Bible Question:

Is the spirit of the antichrist Satan or one of his minions? If not, what human being was alive when the apostle John wrote this letter? He said you have heard the spirit of the antichrist is coming and even now is in the world. He wrote this letter about 2000 years ago. What human being would fit the description to be the spirit of the antichrist? What is the spirit of the antichrist?

Bible Answer:

The antichrist is mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments, but the term “spirit of the antichrist” appears only one time in the Bible, in 1 John 4:3.

By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. 1 John 4:3 (NASB)

So, “What is the spirit of the antichrist?

Spirit of the Antichrist

Spirit of the Antichrist

1 John 4:2-3 compares two different spirits. Verse 2 is about the “Spirit of God” and verse 3 is about the spirit that “is not from God.”  The “Spirit of God” confesses that Jesus Christ became a man. The Greek word for “confesses” means to say the same thing or to agree. That is, those spirits that agree Jesus Christ became a man are from God. Now that statement does not make sense if it means a human man became a human. That happens every time a child is conceived. It is not a sign for a human to become human. But it is a sign if God becomes a human. The “Spirit of God” agrees that Jesus Christ was God and became human. But the ” spirit of the antichrist” disagrees.

The last part of 1 John 4:3 says the spirit of the antichrist “is coming, and now already is in the world.” The antichrist will come according to 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12. It describes the future antichrist. Yet, there are many antichrists already in our world. That is the message of 1 John 2:18. This verse was also written by the apostle John.

Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.  1 John 2:18 (NASB)

The verse repeats the same fact that the antichrist is coming. Yet, many antichrists have already appeared. The antichrists that John said had already appeared were not the antichrist. They were “mini-antichrists” in the sense they were like him. They had the spirit or attitudes and beliefs of the prophesied future antichrist who will come to power at the time of the tribulation .

Spirit of the Antichrist Lies

1 John 2:22 now tells us that the antichrist denies Jesus is the Christ. The antichrist denies that Jesus is the Messiah.

Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 1 John 2:22 (NASB)

He also denies the Father and the Son are the God of the visible and invisible universe. The antichrist is a liar. That is another characteristic of the antichrist and there are many people today who deny the Father and Jesus Christ are our God. They are antichrists or against God and Jesus Christ.

Spirit of the Antichrist Deceives

2 John 7 helps us identify the future antichrist and the spirit of the antichrist. it says,

For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. 2 John 7 (NASB)

This verse has the same message of 1 John 4:3. The “spirit of the antichrist” refuses to acknowledge that God became a man. They reject Jesus as being God. Every antichrist is a liar, a deceiver, and is influenced by Satan himself.

Conclusion

So, what is the spirit of the antichrist? It is an attitude or a belief that denies the Father and Christ are God. It also claims that our God, Jesus Christ, never became a man. That is the “spirit of the antichrist.”

Suggested Links:

What Will the Antichrist Do?
How to Identify the Antichrist