It would be nice to think that everybody is supporting you and wanting the best for you. But that would be a delusion. In the same way that evangelism is an active and intentional process to bring people to receive the love of God through Jesus Christ, the opportunistic and systematic attempts to pull believers away from Christ are no accident. In every part of the world people are actively trying to lead believers away from their spiritual home.
John wanted his readers to be alert to Satan's work, often operating through people who sincerely believe his evil lies about Jesus (John 8:44). Their attempts are deliberate, trying to dislodge believers from their confidence in Jesus. But at the same time, the Holy Spirit is intentionally strengthening the hearts of the believers, assuring them that they belong to Jesus and that they have eternal life. It is a spiritual battle and affects every Christian in some way or another.
The difference between truth and lies is that truth stays true for ever while lies have no lasting substance, even though they can be very destructive. The Holy Spirit has been given to every believer to explain what Jesus said and teach how we can live a godly life in a spiritually hostile world (John 14:26). His presence is real, not an illusion or something we imagine. God has anointed us with His Holy Spirit so that we can discern truth from error, and witness to the truth of the gospel (Acts 1:8).
Do not let anybody disturb your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to be secure in Christ as you read the Word and pray for wisdom. As you do, the person of the Lord Jesus will come into sharper focus, and the delusions of the world will fade into the background: when they seek your attention, turn your eyes towards Jesus. We must not be naïve; all of us can be swayed by spiritual lies. Those who are young in the faith, the children and young people will be particular targets for this spiritual attack. Those who are more mature have a responsibility to help them (they may not understand what is happening to them) so that they are not led astray under temptation and false teaching.
