“In resisting the devil, we must not become like him” – Charles Stanley
When in our nation, we are being daily inundated with news of corruption, injustice and the unfettered advance of evil on all fronts – we must be cautious not to respond in like spirit.
2000 years ago, the Apostle John warned us of the Anti-Christ spirit that was even then operating in the nations. He assured us that “[we] have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” 1 John 4:4
This spirit has a 4 point method of operation. It elicits an EMOTIONAL response of:
1. Fear
2. Anger
3. Hatred,
4. And, last of all, it is a spirit that promotes its agenda by being against something, rather than be for something. It is an ANTI spirit.
We see this tactic used in the unjust proceedings of Jesus’ trial as shown in Acts 4:27 –
“for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,” (Acts 4:27, ESV)
All these different factions hated each other, but they “gathered together against” Jesus.
Psalms 2 tells us this will continue until the final battle in Armageddon –
“Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying,” (Psalm 2:1–2, ESV)
The unity Jesus is praying for His church in John 17, is a unity based on love for God, not hatred of the devil – it is a “for” unity, not an “against” unity.
So these 4 things, fear, anger, hatred and uniting against something are the chief indicators of the working of the Spirit of Anti-Christ. The really scary thing is:
We can be resisting the Anti-Christ Spirit while we are under its influence!
What spirit is influencing you in your stand against our cultural decline? How can we know whether we are responding in the flesh or in the spirit? The answer is simple –
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22–23, ESV)
I had never imagined I would see a time when sin is openly flaunted at every level of society, but we must not respond in kind. It helps to remember that no one is getting away with anything! The day is surely coming when all will be laid bare before the eyes of Him who has seen all! There will be an accounting for of every injustice, evil and sin – either at a bloody cross or a Great White Throne. May we live our own lives in the soberness of this truth.
There are 3 Psalms that give great comfort and peace to me in facing the issues we are dealing with today. Read them and see if they will help you as well. Psalms 37, Psalms 46 and Psalms 73.
