More Than Conquerors 6

And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. (Revelation 13:1—NIV)

The true protection against Antichrist is discussed in the Book of First John.

Notice, first of all, that the spirit of Antichrist comes out of the Christian churches just as Judas came from among the Twelve. The spirit of Antichrist is formed when believers in Christ attempt to use Christ for their own ends. Antichrist is an imitation of Christ.

Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. (I John 2:18,19)

These antichrists were among God's people but not of God's people. Why were they not of God's people? Because they had never been called by the Lord. They were imitators seeking their own gain. If they indeed had been called by the Lord, then it happened that they were overcome by the world, lust, or the desire to accomplish their own ends.

The true saints are those who pray and are anointed by the Spirit of God. If we would escape deception we must give ourselves to seeking the Lord and to godly behavior.

But ye have an unction [anointing] from the Holy One, and ye know all things. (I John 2:20)

Only the believers who are close to God are able to discern between Christ and Antichrist. That is why Jesus warned the elect to watch and pray lest they be deceived.

And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. (I John 4:3)

Christ already has come in the flesh, was raised in the flesh, and shall come again in the flesh. The issue raised by Antichrist is that of the coming of Christ in the flesh. Antichrist's desire is to drive Christ out of the physical realm. When Christ appears in the clouds of heaven Antichrist will resist with force His entrance into the realm of flesh.

The great hope of the Christian saints, until recent times, was the coming, the return, of Christ to the earth. Jesus will return in exactly the same manner in which He left. The scriptural hope is the coming of Christ to set up His Kingdom on the earth. This is the often repeated emphasis of both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

But our glorious hope has been changed to a going of the saints to the spirit realm. It no longer is a coming, it has been changed to a going.

Continued. More Than Conquerors 7