We know
We know that everyone who has been born of God does not sin, but the one who is born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway of the evil one. 1 John 5:18-19 CSB
Coming to the closing of the letter, John will state three affirmations to encourage the believers, and we will look at the first two, each of them starting off with the phrase “we know.” First, “we know that everyone who has been born of God does not sin, but the one who is born of God keeps him and the evil one does not touch him.” As we established in previous weeks, believers are born of God and should not continue to willfully sin. If they were to stumble, a believer knows he or she has to repent and return back to God seeking His forgiveness. Believers can have confidence that God will protect them from Satan if they will continue to trust God for strength so they can defeat Satan’s temptations. Satan is the evil one that is ready to pounce an unsuspecting prey. “Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour” (1 Peter 5:8). The Lord Jesus Christ personally protects the salvation of the believer, as seen in John 10:28, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” Second, “we know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway of the evil one.” Believers are children of God and are not under Satan’s control as the world is. John encourages believers with this statement that if they are faithful to the Lord, they will look distinctly different from how the world operates and should be confident in that distinction, knowing that they are obedient to the Father. It is also encouraging to know that they are freed from the bondage of sin that Satan has over the world and experience true freedom in Christ. Therefore, if you are a believer, these statements of affirmation should encourage you, reminding you of what you already know: you are a child of God and should pursue righteousness despite how the world may view you.
Blessings,
Isaac De Guzman
