First John: 1 John 4:4c-The Holy Spirit Who Indwells the Recipients of First John is Greater Than Satan Who is in the World Lesson # 152

1 John 4:4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (ESV)

“For he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” presents the reason why the recipients of First John were experiencing victory spiritually over the false prophets as a result of possessing the characteristic of truth which originates from the Spirit.

“He who is in you” indicates the Spirit is located within each one of the recipients of First John.

“He who is in the world” indicates that the planet earth is the location or place in which Satan dwells or lives or exists.

1 John 4:4 Each and every one of you, dear children, does possess the characteristic originating from this, the one and only God (who is the Spirit). Consequently, each of you are victorious over them because the one in each of you is greater than the one in the world. (Author’s translation)

The apostle John asserts that each of the recipients of First John did possess the characteristic originating from this, the one and only God, which is a reference to the Holy Spirit.

This of course implies that they accepted by faith John’s Spirit inspired apostolic teaching which declares that Jesus of Nazareth is the God-man Savior, which is indicated by John’s assertions in 1 John 4:2-3.

Now, in 1 John 4:6, the characteristic which the recipients of First John possessed as a result of accepting by faith John’s Spirit inspired apostolic teaching that Jesus of Nazareth is the God-man Savior is truth.

The apostle John then presents the result of the previous assertion that each one of the recipients of First John does possess the characteristic of truth which originates from God the Holy Spirit by asserting that they were victorious over the false prophets which he mentions in 1 John 4:1.

John then presents the reason why the recipients of First John were experiencing victory spiritually over the false prophets as a result of possessing the characteristic of truth which originates from the Spirit by asserting that the one in each of them is greater than the one in the world.

This assertion has two interpretative problems.

The first, who is the person referred to that is said to indwell the recipients of First John?

The second, who is the person being referred to who is said to live in the world?

The person who John asserts indwells the recipients of First John is the Holy Spirit and not the Father or the Son or the Trinity for that matter which is indicated by John’s statements in 1 John 2:20, and 27 as well as his statements in 1 John 4:2-4.

In 1 John 4:2, John identifies the means by which they can confirm that a particular spirit or teaching originates with God the Holy Spirit.

He asserts that any spirit or teaching that acknowledges Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ appearing in human flesh does possess the characteristic which originates from this the one and only God who is the Spirit and this characteristic of course is truth.

Secondly, in 1 John 4:3, John presents a contrast by asserting that any teaching which does not acknowledge this about Jesus of Nazareth by no means possesses the characteristic of truth originates with the Spirit.

Thirdly, in 1 John 4:4, John asserts that each of the recipients of First John possess this characteristic of truth which originates with the Spirit.

Furthermore, in 1 John 2:20, the apostle John asserts that each one of the recipients of First John possess an anointing from the Holy One, Jesus Christ.

Consequently, each of them possess knowledge of the truth.

This anointing is the indwelling of the Spirit.

This statement serves to contrast the recipients of First John with the antichrists he mentions in 1 John 2:18-19 who do not possess this anointing of the Spirit.

In 1 John 2:27, the apostle John asserts that this anointing of the Spirit which they received from Jesus Christ at justification lives within each of the recipients of First John.

Consequently, they had absolutely no need that anyone teach them.

This statement stands in contrast with the declarative statement in 1 John 2:26, which asserts that the antichrists were attempting to deceive the recipients of this epistle who we noted were believers living in the Roman province of Asia in the last decade of the first century A.D.

This adversative clause is followed by a result clause which asserts that each of the recipients of this epistle have absolutely no need that anyone teach them, which emphasizes with them that the Holy Spirit was their divine teacher.

Then, John makes the assertion that this anointing they received at justification teaches them about everything, which refers to the Spirit inspired apostolic teaching concerning the hypostatic union of Jesus Christ and His Saviorhood.

John then explains what he means by the prepositional phrase “about everything.”

He then asserts that the content of what this anointing taught is true and that it is never a lie.

Then, the apostle John employs a comparative clause which is also telling the reader how they were to obey the command to continue to make it their habit of living in fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

They were to continue to live in fellowship with the Spirit by obeying His teaching and specifically Spirit inspired apostolic teaching.

Lastly, the hoti causal clause in 1 John 4:4 mentions someone who indwells the recipients of First John who provides them the victory over the false prophets.

Therefore, a comparison of these verses indicates that the one indwelling the recipients of First John is the Holy Spirit since these verses assert that the recipients of First John possessed “the anointing” or indwelling of the Spirit who teaches them truth.

They also teach that they possessed the characteristic of truth as a result of obeying his Spirit inspired apostolic teaching in contrast to the false prophets.

In other words, the one who indwells the recipients of First John is the Spirit since these verses teach that they possessed the indwelling of the Spirit who taught them truth and that they were experiencing victory over these false prophets as a result of obeying the Spirit’s teaching that Jesus is the God-man Savior, which is truth.

The one who John describes as being in the world is a reference to Satan and not the false prophets since the false doctrine taught by these false prophets or antichrists originated with Satan who opposes Jesus Christ.

The apostles teaching about Jesus of Nazareth originated with the Spirit and the false teaching about Jesus which was taught by these antichrists or false prophets originated with the devil.

Therefore, since Satan is the chief adversary against Jesus Christ and is a liar, he is the one who was behind the lies of the false prophets.

John asserts that the Holy Spirit is greater than Satan here in this causal clause which brings to an end 1 John 4:4, which means that the former is of higher character, rank and importance than the latter.

In other words, the Spirit is greater than Satan because the former is deity and the latter is not.

The former is the Creator and the latter is His creature.

Therefore, John is not only encouraging the recipients of First John that they were victorious over these false prophets but also more importantly they were victorious over Satan in spiritual combat because their false doctrine originated with the devil.

They were victorious over these false prophets and Satan who sent them because they accepted by faith the apostle John’s Spirit inspired apostolic teaching that Jesus of Nazareth is the God-man Savior.

In fact, in 1 John 5:4, John asserts that the believer’s faith in the Spirit’s teaching gives them the victory over Satan’s world system and organization.

Faith in the Word of God which is inspired by the Holy Spirit (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:20-21) appropriates the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit (cf. Matt. 17:20).

This is the third time in First John that the apostle John has affirmed and commended the recipients of First John that they were experiencing victory over Satan in spiritual combat.

The first was in 1 John 2:13 and the second was in 1 John 2:14.

In fact, 1 John 2:13-14 gives us insight into John’s commendation of the recipients of First John here in 1 John 4:4 since they identify specifically the means by they experienced this victory over Satan.