THE SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST

A lot of people are not aware of what "the spirit of antichrist" is. But there is a spirit of antichrist mentioned many times in the Bible. When the Bible mentions the spirit of antichrist, it is not necessarily talking about the son of perdition mentioned in 2 Thessalonian 2:3, the antichrist, The spirit of antichrist is a particular spirit that does a particular work in opposing Christ. The word antichrist means a substitute for Christ.

The word Christ means anointed. Jesus was the Christ, the anointed one of God; that's why we call Him Jesus Christ. The antichrist is that spirit that works to be a substitute for the anointing of God. If we are saved we have an anointing from God upon our lives, His Holy Spirit.

To begin with, we need to acknowledge that we are in a warfare. In the power and the authority of Jesus Christ we are fighting a battle.

So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

The woman mentioned in the previous verses is the Old Testament church -- the church that was under Moses' teachings, the law. This Old Testament church was to bring forth a Messiah, the promise made to Abraham. The man child that this woman brought forth was the Christ, the Messiah, who was caught up into heaven. Then the woman was persecuted by the devil. But this persecution was not the devil's primary task. In verse 17 we read:

And the dragon was enraged with the woman and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Let's look at some scriptures concerning how we are supposed to fight this enemy. II Corinthians 10:3:

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down of strong holds.

You should underline "mighty through God", for He's our source. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, are not natural -- but they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.

Now let's look at another passage concerning the same thing in Ephesians chapter 6, verse 11:

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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.

Who are we wrestling against? Satan, the devil, the dragon that was cast down out of heaven. He is our enemy, and he desires to destroy us spiritually. Another scripture says that he goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. But notice, as we wrestle against him, we are told in verse 13,

Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Whose armour do we take on? The armour of God. The weapons of our warfare are what? The weapons of God. All the things that are listed in the following verses -- having our loins girt about with truth, having on the breastplate of righteousness, etc. -- are all things we get from God. And these are the things that make us able to sucessfully fight against the powers of darkness; the devil; Satan; the dragon that was cast out of heaven.

So we see that we have a battle to fight. We also see that we have a place to go for the equipment we need to fight it. If you don't get the right equipment you won't win the battle. But if you will get your armour from God you will find strength through him and you can be an overcomer. But only through the Lord -- mighty through God.

In the book of Acts the early church was greatly persecuted. This persecution was inspired by Satan.The devil hasn't quit persecuting the church. There is great joy and peace in serving the Lord, but it is not a road of ease. As long as you are in a flesh and blood body the devil is going - that's his job.

But God's grace will always be sufficient. It will always be sufficient. Put on the armour of God. If you don't you're going to fail.

Persecution was not enought. Satan sought additional tactics. He infiltrated the church. Let's read scriptures concerning this.

And this occured because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage).

False brethren came into the assembly. Where do you suspose they came from? They came from the enemy's ranks. Why? To again bring us into bondage. The devil is pretty smart; he is sly; and he knows what he is doing. But our Commander-in-Chief is the all-wise God.

Beloved, while I gwas very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you, and exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Certain men crept in to the assembly and the assembly was unaware of it. They came in with a purpose. Jude says they wanted to turn the grace of God into lasciviousness, meaning immoral lust being loosed. Thier goal was to turn saints from a heart that is fervent to live holy, to a heart that is worldly.

Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

One more passage concerning the devil's infiltration into the church in II Corinthians 11:13.

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

There are false apostles, deceitful workers, calling themselves apostles of Christ. They are trying to make people think they are the apostles of Christ, the prophets of Christ, the men of God. But don't marvel at this -- Satan himself tries to make people think that he is an angel of light. Is it a great thing if his ministers -those from his ranks - transform themselves into apostles, prophets, evangelist, pastors, and teachers in the church? Isn't that what a spy does? He leaves his ranks, puts on the uniform of a captain, and infiltrates the ranks of his enemy, and tries to make the soldiers do wrong, go wrong, and be confused -- that's his job. The devil does the same. We need to be aware of it.

But for all of his infiltration; and false teachers, false prophets, false pastors, there is a check -- it's God's Holy Spirit. When the enemy comes in like a flood, what is the Spirit of God going to do? "Lift up a standard". And that standard I believe is the Word of God. We can know the enemy, if we know the Word of God. He can put on a captain's uniform, a general's uniform, he can get behind a pulpit and preach and call himself a man of God, but we can know the enemy, no matter how he tries to disguise himself.

