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Dear Don,
Thanks for the question. Like the 3rd chapter of the same letter (c.f., 1 John 3:4-6) John is making the point that the “one who abides in Christ” is free from the domination of sin. He is not talking about complete perfection at this point, but a life that is not steeped in and controlled by sin. He later will differentiate between deadly and non-deadly sin, what Catholics call “mortal” and “venial” sin, and he assures the Christian audience that there is nothing to fear in their minor faults so long as they abide in Christ.
With respect to the “persecution” of Satan, this could be likened to demonic possession or more serious demonic assaults like curses and spells, which were prevalent in the culture of the time (and still exist today more than ever). So, the Christian who abides in Christ should not fear that Satan has dominion over him like he does over the pagans. You may recall how St. Paul talked about those who would be excluded from the safety of the spiritual flock in the following manner:
“. . . you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus”
(1 Corinthians 5:5). |
For the first Christians, the demarcation between those in Christ and those in the “world” (and also the Christian who forsakes Christ for deadly sin) was stark. Those in Christ were spiritually protected, and those who were not were under the dominion of Satan, and therefore subject to his destruction. This did not mean that Christians were exempt from worldly troubles, on the contrary, Satan has always been intent on destroying them in any way possible, which is why vast persecutions have taken place and are currently underway all around the world. The significant difference for John is that the Christian cannot be separated from Christ by attacks of Satan or worldly troubles; you see this same attitude in Paul in Romans 8:38.
So, in the end, John thinks like one who has one foot in Heaven, which is probably why he is the “beloved” disciple. We ought to take his cue and follow suit. We should keep the armor of Christ on, obey His commandments and hope in the day of our vindication.
Peace,
Bob Kirby
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