Three Realities to Be Aware of (1 John 5:18-19)

One of the big problems in the Christian life is the presence of the remnants of sin in believers. When we think about the great change that occurs at conversion it is important that we judge it from biblical statements and not merely on a personal assessment of how we feel about our sins. Judging it according to the latter does cause problems because we can be selective about sin, sensitive to some sins and scared of what sin can do in us.

With regard to being selective about sin, it is a fact that we are liable to excuse or tolerate some sins. Those type of sins may belong to our character traits and we may be inclined not to regard them as sinful. But sin does affect our character traits. Also there may be sins connected to our interests and we may imagine that such sins do not affect us, yet they do. So I may tolerate sins that you may not because I have convinced myself that they are harmless. But there are no harmless sins.

The issue of being sensitive concerning sin is connected to the light we now have on ourselves. Before we were converted, we were totally depraved. That does not mean we were as sinful as we could be. Instead it means that sin had affected every part of our human nature – our minds, our affections and our actions. After conversion, it still does. No Christian has an area of life in which sin is not found. Even their holy actions are contaminated by their sin. The one big difference, in this regard, is that they now see sin differently that from how they regarded it before they were converted. The healthy Christian is appalled by the sight of sin and can imagine that his current sinfulness is a lot worse than what it was before he became a believer. This is because he sees sin with new light. For example, before conversion, he may have been full of spiteful thoughts against another person. After conversion, he finds that he loves the other person. Occasionally, however, the old spiteful thought re-appears. When that happens, the believer becomes distressed and can conclude that his isolated attitude is worse than what it was when it was always there. In such a circumstance he needs to use the torch of God’s Word to assess where he actually is in his sanctification.

One of the devil’s tactics in such circumstances is to use them to frighten believers into inactivity regarding their spiritual walk. He may suggest to them that since they are such great sinners God will be highly offended with them and not forgive them. Or he may suggest that such sins will make them useless in his service. Instead of talking to God about their sins they talk to themselves and that is never a wise path. If we probe our sins it is inevitable that we shall see more details. It is fair to conclude that the difference between the conviction of sin that the Spirit causes and the conviction of sin from other sources is that the Spirit always points us to the blood of Christ as the ongoing means of cleansing.

John here in this verse reminds his readers about certain truths about sin that we should remember when we sin. He mentions three details. First, we should remember the reality of regeneration – we have been born of God. Second, we should remember the activity of Jesus, referred to here in a rather cryptic way as ‘he who was born of God’. Third, we should remember the limitations of the devil in regard to God’s people – the devil does not touch them – which is very different from the grip that he has on the world; in the next verse John reminds his readers that the unconverted are all under the control of the evil one.

So what we have here is a reminder that in order to have a successful Christian life we must know what our doctrines are. We might assume that God will keep us despite our ignorance. This might be the case when we are first converted, but discipleship requires that we know what we believe. None of the three doctrines that John mentions here is difficult to understand and if we think they are it may be a sign that the devil is making some suggestions to us.

The doctrine of regeneration

What do we mean by regeneration? Regeneration is an action of God whereby a spiritually dead sinner is made alive by him. It is a gracious action because the sinner does not deserve it, nor did he ask for it. It is an action that affects the whole person – his mind is enlightened about God and his ways, his affections are changed and he loves God, and his will is subdued in the sense that he no longer opposes God by sinning against him with full intent.

Moreover, regeneration has definite effects in each person who is made alive by God. A regenerated person no longer loves sin. Instead he loves holiness and wants to obey God. He has new desires. God has written his law on that person’s mind and heart and he reveals that he is a new creature. It is impossible for a regenerated person not to live a holy life. 

The first activity of regeneration is faith in Jesus accompanied by repentance for sin. This faith is an expression of enlightenment, that the individual understands the gospel; an expression of new affections, that the individual loves the Saviour; and an expression of new desires, that the individual wants to be a disciple of Jesus.  This is why he does not keep on sinning.

It may be worthwhile reminding ourselves that the moment when a sinner becomes a Christian several things happen. There is not a time sequence as if there was a gap between different stages. Instead there is a sequence of order and here it is. First, there is regeneration when a sinner is made alive. Second, he exercises faith in Jesus and is justified by God in heaven, which means he is forgiven all his sins and has the righteousness of Christ imputed to him. Third in the order is that the justified sinner is adopted into God’s family and given a right to all the privileges of the sons of God. Fourth, the regenerated person begins the process of sanctification in which he is made increasingly like Jesus. This is a description of every regenerated sinner.

