Antichrist or Identity Crisis?

Missing the Point

If any of us read through 1 John and come to the conclusion that John’s letter promotes a defensive or fearful posture concerning the antichrist, then it is likely that the eschatology of the last Century has in some ways skewed our understanding away from John’s point. In reality, John was employing the old adage that the best defense is a good offense. And our best offense is in fully understanding who we are together as the Body of Christ as we host his presence. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Instead, let’s first check our watches.

The End-time Clock

While some fearfully wait for time to run out on history, we’ve forgotten that the countdown didn’t begin yesterday or even the day before yesterday. According to the Apostles, it has been running for over 2,000 years (Acts 2:17; Hebrews 1:2; 1 Peter 4:7; 1 John 2:18). If that is true, then we are currently living in the latter part of the “last hour.” Therefore, at the time of John’s letter and the centuries since that time, the spirit of the antichrist has continued his presence in the world and has manifested himself through many antichrists and in varying ways for the purpose of creating fear and bringing identity confusion (1 John 2:18, 4:3). 

Even in this point, John was less interested in identifying how the spirit of the antichrist moves through human flesh, but focused upon the power of the Holy Spirit of God residing in our own hearts of flesh.

Hearts of Flesh — His Dwelling Place

Let’s be clear! Nothing which dwells in our flesh holds any intrinsic value. As Paul says, the flesh counts for nothing. Yet, Jesus came to dwell in the flesh of man and he continues there today by residing in our hearts. God has repurposed our flesh so that it might be a suitable home for the Spirit of the living God (Romans 7:18, 8:9).

So while we don’t live according to the flesh, we live in the flesh by faith in the Son of God (Romans 8:10, Galatians 2:20). Our hearts of flesh were once evil beyond cure, but Christ has redeemed our hearts, thereby superseding the fall (Jeremiah 17:9, 1 Timothy 1:5, 2 Timothy 2:22, Galatians 5:16).

“For God…made his light shine in our hearts… But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Corinthians 4:6-7 NIV).

It was always God’s plan that by faith, his Spirit would dwell within our hearts of flesh (Romans 5:5, Galatians 4:6, 2 Corinthians 1:22, 1 John 4:13).

“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh…. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 11:19, 36:26 NIV).

As these passages attest, our hearts of flesh are a gift from God himself that he might dwell there by his Spirit. The spirit of the antichrist, on the other hand, means to deny and separate our heart’s true identity and purpose. He denies Jesus Christ in the flesh!

A Spirit of Denial

“…Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist (2 John 1:7 NIV). 

While the spirit of the antichrist does deny the physical incarnation of Jesus, we must come to understand that this deception and denial goes even further. It seeks to undermine the ongoing incarnation within believers themselves. He seeks to undermine the work of the Holy Spirit within our hearts of flesh.

John clearly says that any, not just one singular individual, which denies Jesus as coming in the flesh has been affected by that spirit’s deception. If this is true, realizing the fullness of Jesus within our hearts of flesh becomes our priority. After all, he who is in us is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). 

A Redeemed House

“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil…” (Hebrews 2:14 NIV).

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 ESV).

Since we live our lives in the flesh, Jesus Christ was determined to be made in our likeness that he might break the power of the enemy and redeem mankind. He came in human flesh and dwelled among us, yet was without sin. We, on the other hand are made of flesh, but were born into sin. But because of his death and resurrection, we obtained his righteousness (Philippians 2:7, Romans 3:21-22, 8:3, 10:4, Galatians 2:16). Walking in progressive fullness of this righteousness, we make ourselves ready that we would become his mature bride.

Getting Married

Jesus and his bride have a lot in common, or at least, that’s the intention and the path that we’ve been taking for 2,000 years. Jesus is a traditionalist in the sense that he doesn’t intend to marry outside of his species. When the marriage supper of the Lamb is served, folks will see that by the Spirit, the bridegroom and the bride are a perfect match. 

As the passages above so clearly demonstrate, Jesus came in the flesh so that he could be like his bride. Then, he made the ultimate sacrifice so she could become like him—both adorned in righteousness. It was a match made in heaven.

“… He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels” (Isaiah 61:20 NIV).

Does Anyone Object to This Union?

Yes…the spirit of the antichrist objects to the union of the bridegroom and the bride. He seeks to undermine her heart and thereby, undermines her actions. Her heart and her actions are to be like those of the bridegroom!

“This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus” (1 John 4:17 NIV).

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these…” (John 14:12 NIV).

“I have given them the glory You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one…” (John 17:22 NIV).

“Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked” (1 John 2:6 NIV).

If these are the intentions of Jesus Christ, then it is clear that the intentions of the antichrist will be the exact opposite. Therefore, any spirit which attempts to influence the Body of Christ away from walking as Jesus did, doing his works, manifesting his glory and being like him, is attempting to deny that Jesus has come in the flesh, specifically, our flesh. He vehemently objects to our union with Christ!

While he obviously will not succeed in the end, what damage will he accomplish along the way? Only what we allow him!

Our Identity

We cannot continue to hold theologies which agree with the spirit of the antichrist. Neither can we be so hung up on identifying times, dates, and personalities, that we lose the attention of our first love. Our identity is to be a suitable match for the one who redeemed us. If we don’t look like his bride, grown to the “whole measure of the fullness of Christ,” it is proof of the pervasiveness of the spirit of the antichrist.

As Brennan Manning said, “Be who you is, ‘cause if you ain’t who you is, you is who you ain’t.”

It’s time to see ourselves as the Bride of Christ, whose heart of flesh gladly holds and reflects the Spirit of the One who bought us.

We Have Nothing to Fear

"This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." (1 John 4:17-18 NIV)

Fear is the defining characteristic of the spirit of the antichrist. John was not warning us to fear the antichrist, but instead, live outside of that fear. Think about it! Have your end time beliefs caused you to fear whether you will be swayed by the power of the incarnation of the antichrist in the world? If so, then fear is doing its work! Any eschatology, however solid it may seem, if it denies or redirects us away from the sound mind we’ve been given and causes us to doubt the power of his righteousness within us, it has been in some way influenced by the spirit of the antichrist. After all, we have been given all we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).

Inside Our Hearts of Flesh

We have all we need because of the deposit of the Holy Spirit given to us (Romans 5:5; 2 Corinthians 1:22; Galatians 4:6; etc.).

“But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.... I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him. And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.” (1 John 2:20, 26-29 NIV)

Identity Confusion

Anyone who denies that Jesus has come to live within our hearts of flesh is the one who worships the antichrist more than Jesus Christ. Until we reconcile our identity in him, and his identity within us as his very own body, the very thing we have feared has already disrupted our momentum as the Body of Christ. However, and whenever Jesus returns, he will return to those who realize that he came the first time to live in their flesh. Kneeling before him in this knowledge, we will have no time to cower before any incarnation of the spirit of the antichrist. This was John’s message and as time is ticking, it is becoming even more needful that we realize that this is our true identity in Christ!

If there is identity confusion in the world, it is because the Church has been fearfully drawn away from realizing its identity together in Jesus Christ, and he in us. If there is confusion concerning love, then again, the fault belongs to us and our testimony concerning Jesus has been compromised, giving the very spirit we’ve feared, unfettered access to the hearts and minds of the world around us.

“No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. (1 John 4:12-21 NIV).