Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20050206.htm

1 JOHN: DEFEATING MISLEADING SPIRITUAL ERROR TRULY TO COMMUNE WITH GOD
Part VI: Blessings The Mature "Father" Has In His Walk With God
L. The Blessing Of Realizing We Are Unconditionally Eternally Free From Satanic Possession
(1 John 5:18)
  1. Introduction
    1. True fellowship with God produces a tremendous, multifaceted, spiritually fulfilling lifestyle even on this earth, something John briefly stated in 1 John 1:3-4.
    2. So, having revealed the basic levels of growth, John gave insight into the blessings mature "fathers" enjoy for overcoming a reliance on others (along with the world's lusts) as a "little child" and of overcoming reliance on the world system and its lusts as a "young man." The twelfth blessing noted is assurance one is unconditionally and eternally liberated from (demonic and) Satanic possession as follows:
  2. The Blessing Of Realizing We Are Unconditionally Eternally Free From Satanic Possession.
    1. After addressing the three levels of maturity in 1 John 2:12-27, John began an extensive treatment of the blessings spiritual "fathers" experience as motivation for his readers to mature into spiritual fatherhood.
    2. The twelfth blessing is appreciating that he is unconditionally eternally freed from Satanic possession:
      1. In 1 John 5:18a KJV, John states "whosoever is born of God sinneth not," a statement the NIV renders to be: "anyone born of God does not continue to sin," (emphases ours).
      2. However, as Zane Hodges reveals, there is no justification in the Greek New Testament text for an emphasis on "continue" in the verb there [as in 1 John 3:6,9], Bible Knowledge Com., N. T. , p. 903.
      3. Yet, since 1 John 1:8-10 reveals all true believers actually do sin, we conclude 1 John 5:18 affirms the new nature that God has created in the believer in Christ at salvation "is inherently sinless," Ibid.
      4. Some might respond that John writes of Christ here as "the one who was born of God," but "nowhere else" is Christ described "in this way; . . . (John) was still writing about regenerate people." (Ibid.)
      5. Thus, John implied "A believer's new man (or 'new self'; Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10) is fundamentally impervious to sin and hence the evil one (1 John 2:13-14; 3:12), Satan, does not touch him. " (Ibid.)
      6. If Satan does not touch the new man that is impervious to sin, Satan can never control or indwell the believer's new nature, a great truth that, if realized, produces great peace for mature "fathers":
        1. The new nature created in Christ Jesus will last for eternity: (a) When one is "in Christ," he is a new creation so that, positionally, the old is gone and the new is come, 2 Cor. 5:17. (b) That being so, the new nature possesses eternal life (John 3:16; 1 John 5:11-12). (c) Thus, even if a believer (experientially) sins by his sinful nature that still resides in him, his salvation is never in question as his new nature abides unconditionally forever pure by God's grace, cf. Ephesians 4:30; John 5:24.
        2. As the new nature is immune to the believer's sin and sin nature and so to Satan's touching it, and as this new nature is eternal, the believer never can experience Satanic possession of his new nature!
      7. As Satan can not possess the believer's new nature, neither he can ever possess EVEN his sin nature!
        1. Scripture reveals that if a believer sins, all he must do for the removal of that sin and for control by the Holy Spirit of God and life in his new nature is to confess his sin to God (1 Jn. 1:9) and lean on the indwelling Holy Spirit to live above control by his sinful nature, the "flesh," cf. Galatians 5:16.
        2. These truths imply the believer is at liberty to rely on the Holy Spirit at will even if he has spent some time living by means of his sinful nature; that in turn means Satan can not possess even the believer's sin nature, for otherwise Satan who is stronger than mortal man would lock the believer into control by his sinful nature so he could never confess his sins and rely on the Holy Spirit!
        3. Thus, Satan can never indwell the believer, be it in reference to his new OR to his sin natures!
      8. To "realize" (oidamen = absolute perception) this truth brings great joy and peace to mature "fathers", 1 John 5:18; U.B.S. Grk. N.T., p. 825; Theological Dict . of the N. T., volume V, p. 116-119.
Lesson: Though ALL believers are unconditionally, eternally liberated from Satanic (and demonic) possession, spiritual "fathers" come to REALIZE and APPRECIATE this liberty to their great joy!

Application: (1) May we MATURE in Christ to APPRECIATE the LIBERTY we have before GOD of freedom from EVER having to face demonic or Satanic possession! (2) If we HAVE thus matured, may we REJOICE in His blessings of liberation from such evil spirits and their abusive controls!