John makes it clear that a person who has experienced regeneration does not practice sin. This does not mean that he is sinless and that he cannot become a backslider for a time. It does mean that a spiritually healthy Christian flees from sin and does not wish to get involved in sinful activities. A regenerated person is justified and adopted, is being sanctified, and is on his way to being glorified. It is important that believers remind themselves about who they are and what God has done for them in his great salvation.

The activity of Jesus

There is a difference in the manuscripts regarding this verse. Some say that the regenerated person keeps himself and the others say that the regenerated person is kept by one who was born of God. As mentioned earlier, this sounds rather cryptic, but the choice of words could be used to make us think.

First, we need to ask what we are being kept from and the answer is in the next line – we are being kept from the devil. Having asked that question, it seems straightforward to adopt the text that says that the regenerated person is kept by a divine person, by Jesus the One who was born of God. Alexander Ross, in his commentary, says that ‘The Eternally Begotten keeps him who is begotten by grace.’

Second, why does John refer to Jesus as the one who is born of God? There could be two answers to this question. One could be that John was referring to the incarnation of Jesus and stressing the genuineness of his humanity. The other is that he is indicating that there is a connection between Jesus and his people, one that is very close.

Third, in what way does the Son of God protect his people? It looks as if John is referring to a current activity of Jesus rather than a past or a future one. Therefore, what John has in mind is the intercession of Jesus in heaven, a reminder that the intercession is focussed on protection of his people from the power of the devil. In John 2:1-2, Jesus is described as our advocate who defends his people in the courts of heaven from accusations and defends his people on the basis of his propitiation (his payment for the penalty for sin).

In 3:8, John said that the mission of Jesus included the purpose to destroy the works of the devil. Jesus did so at the cross and will do so at the second coming. He also does so in the present when he enables his people to resist the devil by sending the Holy Spirit to regenerate them and then to strengthen them throughout life. It is good for us to consider that our conversion took place as a consequence of the intercession of Christ and that our sanctification continues because of the intercession of Christ.

The limits of the devil

John writes here that the devil ‘does not touch him’, that is, the Christian. By ‘touch’, John does not mean a minor contact. We get an idea of what is meant here when we observe that the word is used of Mary Magdalene in John 20 when she clung to the body of Jesus on the resurrection morning. It is a word that contains a lot of force, energy and power with the aim of assaulting.

We can see that John makes a contrast between the control the devil has over the world and the way he attempts to deal with the children of God. The world is content to be under the devil’s power whereas the devil is not content that the Christians are not under his power. Therefore, he will attack them, usually by temptation. An obvious example from the Bible is the experience of Simon Peter whom the devil wanted to assault badly, but for whom Jesus prayed effectively.

The reality is that we need the intercession of Jesus in order to obtain victory over the temptations and other assaults of the devil. His aim is to get us to live a life of sin, to make us like the world over which he has power. In contrast, Jesus works in order to preserve us from such a tragedy. Of course, we have to ask how Jesus does this. Does it happen without our participation? The answer is that in order to have victory we have to follow the instructions of Jesus as our prophet as well as to avail ourselves of his blessing as a priest. We have to live as subjects of the king as well as being the recipients of undeserved blessings.

We can briefly mention three requirements for dealing with the devil. The first is specific, regular prayer and this requirement was taught by Jesus when he gave what is called the Lord’s Prayer to his disciples; ‘And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil [the evil one]’ (Matt. 6:13). The Lord’s Prayer is a picture of daily prayer and if we want to avoid defeat we need to pray.

The second is the putting on of the spiritual armour listed by Paul in Ephesians 6:10-18: ‘Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.’ It would be wise for us, as Christian soldiers, to make sure we have on the right pieces and that they are ready for the onslaught.

A third tactic is mentioned in James 4:7: ‘Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.’ How long do we resist for? Until he flees, and that description is a reminder that a believer can have victory over the enemy. Peter uses the same word ‘resist’ with regard to the devil in 1 Peter 5:8-9: ‘Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.’ Peter notes that the attacks of persecution, instigated by the devil, are the common lot of believers and the task of each is to resist the him.

So we have to use the helps that Jesus has instructed us to use. But when we do we should remind ourselves that power will come from Jesus in heaven to make them effective in our spiritual conflicts. Perhaps the first readers of this letter were concerned that the false teaching would destroy the church. John assures them that Jesus is always ready to help them and he gives the same assurance to us, no matter what new strategies the devil may be using.