Practices evildoing

1 John 3:8 (AMPC) “[But] he who commits sin [who practices evildoing], is of the devil [takes his character from the evil one], for the devil has sinned (violated the divine law) from the beginning. The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil [has done].”

Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, and that is just what He did. Jesus said about the devil in John 10:10 that the works of the devil are stealing, killing, and destroying. Jesus came and made it so the devil would no longer have the ability to kill, steal, and destroy for anyone who would receive Jesus as their Savior.

Jesus gave His name, His authority, and His Word to every believer so they could put the devil on the run. Because Jesus came and destroyed the power of the devil, we no longer have to yield to our flesh and live in and practice sin.

When we got born again, we became a new creature in Christ Jesus, and we got a new nature, the nature of God. That is why this scripture is so clear and strong that if we practice sin, practice evildoing, we still must be of the devil, or the devil is our father.

Practicing sin and living in sin is very different from committing a sin. 1 John 3:9 (AMPC) says, “No one born (begotten) of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, for God’s nature abides in him [His principle of life, the divine sperm, remains permanently within him]; and he cannot practice sinning because he is born (begotten) of God.”

When someone lives in sin and constantly violates God’s divine law, they are doing it from their fallen nature or the nature of their father, the devil. When we are born of God, the Holy Spirit moves in and will convict us, or convince us, that the sin is wrong, and we will repent and get out of that sin.

The danger of ignoring the Holy Spirit is it will sear our conscience, which will lead us to some very bad places.

What is this scripture meant to do? Shake us? Yes! Warn us? Yes! Cause us to make sure we are walking in the light and not in darkness? Yes!

We have a new nature, so let’s stay away from the old fallen nature. Let us constantly and consistently put on the new man, which is created in Christ Jesus!