Guarding Against Anti-Christ Spirit

Intro: guarding against an anti-Christ spirit—1 John 2:18—the spirit of anti-Christ is in the world. It has been working actively against the church from it’s inception. Anti- or against Christ. We must realize the day we live in, and guard our mind, heart, body, soul and spirit against this ungodly, unholy, worldly spirit of our time.

We will look at 2 Timothy 3:1-8 to see the consequences of allowing anti-Christ spirit to be in control in our lives.

v.1- it is a terrible time we live in, Jesus said in Matthew 24- this time would be like no time ever in the history of the world. We see the results of anti-Christ spirit in so many ways in our world today.

v.2- lovers of self—being in love with yourself can become a full time occupation. Anti-Christ spirit causes people to be overly consumed with their own well being.

v.2b-covetous—it is the I want it spirit—it is that spirit that says, I have to have it, I can’t live without it. It really doesn’t matter what it is, covetousness is just an uncontrollable desire to have.

v.2c- proud—haughty, puffed up—whenever we think ourselves better than someone else, it is an anti-Christ spirit. Our flesh must be crucified for Christ to rule in our lives. If the flesh lives, pride exalts us to a place of superiority over everyone else.

v.2d- blashphemers—abusive or sneering at God. We live in an abusive society. When someone is controlled by anti-Christ spirit, they become abusive to others, and hateful to God.

v.2e-disobedient to parents—we live in a different world, people are actually afraid of their children. We hear of people locking their doors at night, because they are afraid of what their wild child might do to them while they are sleeping.

v.2f- unthankful- when someone has an anti-Christ spirit they are impossible to please. The reason why divorce is out of control in our society, is that when someone is impossible to please, ungrateful for anything you do for them, like becomes miserable.

v.2g-unholy—evil—people that don’t give themselves to God, will give themselves to the devil. We live in a world where evil abounds everywhere.

v.3a- without natural affection—this can be defined in many ways—without the ability to love, without natural relationships—homosexuality, without normal love for children—child abandonment and so on.

v.3b- trucebreakers—constant liars—never telling the truth, not able to be trusted. If this doesn’t define our society, what does?

v.3c- false accusers—telling lies about others, spreading evil gossip, making things up to try to hurt someone else.

v.3d- incontinent—out of control—with no self control—if you don’t rule your flesh, your flesh will rule you.

v.3e-fierce—mean spirited

v.3f- despisers of those who are good—when you have an anti-Christ spirit- people will begin to hate those who stand for the right. When someone who gives themselves to sin comes into contact with someone who is living right, the anti-Christ spirit will cause a spirit of hatred to rise up within them.

v.4a-traitors-someone who will turn on you in an instant—anti-Christ spirit can cause someone to turn on you in an instant. One day your biggest supporter, your best friend, the next day someone who is out to get you. A spirit of offense generally is associated with this treacherous spirit.

v.4b-heady—swollen with conceit, God says in the last days people will have the big head. They will think more of themselves than they should.

v.4c-highminded—puffed up with pride—when we are called to be like Christ, meek and lowly.

v.4d- lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God—in the last days people will be hedonistic. Pleasure will be the God of the day. People will sacrifice their relationship with God for worldly, carnal, fleshly things.

v.5- putting on a form of Godliness, but deny His power—being religious but not spiritual. This probably is a good description of the world today, very religious, but not pursuing the power of God.

Denying the power is so common today, people say things like miracles and divine power isn’t for our dispensation.

v.5b—stay away from these type of people.

v.6—deceivers will prey on weak people to take advantage of them.

v.7—ever learning, but not coming to the knowledge of the truth. Sad picture, the most theologically educated people will know nothing about God. The will have a degree on the wall, but not a personal relationship with Christ.

v.8-Just like those who withstood Moses, in the last days there will be many who will stand against the truth. Corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

One translation says, people of warped and twisted minds. Reprobate—rejected of God. It is so sad to say this, but in the last days, people will get so hardened against God, that God will reject them, turn them over to their wicked journey.

Close: not a pretty picture. Some say, this has always been going on, so why say these are the last days? Let’s be honest, even though bad things have gone on since Adam and Eve in the garden, to get totally real, it has never been this bad ever. It is a dangerous world, a perverted world, a demonic world, a satanic world, and definitely, an anti-Christ world. Just imagine, in 1976 the year I graduated, I always left my keys in the car, we never locked the doors to our house, and no one ever heard of a drive by shooting, no one ever flew planes into skyscrapers, and you could go downtown at night without the fear of getting killed. The prophesy that says, men will go from bad to worse is coming to pass in our generation. Guard your heart, mind, body, soul and spirit.