1 John 4:4 reminds us, 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. The Holy Spirit is talking to us, not the unbeliever! We trust and believe as children, and a child trusts his/her parent, even when that parent is not good. But our Heavenly Father is trustworthy and good. The Holy Spirit in us has already provided for our victory. Our part is to enforce the victory by declaring what Jesus has already declared on our behalf on the Cross!

2 Timothy 3:1-5: But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

These verses describe what has infiltrated our world, and, sad to say, even some churches!

To Know this means “to understand what is being said to us.”

Perilous means harsh, savage, difficult, dangerous, painful, fierce, grievous, hard to deal with. The word describes a society barren of virtue and abounding with vices! This sounds like our world, the USA, and our communities! As we read these verses carefully, we must realize the importance of standing firm against these things coming into our lives.

Denying its power. Power in the Greek is Dynamis. It’s where we get the word dynamite. It means miraculous ability! The Apostle Paul strongly tells us to turn away from the people these verses describe. Why? Because we will become like those we hang with!

Paul goes on to say in Verse 7 of the same chapter that they are always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. In other words, sitting in church all the time or going from church to church but never understanding truth!