8 Things to Know about the Spirit of the Antichrist
- Clarence L. Haynes Jr. Contributing Writer
- Published Apr 04, 2022
"But every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world." – 1 John 4:3
As you look at the prophetic calendar and consider the return of Jesus, one of the players that will be prominent in the final chapter of human history as we know it, is the antichrist. This man will one day be revealed and will deceive the world, ultimately leading many to their destruction. However, before this person is revealed the Bible mentions something called the spirit of the antichrist. This verse in 1 John clearly tells us the spirit of the antichrist is already in the world. Since this is true how do you identify it? Here are eight things to know about the spirit of the antichrist which will help you recognize it.
Here are 8 things to know about the spirit of the antichrist:
The spirit of the antichrist is a duplicate and a deceiving spirit.
To understand the spirit of the antichrist you must understand its origin, which is the devil. If I were to say it another way, this spirit is straight from the pit of hell. It is important to note the spirit of the antichrist may not be an actual spirit such as the Holy Spirit. The use of this term appears to be more colloquial in nature not referring to an actual spirit but pointing to the influence in this age. There are many spirits in the world and these spirits are carriers of the spirit or influence of the antichrist, which again is of the devil. The spirit of the antichrist is a duplicate or representation of Satan’s spirit. Because of this the qualities that are inherent in Satan are the same qualities that are found in the spirit of the antichrist.
“I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.” – 2 John 1:7
The spirit of the antichrist is a deceiving spirit. One of the greatest weapons Satan uses is deception. We are living in a day and age where deception abounds in every facet of our society. Sadly, this spirit of deception has also made its way into the church. The main focal point of this delusion surrounds the person of Jesus Christ. The spirit of the antichrist seeks to mislead people about who Jesus is and the work he has done. The way churches participate in this falsehood is by failing to preach the truth of who Jesus is, refusing to talk about repentance and sin, or not emphasizing the cross. This strategy plays into the devil’s playbook, and from his perspective, it makes perfect sense to try to deceive people about who Jesus is. When someone misses who Jesus is they miss their only hope for salvation. This spirit of deception works to keep those in the world from getting to Jesus and those in the church from talking about him. In both cases, the truth of God’s word is forfeited, and the true message of the gospel is hindered leading people to misinterpret who Jesus is.
It is a denying and destructive spirit.
"Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son." – 1 John 2:22
Like the deceptive nature, the spirit of the antichrist causes people to question and deny the reality of who Jesus is. The reason he does this is to keep people from seeing Jesus as the Christ or the Messiah. Whether through deception or denial they produce the same consequence. When people don’t look to Jesus as the Christ, they have no hope of salvation.
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." – John 10:10
The motivation of the spirit of the antichrist is to destroy. This destructive spirit seeks to tear down every fabric of society. This destruction begins with an individual, then spreads to a family. From a family it spreads to a community. From the community, it spreads to the culture and then ultimately into the society. The spirit of the antichrist carefully weaves its way in, with destruction as its primary objective. When you see the disintegration of many aspects of our world, you should know the spirit of the antichrist is at work.
It is a disguising and devouring spirit.
"But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light." – 2 Corinthians 11:14 (NLT)
While the spirit of the antichrist seeks to destroy, that purpose is often hidden. Satan is a master illusionist who specializes in disguising himself so there should be no surprise the spirit of the antichrist is a disguising spirit. Often this spirit is hidden behind “good” programs or “good” ideas but beneath the surface, there is a destructive motive. This does not mean all progress or new ideas are motivated by the spirit of the antichrist. It does require us as believers to look beneath the surface and know what lies there.
"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." – 1 Peter 5:8
The spirit of the antichrist looks to devour everything in its path and spares no one in its way. Anyone or anything that can be devoured will be. This spirit is merciless, ruthless, and evil, just like Satan is. Qualities of mercy and grace do not exist with the spirit of the antichrist, and we should not expect to see them either.
The spirit of the antichrist is a dividing and defeated spirit.
One of the hallmarks of Satan is to cause division because he knows as Jesus said a house divided against itself will not stand (Matt. 12:25). Knowing this to be true, division is central to the spirit of the antichrist. When you look in our nation and around the world, disjuncture and disunion are hallmarks we see. When you see this know the spirit of the antichrist is in action. It does not matter where this happens, whether in society or in the church. When division is present, we are falling victim to the spirit of the antichrist.
"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)
While the spirit of the antichrist is a formidable foe in this age, one day it will be defeated permanently. Until that time comes you must know the Holy Spirit living in you is greater than the spirit in the world. For this reason, you must be able to recognize and be willing to confront the spirit of this age. God has placed you here at this moment and filled you with his Spirit, so you can be a voice to stand against the spirit of the antichrist in the world today. You can do this boldly and confidently because the greater Spirit is alive in you.
Allow me to share one more verse with you.
“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” – 1 John 4:1
One of your greatest weapons in recognizing the spirit of the antichrist is discernment. When you have discernment, you will be able to see through the deception and disguises of the spirit of the antichrist. More than ever before, you need to be connected to the Spirit of God and grounded in the Word of God. This will help you test the spirits and prepare you to combat any spirit or scheme the enemy throws your way. The spirit of the antichrist is alive and well in our world today but thankfully we have the tools to overcome it. Let’s make sure we are putting them to use.
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