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"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the
world-forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians
6:12 (NIV)
Last week we talked about a specific "antichrist spirit" which is manifesting itself in the earth today.
Let's take a closer look at what is happening.
Paul tells us that in the last days two terrible things will happen -- and they're happening right now before our
very eyes! First, there will be a great falling away. And second, he warns that an evil spirit of antichrist will
overtake many believers who are turning aside! (II Thessalonians 2:3-4 "Let no man deceive you by any means:
for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of
perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as
God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.")
For years the Church has been teaching about the coming of the Antichrist. Christians have been looking for and
expecting the appearance of the son of perdition. Many people feel that he will be revealed in our time and that
he possibly has already been born and is living somewhere on earth even right now.
There is no doubt there is such a man -- totally possessed of Satan. Inspite of that, when he appears, he will
be well-received. He will set himself up as God before the whole world and demand the devotion of mankind.
Just as our Lord reveals Himself to us through His Spirit, so the Antichrist himself will reveal himself through
the spirit of antichrist. This "spirit of antichrist" has preceded his appearing and has been at work
on earth since the Garden of Eden.
As the Spirit of God is working through and dwelling in the sons of God, the antichrist spirit is working through
and possessing those who deny the deity and power of the living God. This spirit is busy preparing the word for
the revealing of the Antichrist. (I John 4:3 "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.") John is saying here, "You've heard about the coming of
the Antichrist. It has been preached and taught, and you expect his arrival. But, beloved, wake up - because the
spirit of antichrist is already at work!" The spirit of antichrist we see flourishing throughout the land
is not new, only increasing in power as apostasy increases in the hearts of the people.
The Antichrist isn't going to appear suddenly and overwhelm us. His spirit is at work now setting up his kingdom
in cold and compromising hearts. When the Antichrist himself finally appears, he will be revealed to a world that
has been prepared for him -- to hearts his spirit already possesses!
The account we talked about last week shows there is a growing antichrist sentiment and conduct. This will continue
to grow and grow until the time when the Antichrist finally appears, even many former Christians will welcome him
just as we saw that Baptist preacher endorsing the blasphemous lies of Mr. Creme.
Paul warned of this. He said that in the last days false prophets would infiltrate the church, preaching another
gospel and another Jesus. Many such false prophets have already appeared, preaching the gospel of the Antichrist:
"For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out
of the way" (2 Thessalonians 2:7).
This antichrist spirit is invading the hearts of many apostate Christians even now. They are being absolutely possessed
of evil.
Apostasy: "Abandonment of one's religious faith, one's principles, or a cause."
We wonder how apostate Christians could ever turn to the antichrist, but it must be that they have become like-minded
with him. John writes: "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the
world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust
of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.... 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" (1 John 2:15-18).
How does a Christian become apostate? John said it pretty plainly: having a love for the world, the things in the
world, having the lust of the flesh and the eyes, and having the pride of life. It is a sobering thought to examine
our own hearts to see if that spirit of antichrist is indeed at work in us also. But what do all these things mean?
The lust of the flesh. The lust of the flesh is the humor and appetite of indulging fleshly pleasures;
and all those things that excite and inflame the pleasures of the flesh. This lust is usually called "luxury".
Luxury: "Something inessential but conducive to pleasure and comfort; sumptuous living or surroundings."
Middle English "lust" for Latin "luxus". Synonyms: "extravagance" "frill".
Antonym: "necessity".
The lust of the eyes. The eyes are delighted with treasures; riches and rich possessions are craved
by an extravagant eye; this is the lust of covetousness.
Covetousness: "Excessively and culpably desirous of possessions; marked by extreme desire to acquire or possess."
The pride of life. A vain mind craves all the grandeur, equipage, and pomp of a vain-glorious life;
this is ambition, and thirst after honor and applause. This is, in part, the disease of the ear; it must be flattered
with admiration and praise.
John exhorts that the objects of these appetites must be abandoned and renounced; as they engage and engross the
affection and desire, they are not of the Father, but of the world, v. 16. The Father disallows them, and the world
should keep them to itself. The lust or appetite to these things must be mortified and subdued.
John is warning us that those who still love the things of this world have opened themselves to the spirit of antichrist.
He's saying, "You know these are the last days - because so many are full of the covetous antichrist spirit!"
