The Antichrist is Here Today!

“…And this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard was coming and is now already in the world.”  1 John 4:3

This phrase, written by John, the beloved disciple, to a congregation of believers, contains a warning:

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1

Notice the word “spirit” in each passage. The “spirit” of the antichrist is not written verbatim anywhere else in Scripture.   The word antichrist is used only four times in the Bible.  All four incidences are in the brief but urgent letters of John (1 John 2:18, 1 John 2:22, 1 John 4:3, and 2 John 1:7). So why is this important to the believer or anyone who is unknowingly under the spell of the spirit of the antichrist?  Many teachers today are so concerned about the identity of the antichrist that they miss the message about the spirit of the antichrist.  At the core of John’s warning is that spirit (character) that motivates the work of the antichrist.

 In these two instances, the spirit of the Antichrist is pointing to false prophets (teachers) of the Antichrist.  We are instructed to be cautious about believing spirits described as false teachers.  False teachers have existed since the beginning of time, and there are false teachers today. It would be safe to say that most of the world, including a portion of the body of believers, is deceived in one way or another by the spirit of the antichrist, not just the doctrines. Understanding the spirit, not just the words in a creed or set of beliefs can trip us up.  John points out that the spirit of the antichrist is in the world today.  That was 2,000 years ago.  It is just as true today as it was then.

The Spirit of False Teaching VS Incorrect Teaching

Let’s put this stake in the ground so we don’t proclaim individuals as the antichrist because their teaching doesn’t align with ours or our understanding of Scripture. Remember, God’s teaching (or doctrine) came through holy men who the Holy Spirit inspired, guiding our understanding.

For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:21

True teachings always aim to bring people to Christ. Someone can love Jesus and not have all the doctrines straight in their mind. In other words, let’s not be too quick to judge another person’s experience because they may have different nuances in their Christian beliefs. The spirit of deception should be our main concern.

Today, many false teachers proclaim this or that person, or persons, to be the antichrist.  But, before someone can break the spell of the antichrist, they must understand its spirit. To get started, let’s break down the opening passage:

• The Antichrist has a motive.  It has developed this spirit within itself over time.
• John’s audience has heard that the antichrist is coming.  Where did they hear this?  What was their source?  Would it not be in the written word of God, particularly from the Old Testament, not to mention the other writers of the New Testament?
• The antichrist, or at least its spirit, is already in the world!

So, we have a spirit motivated by an experience that opposes Christ, the Messiah. 

What is this spirit?  What is its motive? Let’s consider this question from Scripture.  Let’s go way back!

We know from Scripture (the Old Testament included) that this enemy of Jesus is Lucifer, who became Satan, the devil. Historically, we can see this spirit in Biblical characters. Satan is working behind the scenes, deceiving and lying, to set up his plan to deface the image of God and to dethrone Him from His rightful position as God.  Satan was defeated at the cross and the resurrection, but he continues even though he knows his fate.   If he goes down, he will take as many of God’s beloved sinners with him!

Paul also knows about the antichrist. He describes him using two additional terms: “man of sin” and  “son of perdition.” Notice that these are male references.

“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.

“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.” 2 Thessalonians 2: 3-4

Opposition by Replacement

Again, breaking down these verses, we observe something subtle about the Antichrist, aka “the man of sin” and “the son of perdition.’ He opposes by attempting to replace God.

• Not only does he oppose God, but he exalts himself above all that is called God. In effect, he wants to replace God. Opposition by replacement!
• He replaces worship due to Jesus with his own. Again, Opposition by replacement!
• He sits in the temple, where Jesus should be, and proclaims himself to be God!   He shows “himself” that he is God.  He is not God, but he thinks he is.  Opposition by replacement!
• Eventually, the antichrist will be revealed for who he is. But preceding this event, a “falling away” will occur.  There will be the spirit of apostasy within the church. Indeed, this has happened over the life of the church.  Hundreds of denominations were created by “falling away” from the truth and God’s supremacy.

In effect, Satan wants to replace God.  He does it through surrogates:  This has been Satan’s motive from the start…to oppose God, but to do it indirectly by replacing God with someone else.  This is the spirit of the Antichrist.  Paul seems to be drawing on this passage in Isaiah,

“How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation.
On the farthest sides of the north,
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’ Isaiah 14: 12-14

Opposition by Replacement!

Satan, the father of lies, does not work in an ugly, devilish way but by impersonation.  Through the false prophets that John describes in our opening verses.  How are they deceived?  Are only the scholars not deceived? Those not deceived know God’s word, but the knowledge that means the most is the life-saving knowledge- a personal experience and knowledge of the spirit of God.

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” John 17:3

Satan seeks to place himself between you and the spirit of God (His character and motivation).  The character or spirit of the antichrist has a resemblance to the worship of the true God. Still, ultimately, the spirit is about control and his motivation for destruction/defacing God’s image.  He seeks to steal, kill, and destroy the spirit of God by replacing Him and creating followers who think they are doing God’s will.  This is not just a denomination but a spirit that can flow through any church.

In conclusion, while we are looking for one man designated as the “antichrist,” the spirit of control, replacement, and disfigurement of who God is (His character) is alive and well today, even in those who profess to be followers of Christ.

But a man of perdition, a beast, and a woman riding on a dragon will be revealed as the church begins to decline—a state we find ourselves in in 2024. We will talk about this next time as we examine Old Testament Characters that are examples of the spirit of the antichrist.  Eventually, the man of perdition will be revealed through the prophecies inspired by God and communicated to us by angels to men of God who spoke under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

The Antichrist and his spirit are in the world today. Over the subsequent few sessions, the Antichrist will be identified through markers found throughout scripture and history. But remember, the spirit of the Antichrist is to deceive (look like the real thing) and seek to replace God by receiving only what is due to the Great God of the Universe.