‘By this you know and recognize the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges and confesses [the fact] that Jesus Christ has [actually] come in the flesh [as a man] is from God [God is its source]; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus [acknowledging that He has come in the flesh, but would deny any of the Son’s true nature] is not of God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and is now already in the world. – 1 John 4:2,3 AMP.

[bctt tweet=”You can know and recognize the Spirit of God so that you can identify the enemy.  #Truth #KnowHim” username=”AngelaLowe20″]

The spirit of the antichrist – which is satan’s last (but vain) attempt to deny his own defeat by Jesus’ first coming over two thousand years ago and also to hinder the second coming of Christ – is going to be released all over the earth for a large-scale operation in these last days. Though this spirit has been manifesting itself from the days of the early church, its operations were limited to a few individuals and small groups. In these last days, this spirit will be released by the devil to fight against all righteousness and everything that pertains to Christ. However, this does not imply that satan is in control because unknown to him, God Almighty in His wisdom will only allow this to confirm the allegiance and loyalty of men who claim to love Him.

The True Identity of the Antichrist

The antichrist is the enemy of all truth, righteousness, holiness and purity. It seeks to defy the Almighty God by defiling His creation. The Bible also refers to this spirit as the beast. ‘Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne and great authority.’ – Revelation 13:1,2.

It will seek to influence [and eventually hijack] national governments using various ‘democratic’ movements or protest groups. It will aim to use political pressure against God’s righteousness and His people, by formulating policies and establishing laws that limit, hinder or prohibit the preaching of Christ and His eternal kingdom. Politicians are potential instruments in the hands of the antichrist spirit, and many will fall for its deception – except they are saved and covered with the precious blood of Jesus Christ and are walking in tune with the Holy Spirit.

[bctt tweet=”It’s your time as a child of God to seek His will, especially with your vote! #walkwithJesus #govote” username=”AngelaLowe20″]

Shielding Yourself from Deception

‘The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of satan, with all power, signs and lying wonders.’ – 2 Thessalonians 2:9 NKJV

Christians (both ministers and laymen) must take extra precaution to shield themselves from this spirit, because it will attempt to gain entrance into mainstream denominations, ministries and families in the Body of Christ to deceive the saints. Below are three steps to shielding yourself from this spirit:

  • Hold on to the truth of the Bible. Guard your heart and mind with God’s word which is the final law for mankind, regardless of nationality, social or financial status, academic qualifications, color or gender. Don’t get your information about God and righteousness from the media. They do not know what pleases God, so they can not talk about it. They only report and circulate news as they were made to believe, and not as is true in God’s sight.
  • Pray as much as you can, asking daily for discernment which is God’s divine ability to recognize the truth from the false, the clean from the unclean, and true Christians from false ones (See Isaiah 7:15).
  • Walk in daily fellowship with the Holy Spirit, because He alone is the One to guide you into all truth and keep you immune from deceptive demonic power, signs and lying wonders. You also need Him so you can know political propaganda from true and righteous governance.

[bctt tweet=”Hold on to the truth of the Bible and walk closely with Jesus to guard your heart! #walkinfaith #Hispower” username=”AngelaLowe20″]

Effectively Getting Free from the Influence of the Antichrist

i) Repentance: The Lord sees beyond our words, no matter how sweet and appealing they may sound – His piercing eyes look straight into every man’s heart and clearly knows their motives. If you have (in the past) harbored doubtful or offensive thoughts in your heart about the Deity and Lordship of Jesus, you must repent and ask Him for mercy and forgiveness. This noble act will greatly help in melting down any hardness of heart against the Lord and His kingdom and bring you into the place where you can experience the reality and goodness of God for yourself.

ii) Humility: Know that despite our so-called theological or biblical knowledge or whatever else we might think we know, it is only the grace of God that can keep us from falling for the lies and propaganda of this spirit. The posture of your heart must be that of a person that depends wholly on the Lord for His grace. Taking pride in your knowledge or achievements will only set us up for a fall, but humbling yourself before God will fill you with His peace and assurance (See James 4:6).

iii) Confession: Every now and then, we must verbally affirm what we believe in our hearts; that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God and the Redeemer of the human race. This makes you more confident and stronger in your faith, making it difficult for the antichrist spirit to sway and deceive you (Romans 10:10-13).

iv) Intercession: This is the only weapon that works on a national or global level, which is why the Bible instructs believers to pray continually for the government of their respective nations. ‘Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.’ – 1 Timothy 2:1,2. The devil himself knows the power of intercession, so he works tirelessly to keep believers from intercession and prayers by distracting them with the cares of this life. Intercession will remove the veil of deception from nations and its leaders and make it easy for them to embrace God’s truth and righteousness rather than cooperate with the devil’s agenda.

[bctt tweet=”I am free from the influence of the enemy! #HeisGreater #MyLord” username=”AngelaLowe20″]

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Angela Lowe, MS. Ed., LPC
Angela Lowe is a licensed Professional Counselor, trained Biblical Counselor and certified Holistic Health Coach. Her kingdom mandate is to restore God’s counsel to transform lives, marriages, and churches worldwide.