The apostle adds, "If you have not come under the total Lordship of Jesus - if you do not acknowledge Him
in all your ways - then you have opened yourself up to this spirit of evil!"
If we aren't serving Him with all our heart, mind, soul and body, then we have opened up an inroad for the antichrist
spirit to come in!
It's not enough to say, "I believe Jesus was God in flesh." Rather, we must say, "Jesus, You are
God in flesh in me. You have all power and authority over lust and sin. And I yield to You completely!"
So, where does the warfare come in? Those who are righteous - who worship God in Spirit and in truth - are prime
targets of the Antichrist! The only way of resistance is to be completely "in Him", not allowing the
"lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" to have any place in our lives.
"Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped..." (2
Thessalonians 2:4).
The spirit of antichrist is opposed to all who walk closely with God. He goes after true worshipers - because he
wants their worship for himself! Satan wants nothing more than to destroy pure worship. He wants to rob God of
all praise! And if we who walk in intimacy with Jesus, the antichrist spirit will come against us with everything
he has. He will attack us with fear, doubt, lust - anything to give him an inroad to hinder our worship.
It is the power of God's Spirit in His church - that is, in you and me - that holds back Satan's anarchy. Indeed,
if God were to lift His Spirit from on-fire churches and godly believers, our nation would be a raging hell. Yet
careless, lazy Christians - those who have never forsaken their sin, who are still engrossed in the things of the
world - will not be able to stand in these last days. They will be overtaken by evil!
The apostle Peter writes: "These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom
the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.... For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through
the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter
end is worse with them than the beginning . . . For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness,
than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto
them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her
wallowing in the mire" (2 Peter 2:17, 20-22).
The people whom Peter describes here claimed to be saved. They once had escaped the pollutions of the world, delivered
by the power of God. They had known the way of righteousness. And yet they became entangled again in sin. They
were overcome by the spirit of antichrist!
The apostle Paul makes an astounding statement. He says that even now the antichrist spirit has taken his place
in the temple: "...so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God"
(2 Thessalonians 2:4). Let's not look to Jerusalem for the rebuilding of the temple to warn us that the spirit
of antichrist is at work in the world. The temple referred to here is the temple of people's hearts! "Know
ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16).
"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and
ye are not your own?" (6:19). "...for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will
dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people" (2 Corinthians
6:16).
We are God's temple. But for some, another spirit has invaded that temple. The Spirit of God is gone - and lust,
pride, covetousness and slander all reign supreme. There is no longer anything pure, holy or divine. A mysterious
spirit of lawlessness is in control! How could such a terrible, frightful thing happen? At one time the living
God possessed this temple, ruling and reigning. He was once enthroned here.
This happens because so many Christians have grown careless. They no longer walk in righteousness or holiness.
And they end up giving an inroad to the spirit of antichrist. Now he sits in the temple of their heart - showing
himself to be absolutely in control!
Everyone has a "Christ" on the throne of their heart -- either the Spirit of Christ, or the spirit of
antichrist. The spirit of lawlessness is growing bolder and bolder, and our society is on the brink of becoming
a raging hell. The antichrist spirit now pervades our schools, our courts, our streets, our businesses, even our
homes. And, sadly, this evil is rapidly moving into the church.
The spirit of antichrist is establishing churches all over the United States. This spirit is the motivating force
behind "outsider friendly" churches. Who but the antichrist spirit would call for the ungodly to set
the spiritual agenda - sending church founders door to door, surveying people: "What would you prefer church
to be like? We want to tailor it so that you'll come."
These megachurches are being built on skits and dramas, because people don't want to hear reproof. They want no
conviction - so they hear a gospel that is almost totally devoid of repentance, judgment, the Cross. They are told
all about God's grace and mercy, how to cope with problems - but nothing of God's judgment and hell. They're being
lulled to sleep in their sinful lifestyle. The spirit of antichrist is telling Christians they can drink from two
cups - the Lord's cup, and the cup of demons! "But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice,
they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot
drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table
of devils" (1 Corinthians 10:20-21).
