Scriptural text: 1 John 4-5
Confessing Jesus Christ (1 John 4:2-3).
The message of this Scripture is: A teacher is of God if he teaches that Jesus Christ is coming-living His life over and over again in the flesh of every true, regenerated Christian-and that a Christian must follow Him wherever He leads and emulate Him in every way. But a teacher who teaches that one does not have to follow Christ and that it is necessary for Christ to live in the flesh of His disciples is not of God. John says that the false teachings stem from the spirit of the antichrist (verse 3).
The Witness of the Spirit (1 John 4:13-17).
(Verse 13) states that the evidence of of the abiding presence of God in the life of the believer is manifested through the Spirit of God. In verses 1-7, the apostle says that confession of the incarnation proves possession of the Spirit, and in verse 12 that love of the brethren proves the indwelling of God. He now (verse 13) goes on to say that possession of the Spirit proves the indwelling of God, and (verse 15) that confession of the incarnation proves the same. So that these four facts – confession of the incarnation, possession of the Spirit, love of our fellow-men, and indwelling of God – mutually involve one another. St. John does not say, “He has given us His Spirit,” but “of his Spirit.” It is impossible for us to receive more than a portion, the fullness of the Spirit is possessed by Jesus alone. (verse15) The exact meaning is, “Whosoever has once for all taken up the position of confessing.” Verse 14 gave the case of the apostles, this gives that of those who accept their witness.
The Victory that Overcomes ( 1 John 5:4-5).
The new birth not only guarantees the believer eternal life, but also gives victory over the world. John made it clear that anyone in whom the Spirit of God dwells has the inherent capacity to “overcome the world.” Note, the “world” is not a reference to the physical environment: rather, it denotes all that stands in opposition to God. It is that spirit of rebellion and disobedience that characterizes who are not born of God.
References: Pulpit Commentary, Forerunner Commentary, Townsend Press Sunday School Commentary