1 jn 5:18

The Certainty of Victory
1 John 5:18

Readings: Rev 12:9-11, 1 John 5:13-21

Introductory Thoughts—

· Know—absolute and settled knowledge, innate knowledge

· Six Things we can know

(1) You can know you have eternal life
(2) You can Know that God answers prayers
(3) You can know that you have victory
(4) You can Know that the we are in God and the World is under the sway of the Devil
(5) You can know that the Son of God has Come
(6) You can know that you are in Him.

· On the subject of Victory in Jesus—first remember: We Are In A War!

· There is a war with sin—1 Pet 2:11-121 "Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, ..."

· There is a war with Satan— Eph 6:11-12 "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."

Ø The word for “war” in 2 Cor 10:4-6 means “to conduct a military campaign…” It is the same word from which we get our word “strategy.”

(1) It is fought every day, It is part of life

(2) The results of not fighting: devastation

Ø There are two worlds we are dealing with, the physical and the spiritual—This war is a spiritual warfare, with spiritual enemies.—
· So, there is a war, with sin and Satan, and if we are believers in Christ, we are in the War
· But the Good news is, that the war has been won already!!

1. We Know We Have Victory Over Sin

a. “…We know…” – absolute and settled knowledge, innate knowledge

b. “…all, The One who has been born of God…”

(1) “…All…” (the ones having been born of God )
(2) “…has been born…” =è perfect tense =è an event that happened, that has come to full fruition, and whose effects continue

(3) 1 John 5:1

(4) 2 Cor 5:17

Ø These verses apply to every believer without exception. If you have not been made a new creature in Christ, you are lost!

c. “Not is sinning…” This is present tense, a habit of life, continuous.

(1) A true Christian does not habitually live a life of sin.
(2) 1 John 3:4-10, (see also) Rom 6:6, 14-22

d. Bottom line—the True Believer is not a slave of sin!

2. We Know We Are Kept Secure by Christ—“…but he who has been born of God keeps himself…” (or, is kept)

a. The one born of God—not referring to the New Birth, but to the only-begotten-ness of Christ

(1) John 18:37 Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."

(2) NASB—“…He who was born of God keeps him…”
(3) NIV— “…the one who was born of God keeps him safe,…”

b. He Keeps Us—Keep, guard, present tense, continuous

John 17:12 ""While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled."

2 Th 3:3 "But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one."

1 Pet 1:5 "who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

Jude 1:24 "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,"

Ø We have victory over sin!

Ø Christ keeps us!

Ø But He does not keep us in sin—He pulls us out of sin!


3. We Know We Have Victory Over Satan

a. The Evil one

(1) Masc. and personal, so not talking about impersonal evil, but a very personal evil one.

1 John 2:13 "I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father."

(2) Who is the evil one?

(a) The Serpent in the garden of Eden, the accuser of the brethren, the deceiver, the father of lies, the murderer

Ø Rev 12:9-11

Ø John 8:44 ""You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it."

(b) The one who was the anointed cherub—(Ezek 28:1-18)
(c) The one who seeks whom he may devour—(1 Pet 5:8-9)
(d) The one we are to resist—1 Pet 5:9, James 4:7

b. The Wicked One Does not get a grip on us…

(1) Word means to grasp, to snatch away from

(2) The Devil cannot snatch away one of Christ’s own!

John 10:28-30 ""And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. 30 "I and My Father are one.""

(3) However, that does NOT mean that we will not be tested and tried by the enemy!

2 Tim 3:12 "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution."

1 Pet 4:12-19 "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; …”

(4) 1 Pet 5:8-9!

(5) How well Peter knew!

Luke 22:31-32 "And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 "But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.""

c. But we have the victory now, and the ultimate victory is coming! Rom 16:19-20 "For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. 20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen."








Applications

1. We are in a war with sin and Satan

2. Sin has been defeated, Satan has been defeated—the Cross and the empty tomb.

3. We need to learn to appropriate and walk in that victory.