The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 John 4:1-4, “Beloved, 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.

2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God;

3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.

4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”

It is not unusual for criminals to claim that a “spirit” spoke to him (or her) or to insist that the act he committed was well deserved by the victim. Be that as it may, evil spirits do exist, and that is why John instructs us “not to believe every spirit”…because many false prophets (preachers, teachers) have left the truth and gone the way of the world.

All spirits are subject to testing; and the test is whether those claiming to be from God confess that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah) and that He has truly come from God. Evil spirits know that Jesus is both the Son of God and God the Son. But the “confession” of which John speaks is more than simply admitting who Jesus is; rather it is an acknowledgment that Jesus is indeed LORD over all, and that He is their LORD. That test they cannot pass.

Satan has a trinity: Satan, the Antichrist and the False Prophet. He mocks the LORD while pretending to be more powerful, more authoritative than the LORD Jesus Himself. Of course, Satan’s power is miniscule when compared with that of the LORD God Almighty!

But, those who want to be their own god, find him a convenient substitute and one much easier to follow.

Having forbidden us, as born-again believers, to follow Satan, John admonishes us to follow Jesus alone. In Christ, we have overcome the devil and his trickery. Being indwelt and possessed by the Holy Spirit, we may consider ourselves as having overcome Satan in the long run of things. That does not mean, however, that he has given up. Remember that Jesus Himself had to resist Satan three times. Yet, “greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”

The next time you are tempted to think or do something evil, resist the devil! The Holy Spirit is far more powerful than Satan; and He will enable you to withstand Satan’s temptations. Further, our resisting of evil brings glory to God. And the starting point in resisting is refusing to listen to those who deny Jesus as the living, loving, Son of God. After all, it’s the truth that sets us free!

Prayerful and lovingly yours,

Nana & Dado III

(Rose Marie & Gene)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“e never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”