Let's look at some passages concerning the standard God lifts up. Revelation 2:2 -- Jesus speaking to the church at Ephesus, said,

I know your works, your labour, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars.

The church at Ephesus had people to come in who were claiming to be apostles.Tthe church at Ephesus didn't just give them open arms and pat them on the back and say, "Come on in Apostle Sam, or Apostle Bob." But they tried them to find out if they were apostles. So there is a way to try these pretenders to find out just what they are.

These things have I written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. But the anointing which you have received from him abides in you,...

We read verse 19 earlier; concerning the antichrist and the spirits of antichrist. The unction that is going to teach us all things, gives us the ability to discern between an antichrist spirit and the Spirit of God. That's the anointing he's talking about. Now verse 27:

But the anointing which you have received from him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

The anointing, the anointing of God -- the anointing of the Holy One spoken of in verse 20 -- teaches you, and as you abide in that teaching then you will abide in Him, the One that gives the anointing. That anointing will teach you what's right, what's wrong, what's good, what's evil. It will teach you all things concerning them that would seduce you away from the truth -- if you will listen.

We have received the Spirit, and the Spirit teaches us. Sometimes the Spirit teaches us by speaking to our heart. But I believe the most sure way He teaches us is from His word -- the written Word. The Spirit of God within us will always be in agreement with the Word.

So far we realize that we are fighting a battle, and that there are false teachers in the church, and that we can recognize them.

Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?

These verses ware talking about the the person who is often refered to as the Antichrist. The spirit working in him and through him -- the spirit of antichrist -- that is in the world today, and is in the church today. If we can know what characterizes this man -- the Son of Perdition, the Antichrist -- we will know characterizes the spirit of antichrist that has infiltrated the church. Verse 6:

An now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work;...

Iniquity means lawlessness, unrighteousness. The mystery of iniquity was already at work even before this Antichrist came and would work in the Antichrist. He says:

The mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan with all power, signs, and lying wonders...

He is going to deceive people with unrighteousness, and they are going to perish.

...because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,...

There are people who don't love the truth, therefore they aren't being saved from sin, and they listen to and believe what the spirit of antichrist tells them. In verse 12 we read:

that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

"Unrighteousness" in verse 12; Verse 10, "deceivableness of unrighteousness"; Verse 7, "the mystery of iniquity"; these characterize the spirit of antichrist. If it is an unrighteous spirit, it is not a spirit that is hard to recognize if we know God's word and have God's spirit.The next verse contrast the spirit that is within us to the spirit of antichrist.

But we are bound to give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth,...

Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. Sanctification means setting apart unto God -- unto righteousness, unto holiness, unto purity. That is not what the spirit of antichrist teaches.

to which He called you by our gospel, forthe obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts, and establish you in every good word and work.

Here is the contrast. The spirit of antichrist is unrighteousness. The spirit of the saints is a spirit of sanctification of the spirit; of setting it apart unto God; of standing fast in the tradition of the elders and the prophets; of every good word and work.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Because there are a lot of false prophets in the world, don't believe every spirit. Every time someone prophecies, preaches, or teaches you don't have to believe it. The Word says to believe not every spirit but try the spirits (that means to test them) to find out if they are of God.

If I were to stop right here and were to ask you to give one word whereby we can know the spirit of God -- what would you say? "HOLY". We call God's Spirit the Holy Spirit, don't we? Hereby know you the Spirit of God...it is holy. I can know a true minister. If he is holy, he is of God. If he is not holy, he is not of God. Often it is difficult to know those who labor among you, as the scriptures say we should. Holiness is that which characterizes a servant of God; and a lack of holiness characterizes the spirit of antichrist. Let's read a little further:

By this you know the spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.

Does that mean that everyone who can say the words, " Jesus Christ came in the flesh", is of God? People who are oviously ungodly can say the words. This verse is teaching us that anyone who in their flesh -- in their life, in their daily living -- confesses that Christ is come, they are of God. He has come not just in word but He indwells our fleshly bodies. The Spirit of God lives in us.

And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried, saying, "You are the Son of God."He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.