1 John 5:19

Memory Verse

We know that we are out from God, and the whole world reclines in the malignantly evil one (1 John 5:19).

Malignant evil refers to the spread of unrighteousness and wrongdoing. The armor of God enables us to stand against the fiery darts of Satan, who is called the malignantly evil one (Ephesians 6:16). Satan rules as the prince of the authority of the air and governs the age, or course, of this world system (Ephesians 2:2).

The world system is a structured order meant to pacify and manipulate the sin nature of men. In the first world, Satan designed the system after Cain slew his brother. This act of violence by Cain affected Lucifer’s plan to manipulate Cain to lead all of mankind to follow him (1 John 3:12). Beginning with Cain’s line, he established commerce, culture, industry, and a judicial system (Genesis 4:19–24). As this world system and the sin nature of man worked together, they produced a predatory and opportunistic violent environment in which every formation of the thoughts of men was to do wrong all day long (Genesis 6:4).

God destroyed these wicked men and the abominations they created with a worldwide flood, saving only eight souls (1 Peter 3:20). Afterward, Satan again designed a world system to pacify the sin nature of mankind like a baby rocking in its mother’s arms. In addition to commerce, culture, industry, and a judicial system, humans introduced false religions (Romans 1:25).

Christians are crucified to the world system in Christ (Galatians 6:14). Because of this, we do not direct love toward the world or its things; we do not sacrifice ourselves for the world (1 John 2:15). The world system manipulates unsaved people through strong desires of the flesh and eyes, and through pride in physical life. The love of the Father is not found in the world (1 John 2:16). Since the love of the Father is not in the world, the grace believer is not to direct love towards it.

Although Christians live in the world, just as the world was indifferent to Jesus, it has no concern for the grace believer (John 15:18). So we live in the world, but do not use it to its full extent (1 Corinthians 7:31). Since we know the unsaved rest in the malignantly evil one, who energizes the sons of the unpersuaded, we are to reject the world’s ways, which are passing away, and instead follow our Lord’s example to seek and do God’s will (1 John 2:17).