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This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet[a] acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.

But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.

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Footnotes

  1. 4:2 Greek If a spirit; similarly in 4:3.

This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh(A) is from God,(B) but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist,(C) which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.(D)

You, dear children,(E) are from God and have overcome them,(F) because the one who is in you(G) is greater than the one who is in the world.(H)

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