Are you Spiritually Ready? 1 John 2:12-14
Some in this latter group argue that the aorist verbs refer to what John has already written, and the present tense verbs refer to what he is now writing.
As Sherman and Tuggy note, “John is here giving strong encouragement before presenting the exhortations to overcome temptations. By an emphatic reminder of who they are and what God has done for them, he provides the trust basis for exhorting them to live in the victory already won.
Even in this small way and somewhat veiled fashion, John is attacking the heterodox views about the person of Jesus Christ that are held by his opponents.
The Church (Children)
The three expressions then are equivalent to “my children in Christ, old and young.”
Almost certainly he is referring to his whole church when he calls his readers “children,” but within that group he is in one sense recollecting and addressing the young and old in physical age; while in another sense he is referring to the spiritual privileges of Christian youth and maturity that should belong to all believers
The principal ideas are forgiveness, knowledge of God, and victory over evil.
This forgiveness occurs because the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ made the mercy and grace of God available to those who repent of their sins and believe in the name of Jesus.
As children of God, these believers have confessed the name of Jesus to be saved, and as a result of that confession they now have access to that name. It is this power that will give them victory as they stand against those who have departed from the community.
The Spiritually Mature (Fathers)
The knowledge they have is indicative of a deep, ongoing spiritual relationship (“have known” is in the perfect tense) that is grounded in the historical death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, not in intellectual speculation that perverts the true picture of who Jesus is, the eternal Son of God
These two characteristics, the forgiveness of sins and the knowledge of the Father, are complementary. They are also necessary if one is to be part of the people of God.
The interesting thing about these two descriptions is that they mirror exactly two of the promises of the new covenant made in Jer 31:31–34: knowledge of God and forgiveness of sins.
Those who are members of the new covenant community have the law of God written on their hearts, and they are taught by the Holy Spirit, who dwells within them.
This is the knowledge of which John was speaking—a knowledge which comes by walking with God through the varied experiences of life. Prayer, the study of the Word, devoted service, obedient living—these are for all of us avenues to this deeper knowledge.
The Spiritually Strong (Young Men)
The young men are to take heart because they have overcome the evil one (the devil). These believers have known what it is to overcome the temptations that the “evil one” places in front of them. “Have overcome” (perfect tense) particularly relates to the manner in which they have withstood the attempts to lure them away from the community.
The Christian can take heart in the midst of this battle because the victory is assured through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross and in the resurrection.
This security comes from the fact that “the evil one” has been defeated by Jesus Christ by victory over death and sin.237 As a result, when someone is born of God, Jesus Christ secures victory over death for that person.
This latter statement may have primary reference to a victory gained over the teachers of error who were threatening the fellowship of John’s readers, a victory which probably led to the withdrawal of those heretics from the Christian company. The statement, however, must not be limited to this, for John speaks elsewhere in more general terms about the believer’s victory over evil (5:4–5; cf. 3:6–9).
John asserts that victory has already been achieved by his readers, for “overcome” translates a perfect tense, denoting that they have conquered the evil one and remain victorious over him.
This strength comes from their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose victory over the evil one gives them the ability to triumph (1 John 5:4).
The second reason for their victory over the evil one is that the word of God abides (present tense) in them.
It is through constant contact with the word of God that the believer has communion with the Father and gains direction and spiritual energy for the battle.240 It is highly likely that John refers to the Old Testament and to the account of the life of Jesus in his Gospel. The believer’s source of strength has not changed. The believer may still overcome (last of the perfect tense forms in vv. 12–14) the evil one through faith in Jesus Christ and careful study of and abiding in the Word of God.
To speak of the Word as “abiding in” the readers is to suggest that it was a living force permanently active within them. The TEV renders it, “the word of God lives in you”; Norlie, “God’s Word is treasured in your hearts”; Phillips, “you have a hold on God’s truth.” Ramsay writes: “The man whose mind is stored with right principles and true conviction is clad in triple steel” (p. 267).
Charles Spurgeon tells of a time when, as a very young man, he was preaching on the faithfulness of God. His aged grandfather, who was sitting behind the young preacher, came forward at one point and said, “My grandson can tell you that, but I can bear witness to it. I have passed my three score years and ten, but still He has been faithful and true” (p. 479).
In the verses immediately following John will remind his readers of their continuing struggle with the world. Here he assures them that they are well-equipped for it. They have been given divine strength, they have the Word of God within them, and they have the confidence born of victories already won against the enemy.