24 The one who akeeps His commandments babides in Him, and He in him. cWe know by this that dHe abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

Chapter 4

Testing the Spirits

1 aBeloved, do not believe every bspirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because cmany false prophets have gone out into the world.

2 By this you know the Spirit of God: aevery spirit that bconfesses that cJesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God;

3 and every spirit that adoes not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the bantichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and cnow it is already in the world.

4 You are from God, alittle children, and bhave overcome them; because cgreater is He who is in you than dhe who is in the world.

5 aThey are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them.

6 aWe are from God; bhe who knows God listens to us; che who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know dthe spirit of truth and ethe spirit of error.