Living Ready: What the Spirit of Antichrist Reveals About Our Hearts
We live in the last hour. Not because we can predict Jesus's return—we can't—but because we're living in the age between Christ's ascension and His coming again. And in this tension, a critical question emerges: What—or who—has taken the place of God in your life?
The spirit of antichrist isn't just about a future figure. It's about anything that positions itself instead of God. The Greek prefix "anti" means both "against" and "in place of," revealing how deception works. Satan rarely presents obvious evil. Instead, he offers substitutes—good things that gradually eclipse the best thing.
Consider your weekly rhythms. There's nothing inherently wrong with hobbies, sports, career ambitions, or entertainment. But when Sunday morning becomes negotiable, when prayer feels like an interruption rather than a lifeline, when God's Word collects dust while our screens stay charged—we've made a substitution.
1 John 2:19 reveals something sobering about those who abandon faith: "They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us." True faith perseveres. We don't persevere to become saved; we persevere because we are saved.
This isn't about white-knuckling your way through Christianity. It's about the transformative power of the Holy Spirit—the anointing that comes at conversion, not as a second blessing you must chase, but as the seal and guarantee of your inheritance. When you placed faith in Christ, you received the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All of them. Completely. Forever.
But here's where it gets personal: Are you abiding?
Jesus said, "Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me" (John 15:4). Abiding isn't passive—it's an active, daily choice to stay connected to the source of life.
Three Ways to Abide in the Last Hour:
The question isn't whether Jesus will return—He will. The question is whether we'll have confidence or shame when He appears. That confidence comes from abiding in Him now, remaining faithful in the present, and allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us from the inside out.
Today is the day. Now is the accepted time. Don't drift. Don't substitute. Don't abandon the faith.
Remain in Him.
The spirit of antichrist isn't just about a future figure. It's about anything that positions itself instead of God. The Greek prefix "anti" means both "against" and "in place of," revealing how deception works. Satan rarely presents obvious evil. Instead, he offers substitutes—good things that gradually eclipse the best thing.
Consider your weekly rhythms. There's nothing inherently wrong with hobbies, sports, career ambitions, or entertainment. But when Sunday morning becomes negotiable, when prayer feels like an interruption rather than a lifeline, when God's Word collects dust while our screens stay charged—we've made a substitution.
1 John 2:19 reveals something sobering about those who abandon faith: "They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us." True faith perseveres. We don't persevere to become saved; we persevere because we are saved.
This isn't about white-knuckling your way through Christianity. It's about the transformative power of the Holy Spirit—the anointing that comes at conversion, not as a second blessing you must chase, but as the seal and guarantee of your inheritance. When you placed faith in Christ, you received the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All of them. Completely. Forever.
But here's where it gets personal: Are you abiding?
Jesus said, "Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me" (John 15:4). Abiding isn't passive—it's an active, daily choice to stay connected to the source of life.
Three Ways to Abide in the Last Hour:
- Guard Against Substitutes. Examine what competes for your worship. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal where affection has shifted from eternal things to temporal pleasures. The world and its desires are passing away, but whoever does the will of God remains forever.
- Test Everything Against Truth. The same anointing that brought you to faith teaches you to discern truth from error. Don't outsource your spiritual life to others. Study Scripture. Let the Holy Spirit illuminate what you read. Know the truth so deeply that counterfeits become obvious.
- Persevere in Community. "They went out from us" reminds us that isolation breeds deception. Stay connected to the body of Christ. Fight the good fight together. Make your calling and election sure through faithful endurance.
The question isn't whether Jesus will return—He will. The question is whether we'll have confidence or shame when He appears. That confidence comes from abiding in Him now, remaining faithful in the present, and allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us from the inside out.
Today is the day. Now is the accepted time. Don't drift. Don't substitute. Don't abandon the faith.
Remain in Him.
This week’s blog draws from the message shared by Interim Pastor Steve Dighton on Sunday, October 19. You can watch the full message here.
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