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The Daily Word of Righteousness
The Antichrist Spirit
Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. (I John 2:18,19—NIV)
It is our point of view that there actually will be a human being, whether male or female, who will be "the Antichrist," the man (or woman) of lawlessness. This individual will fulfill the prophecies of the Bible concerning the Antichrist.
Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God. (II Thessalonians 2:3,4—NIV)
We recognize that "the Antichrist" will come. But in this brief essay we would like to point out that the spirit of Antichrist has been with mankind from the beginning. It is the desire that is in all of us to perform our own will, until the Lord is successful in getting this compulsion out of us.
How can we be the temple of God and do His will flawlessly when at the same time we are attempting to force the performing of our own will? It cannot be done.
Taking the four steps of salvation does not remove our self-will, the Antichrist spirit, from us.
Being born again does not remove our self-will until that which has been born in us comes to full maturity.
Being baptized with the Holy Spirit does not remove our self-will from us.
Speaking in tongues and exercising the ministries and gifts of the Spirit does not remove our self-will from us.
The only manner in which self-will is driven from us is in the bearing of our cross after the Lord Jesus each day, saying "Not my will but Yours be done" while we are in the most difficult crises; while we are locked up in the most undesirable prisons.
The more that self-will is driven from us the more clearly we can hear the Lord's voice and thus walk in continual fellowship with Him.
The Antichrist spirit is that of man being his own god, following the desires of his sinful nature. This does not mean our self-will is limited to expressing the lusts of our flesh and soul. Self-will can operate when we are the pastor of a church as we plunge ahead with our building program without hearing clearly from the Lord; without waiting until the elders of the church are in agreement.
Self-will can operate as we attempt to go forth as an apostle or prophet without hearing from the Holy Spirit. We think we are to step out in faith. But stepping out in faith before we hear clearly from the Lord is nothing more than presumption. We do this because of our desire to be spiritually prominent, not because God has moved on us.
To be continued.