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NASB | 1 John 4:4 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. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 John 4:4 Little children (believers, dear ones), you are of God and you belong to Him and have [already] overcome them [the agents of the antichrist]; because He who is in you is greater than he (Satan) who is in the world [of sinful mankind]. |
Bible Question:
Do demons exist today? How do they influence Christians today? If Jesus cast demons out in His time, then are we less borthered now? Why is the issue of demons ignored by churches today if there is such a thing as demon oppression on Christians. PLEASE DO NOT ANSWER THIS QUESTION WITHOUT SPECFIC SCRIPTURE TO BACK UP YOUR ANSWER. justme |
Bible Answer: Hi Justme, This is a challenging question! As Jesus was casting out the legion of demons, they said to Him, "What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?" Matt 8:29 We can only actually speculate what that time is, although in Revelation 16:13-14, "three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty." These unclean spirits clearly have a mission in influencing the people of the earth. So long as you accept a futurist view of this prophecy, and I personally do, this would indicate that demons, or unclean spirits, have not yet been completely removed from the earth. James 2:19 "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble!" James speaks of demons in the present tense. 1 Timothy 4:1 "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons," This is a sound warning to the people of today, (again, presuming a futurist, premillenialist, dispensationalist, literallist ;-) view) that demons will be active to deceive, to draw them away from Christ. These are the pertinent scriptures that I am aware of. Demons are among us. They desire to deceive us. This is what I know from the Bible. I can speculate that they also do the same as in the time of Christ, possessing and harrassing the unsaved. Why many churches ignore this issue I can only speculate. Jesus, in Rev. 3:17, says to the church of Laodicea, "thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." - is this church not deceived? Is this the work of demons, that have corrupted the church with false doctine? As for the concept of the demonic oppression of Christians, I don't really know what that is, or even what it could be. 1 John 4:3 "And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them." How can an evil spirit "oppress" me, when: 2 Cor 3:17 "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." These are some of my thoughts. What do you think? Love in Christ, Mark |
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Questions and/or Subjects for 1 John 4:4 | Author | ||
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mark d seyler | ||
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Effie | ||
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quickfix4u | ||
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justme | ||
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mark d seyler | ||
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LinV | ||
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cayra | ||
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Nsweetbeck | ||
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DAW | ||
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thrufire2 | ||
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rizz |