First John: 1 John 5:19-The Children of God and the Children of the Devil Lesson # 205

1 John 5:19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. (ESV)

1 John 5:19 Each one of us are in a state of having confirmed that each and every one of us belong to a group of people originating from this God. However, the world permits itself to be completely united with the evil one. (My translation)

The apostle John solemnly presents two declarations in 1 John 5:19 with the second standing in stark contrast to the first.

The first asserts that John and each one of the recipients of First John existed in the state of having confirmed that each one of them existed in the state of belonging to a group of people originating from God.

The second teaches that the human race permits itself to be completely united with the evil one which of course is a reference to Satan, the devil.

Therefore, the contrast is between the children of God and the children of the devil.

To “confirm” means, “to acknowledge with definite assurance.”

Therefore, John is asserting that he and each one of the recipients had definite assurance that they belong to a group of individuals originating from God while on the other hand the world or human race existed in the state of being completely united with the evil one, Satan.

To “confirm” also means, “to establish the truth, accuracy, validity or genuineness of, corroborate; verify.”

Thus, John and each of the recipients of First John established the truth, the validity or genuineness of, corroborated and verified that each one of them had definite assurance that they belonged to a group of individuals originating from God.

On the other hand, they had established the truth, the validity or genuineness of, corroborated and verified that the world or human race existed in the state of being completely united with the evil one, Satan.

When John speaks of belonging to a particular group of individuals originating from God in the first declaration, he of course is referring to God’s children.

This why the TNIV, NIV and NRSV insert the word “children” into their translation of this verse.

The apostle John has mentioned three times in First John the concept of being a child of God (cf. 1 John 3:1, 10; 5:2).

John and the recipients of First John were in a state of having confirmed that they were children of God for several reasons which are presented in First John.

First, they were children of God because they accepted by faith John’s Spirit inspired apostolic teaching that Jesus of Nazareth is the God-man Savior (cf. 1 John 1:1-3; 2:18-29; 4:1-6).

Secondly, they were experiencing fellowship with the Father and the Son as a result of obeying God’s commands (cf. 1 John 1:1-3; 2:3-6).

They were experiencing eternal life (cf. 1 John 5:11-13).

They were obeying the command to love one another (cf. 1 John 2:7-11; 3:11-18; 4:7-5:3).

They were indwelt by the Holy Spirit and thus possessed the truth of God (cf. 1 John 2:20-27; 4:1-6).

They were practicing righteousness as a result of obeying the command to love another which constitutes loving God (cf. 1 John 2:29; 3:4-10).

They were experiencing victory over Satan and his world system and organization as a result of obeying the Word of God (1 John 2:12-17; 4:1-6; 5:4-5).

The first declaration is echoing 1 John 5:18 in that the former speaks of John and the recipients of First John belonging to a group of people originating with God, i.e. the children of God while the latter speaks of being fathered by God.

1 John 5:18 Each one of us possesses the conviction that every person who has been fathered by God never commits sin. On the contrary, the one who has been fathered by God, He (God) protects him. Consequently, the evil one can never for his own benefit harm him. (Author’s translation)

To be fathered by God obviously means that one is a child of God.

The second declaration in 1 John 5:19 asserts that the world or in other words, the human race in contrast to them as an eternal spiritual truth existed in the state of permitting itself to be completely united with the evil one, which of course is a reference to Satan, the devil.

These are the children of the devil who Jesus mentions in John 8:44.

This is the fifth and final time in First John in which the apostle John refers to the devil or Satan (cf. 1 John 2:13-14; 3:12; 4:4).

Four times, the apostle John has affirmed and commended the recipients of First John that they were experiencing victory over Satan in spiritual combat (cf. 1 John 2:13-14, 4:4, 5:4, 18).

So therefore, 1 John 5:19 places the entire human race in two camps in that a person is either a child of God or a child of the devil.

Unlike the Greek philosophers of the ancient world and of modern twenty-first century society, the New Testament considers only those who have accepted Christ as Savior as children of God.

Unbelievers are considered children of the devil and are designated “sons of disobedience” (Eph. 2:2; 5:6; Col. 3:6; cf. Jn. 8:44).

It is true that as Creator, God is Father of all but in terms of relationship and fellowship, He is the Father of only believers who have been born into the royal family of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Heb. 12:7, 9).

One cannot claim to have or know experientially the Father without the Son (1 Jn. 2:22-23; 2 Jn. 9; cf. Jn. 8).

In 1 John 2:20-23 the person who rejects Jesus Christ as their Savior does not possess a relationship with the Father and thus is not a child of God.

However, it also teaches that the person who does exercise faith in God’s one and only Son Jesus Christ as their Savior, does possess a relationship with the Father and is thus a child of God.

1 John 2:22 Who is the worst type of liar? It is none other than the person who at any time does say, “Jesus is unequivocally not the Christ.” This person is the antichrist: the person who unequivocally rejects the Father as well as His Son. 1 John 2:23 Anyone who does at any time reject the Son, unequivocally does not possess a relationship with the Father. The person who does at any time acknowledge the Son, does possess a relationship with the Father also. (Author’s translation)

Now, the implication of these two declarations in 1 John 5:19 is that the child of God has been delivered or rescued from the power and authority of Satan.

They have been delivered from his world system and organization as a result of exercising faith in God’s one and only Son, Jesus Christ.

The apostle Paul mentions this deliverance from Satan’s kingdom in Colossians 1:13.