water, or anything else that people
think will protect them from him. The only power
he fears is the power of Jesus Christ.
In Matthews Gospel, we read that when
Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee and arrived in
the region of the Gadarenes, two severely
demon-possessed men met him. They had lost everything. They
had lost their homes, their families, and their
sanity. They had even lost their will. They were
completely under the power of the Devil.
But Jesus heard their cry, and He turned
their lives around.
If youre a Christian, you dont have
to live in fear of demons taking over your life
because when you put your faith in Jesus Christ, He
comes to live inside you as a permanent resident.
Our Lord is not in a timeshare program with the
Devil. He will be our sole occupant if we put our
faith in Him.
Can Satan tempt us? Yes.
Can he hassle and oppress us? Yes.
Can he overcome and overpower us? No.
The Bible promises, 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 (1 John 4:4 NKJV). You are under Gods
protection. [Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
ONE LINERS
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]
What a wonderful thing to be able to say to
scoffers, or those who doubt and hold back: I can tell
you what I have seen and heard; I can tell you
of my experiences. But why not try Jesus for
yourself? Why not touch, and see, and hear the truth,
as Jesus works in your life today? [The 365-Day
Devotional Commentary]
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
1 John 4:4 - The Stronger One.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200817-1008.html
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
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
https://abible.com/links/
