¹⁸We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. ¹⁹We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

Four times in this chapter of 1 John, the inspired author writes, “We know.” Our assured knowledge of essential truths is built on our security in Christ and our confident assurance of eternal life. First, as we have already read, we “know” God will hear and answer our prayers (1 John 5:15). Second, “we know” that true believers do not sin. What? Earlier in this letter, we read, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:10). Which is it? Again, John is speaking of the “practice” of sin, as he wrote (and translated in the NASB): “No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (1 John 3:9).

All have sinned, and to deny that is equivalent to calling God a liar. And the reality is we continue to sin, falling short of God’s standards (see Romans 7:14–25). But being born of God (or “born again”) means we have taken on the character of God, and therefore sin is no longer our defining characteristic. We don’t continue to make a practice of sin, as we did in our pre-conversion life. A sinful life is not compatible with new life in Christ.

The implication is clear that the person who confesses faith in Christ but continues in the same life of sin as before gives no evidence of genuine faith. Of course, we cannot judge a person’s heart, but God does, and that is His judgment. God does not expect anyone to trust a person’s confession of faith on the evidence of his or her words only. Words without action do not mean such a person is not saved, but that we have no evidential basis for encouraging that person to be assured of his or her salvation.

Third, “we know” that, though Satan wants to turn people away from God, we who believe are “of God.” We are confidently assured of this great truth; for us, our standing with God is no longer in question. The Lord is the One described here as “He who was born of God,” which refers to Jesus Christ, the “only begotten” (John 1:18), the “first-born from the dead” (Rom. 8:29). Our Lord protects His own, for He calls us His “brothers” (Heb. 2:11). While Satan may be the greatest influencer in the world system (social or otherwise), Jesus Christ is greater than the devil, hands down (1 John 4:4). The enemy of our souls cannot knock us out of our salvation, for we are new creatures in Christ, born again into His likeness. We remain secure in Him.

Lord, thank You for protecting me against Satan. I believe in You, not his lies.