How does a Christian get to the point of being overcome by the antichrist spirit? There are three ways you can
determine whether you have the love of truth in your heart:
The first sign of a loss of love for the truth is when you forsake assembling with other believers. If it's a task
for you to make it to church, then you've lost your love for God's truth: "Not forsaking the assembling
of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the
day approaching" (Hebrews 10:25). When you no longer look forward to being in God's house with His people
- when the preaching seems boring and worship no longer matters - you have opened yourself up to the spirit of
antichrist. And the Lord admonishes you: "The closer you get to My coming, the more perilous the times will
be. And the more important it is that you gather with My people!"
A second sign of a loss of love for the truth is when reproving messages make you think of someone else's sin and
not your own. Whenever you hear a sermon, do you sit smugly by, thinking, "Wow, does that ever describe Brother
So-and-so. Thank God, he's finally being reached. Lord, pour it on!" Remember David's words, "Thy
word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee" (Psalm 119:11). It was his OWN HEART
he was considering so that he could have an insurance policy against sin!
A third sign of loss of love for the truth is when reproof angers you rather than humbles you. God says a hatred
of reproof reveals a forsaking of the path of holiness: "Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh
the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die" (Proverbs 15:10).
Another way the antichrist spirit can overtake a compromising Christian is the love of pleasure. "That
they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thessalonians
2:12). Paul is speaking here of "pleasure madness." Yet he is not talking about the jet set, the wild
crowd, gamblers, prostitutes, drug addicts. No - the last-day pleasure-seekers referred to are found inside the
church! Paul warns: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be
lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God" (2 Timothy 3:1-4).
When Paul uses the phrase, "...lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God...", he is intimating
that these people have a measure of love for God. But that love is overcome and polluted by a love for the pleasures
of the world. Paul is talking about those who pursue the pleasures of unrighteousness!
You can pay five dollars for a movie if you want, and sit through two hours of violence, bloodshed and blasphemy
in which God's name is freely taken in vain. But be warned: You will be drinking from the cup of devils - fellowshiping
with demons! You see, when you pay for that kind of thing, you show your allegiance to the antichrist spirit who
rules the media. God calls it a sacrifice to demons: "But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice,
they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils"
(1 Corinthians 10:20). Worst of all, you are inviting the antichrist spirit into your heart. And if you keep drinking
from the cup of devils - if you keep letting that filthy antichrist spirit seep into your soul - it won't be long
before nothing bothers or convicts you.
Paul gives thanks to God for a holy people who remain steadfast in perilous times. This holy remnant will rise
up against the spirit of antichrist and stand strong. They will never be overcome. On the contrary - they will
overcome the world, the flesh and the wicked one! "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you,
brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of
our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether
by word, or our epistle. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and
hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every
good word and work" (2 Thessalonians 2:13-17).
Aren't we told in Ephesians 6:13-18 "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able
to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with
truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of
peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all
prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;"
Paul is referring in 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 to standing fast and holding onto the traditions or "word"
or "epistle" which was given to the early Church in order to keep ourselves holy and separated unto God.
In Ephesians he tells us when we have done all we know how to do, to continue to stand, having put on the whole
armour of God which adds up to the same answer -- hold on to the Word of God! Check out each piece of armour --
it relates back to the Word!
The holy remnant loves the truth. They aren't afraid to be reproved. So they examine themselves in light of God's
Word, letting it pierce them to the very marrow - and God is able to sanctify their mind and spirit. If we keep
our hearts open to the truth - if we continue to love God's Word - the Lord will establish us. And when the evil
spirit of this world comes in like a flood, Satan will be unable to make any inroad to our hearts. "They
that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. As the mountains
are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever. For the rod of
the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands to iniquity"
(Psalm 125:1-3).
The Antichrist spirit has a rod, signifying authority. But his power and reign will not be over you. On the contrary
- you will overcome him! "I have written unto you...because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth
in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one" (1 John 2:14); "...and this is the victory that overcometh
the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4).
Let the spirit of antichrist come. You won't be moved, because you'll be firmly established on the truth of God's
Word. You'll be found in God's house, worshiping from a pure heart. And your faith will overcome all that the enemy
brings against you - because Jesus sits enthroned in the temple of your heart.
A great defense against this antichrist spirit is found in Psalm 139: "Search me, O God, and know my heart:
try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting"
(Psalm 139:23-24).
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Taken from David Wilkerson's Times Square Church Pulpit
Series
"Falling Away to the Antichrist"
June 26, 1995
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