But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. 1 John 4:4
Every day we live, we will encounter evil. If you turn on the news, you will see reports of crimes that are committed. Going to work, you will see people who want nothing more than to get ahead and will do whatever it takes to make more money. You will pass people who are locked up in addiction to drugs or alcohol who can't get free because this evil controls them. In your own home, you might see the presence of evil as you fight with your family.
When you encounter evil of any sort, let this verse be a reminder that the Spirit who lives inside you is greater than the spirit of evil that we see in this world. You see, when we enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ, we are given a new identity. We are no longer lost. We are adopted as God's own children. We belong to Him and are now a part of His family. God is naturally protective of His own, like a good parent. He is active in protecting us from evil and reminds us that He has already won the victory. When Jesus died on the cross, He defeated death, evil and sin itself. Now we have hope and a future in heaven. The present evil and opposition that we face are temporary, but one day we will be with God forever, where there will be no more tears, pain, hurt, or evil (Revelation 21:3).
In times when we face the evil all around us, we can take confidence that God is walking through life beside us. We don't have to face the effects and consequences of sin alone; God is with us. His Spirit is greater than any amount of evil that we face. He builds up strength in us in the presence of our enemies through the power of the Holy Spirit, that is unexplainable. He reminds us that we have already won! Isn't that good news? Before you even set foot into the fight, God has given you victory. Through the power of the cross, we have been released from the power of sin and evil. Greater is He who is in you than the one who is in the world!
This power that God offers to each of us is given when a person makes Jesus Christ the Lord of their life. It may be that you are reading this devotional, and you are still just investigating the church and trying to figure out what it means to have a relationship with God. If that is you, we believe it is worth a conversation. We would love to talk to you during our weekend services, or even this week if you reach out for help. You can either come to the decision counseling room or touch the decision tab on the Sagebrush App. From there, a pastor or counselor will help you to understand how you can have a real relationship with God so He can give you victory over evil.
But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them. But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception.
Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.
