THE SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST

Our Savior exists as a man right now in glory. He is a living person—with flesh, bone, hair, eyes—even though He is God. Although we are here on earth, His Spirit dwells within us: “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’” (Galatians 4:6).

Yet, there is another spirit at work in the world—the antichrist spirit. Just as surely as Christ has given us His Spirit, there is an antichrist spirit in the world, preparing hearts for the coming of the Man of Sin!

"And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world" (1 John 4:3). John is saying, "You have heard about the coming of the Antichrist. It has been preached and taught, and you expect his arrival. But, beloved, wake up, because the spirit of antichrist is already at work!"

Understand, the Antichrist will not suddenly appear on the scene and overwhelm humankind. Rather, his spirit is mysteriously at work now, setting up his kingdom in cold, compromising hearts. When he finally appears, he will be publicly revealed to a world already prepared for him, to hearts his spirit already possesses!

Right now we see a growing antichrist sentiment, but soon this will turn into a flowing stream and, eventually, a vast ocean. The antichrist spirit is invading the hearts of many apostate Christians even now. "But how?" you ask. "Why would certain Christians ever turn to the Antichrist?" It is because they are like-minded with him.

John writes: "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. . . . Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour" (1 John 2:15-18).

John is warning us that those who still love the things of this world have opened themselves to the spirit of antichrist. He is saying, "You know these are the last days because so many are full of the covetous, antichrist spirit!"