I JOHN 4:2-3: “By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.”

OBSERVATION: Everyone is familiar with the story of “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.” Each year, the original animated movie is shown numerous times, as well as the live-action remake. McDonald’s has blowup images of the Grinch in their restaurants to go with their current marketing plan. It seems like the Grinch grows in popularity every year.

The story of the Grinch ends with a heartwarming ending. The unfeeling Grinch, who tried to ruin Christmas for so many, is transformed as he sees that Christmas means so much more than the presents that he stole from all the residents of Whoville. Yet, there is a Grinch at work in the world that never sees this storybook transformation.

That Grinch is the spirit of Antichrist!

The Antichrist is the End-Time figure that will rise against God and God’s elect in the final days of the tribulation. For centuries, Bible scholars have sought to discover the Antichrist’s identity. In doing so, many have missed the important truth that the spirit of Antichrist is already at work in the world. In reality, Satan is the true Grinch that is spreading the spirit of Antichrist in the world and trying to steal Christmas!

How is the spirit of Antichrist at work in the world?

John gives us a direct and pointed answer.

“Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.”

The focal point for John is not one’s belief that Jesus is the Messiah. The focal point is that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. In other words, the enemy of our souls does not care if you are religious as long as your faith is in the wrong Jesus. This is how the spirit of Antichrist has been at work for centuries. It has tried to remove the historical Jesus from the center of our lives and our worship!

If Jesus did not come in the flesh, then He is just a story that someone made up or a spiritual manifestation that no one can prove. If Jesus did not come in the flesh, then He could not be our true High Priest who has experienced our suffering and temptation without sin. If Jesus did not come in the flesh, then He could not be the perfect sacrifice for our sins and die in our place, bearing the full weight and penalty for our sin, and would fail in securing eternal redemption for all who would believe.

If Jesus had not come in the flesh, there would have been no crucifixion, no burying of His body in the tomb of Joseph of Arimethea, and no resurrection on the third day as angels announced His life to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary that Sunday morning. Therefore, if Jesus did not physically die, was not physically buried, and did not physically rise from the dead, our faith is in mere fables and would have no power to deliver from sin, death, and the devil!

So, the spirit of Antichrist is always at work trying to steal the historical Jesus from the heart of Christmas. He tries to do this in so many ways. Yet, the core of all his actions is to get people to dismiss the historical Jesus, the Word that became flesh and dwelt among us, the sinless Lamb of God who suffered for the sins of the world. The enemy of our souls does this by removing Jesus, come in the flesh, from our consciousness and our celebration.

All you have to do is watch any Hallmark movie, and you will see how easy it is to remove Jesus, come in the flesh, from the celebration of Christmas.

The spirit of Antichrist will never see the transformation that took place in the heart of the Grinch. However, for all who trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior, who proclaim that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, there is nothing that can remove Jesus from the heart of their lives or celebration in this wonderful time of year. Yet, this understanding is important for each one of us. While we recognize the spirit of Antichrist is at work in subtle ways, trying to change the meaning of Christmas…

As believers, this Christmas, as throughout the year, we have this wonderful promise.

I John 4:4: “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

Just as the Grinch was unable to steal the joy of Christmas from the hearts of the residents of Whoville, so the spirit of Antichrist is unable to steal the joy of Christmas from the heart of the believer. There is nothing from without that can steal the reality of Jesus Christ and His life from within our hearts. We have the historical record of His life and the inward revelation of the Holy Spirit. While the spirit of Antichrist tries to deceive many, the child of God stands firm in their faith, knowing –

“He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world!”

And, that my friend, is a Christmas miracle!

In Jesus’ Name!