1 John 2:20-27. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life.
26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.
John’s first letter was addressed to Christians in Asia Minor facing a crisis caused by former members—the antichrists—who had left the church. These false teachers spread a heresy that directly denied the foundational truth that Jesus is the Christ, rejecting the idea that God truly came in human flesh.
John wrote to reassure the remnants, reminding them of who they are and that their anointing from the Holy Spirit provided them with the necessary truth to discern these dangerous lies and remain steadfast in their relationship with the Father and the Son. We live in a similar time, facing constant challenges to the core identity of Christ and the authority of Scripture.
To understand the scope of this truth that we have an anointing from the Holy One, we must grasp the power of the Holy Spirit. We may read the prophecy, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son” (Isaiah 7:14), and find it hard to fathom. Human reason cannot grasp it. Yet what is impossible with man is possible with the Holy Spirit.
Listen to what the angel declared to Mary: “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). And to Joseph the angel said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:20).
This same Holy Spirit, who transcends time and space, comes upon us in power and overshadows every person and every situation when we pray. This is why prayer makes what seems impossible possible. Prayer is not human effort reaching heaven; it is heaven’s power invading our reality through the Spirit of God.
The Spirit also helps us in our weakness. We often do not know how to pray or what to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us, speaking to God on our behalf with groanings too deep for words (Romans 8:26). Even when our words fail, the Spirit never fails to pray according to God’s will.
Therefore, Scripture urges us to pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and request, remaining alert and persevering, and interceding for all of God’s people. We are also called to pray that God would give us words, so that we may fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel and proclaim it boldly, as we should (Ephesians 6:18–20).
Remember this foundational truth: when you believed Jesus as the Christ, you received the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9). From the moment you heard His voice and opened the door, the Spirit came to dwell in you and will never leave you (John 14:16–17). This is why you are the temple of God, and nothing has the authority to destroy you (1 Corinthians 3:16).
The Holy Spirit continues to guide you through the Word and is the source of the peace that guards your heart and mind (John 14:26–27). You no longer need to live in fear or anxiety, because the Spirit Himself testifies with your spirit that you are a child of God (Romans 8:16).
You do not have to worry about the future. When you believed, you were marked in Christ with a seal—the promised Holy Spirit—who is a deposit guaranteeing your inheritance until the redemption of those who belong to God (Ephesians 1:13–14). Nothing can change your identity in Christ. Because of who you are in Him, God hears your prayers, and the Holy Spirit empowers you with the power from the throne to stand as Christ’s witness to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
When you believed in Jesus as the Christ—the Anointed One—you received an anointing from the Holy One (1 John 2:20). Just as Jesus was anointed as the True King, you share in the anointing of a king. Just as He was anointed as the True Priest, you share in the anointing of a priest. Just as He was anointed as the True Prophet, you share in the anointing of a prophet. But how does this anointing manifest in the life of a believer?
With the anointing of a king, in the name of Jesus, your True King, you are given authority to confront and demolish the strongholds of Satan where people have been bound. With the anointing of a priest, in the name of Jesus, your True Priest, you are empowered to break the forces of curses, disasters, and calamities that entered through sin. With the anointing of a prophet, in the name of Jesus, your True Prophet, you are called to proclaim the goodness of God to those living in darkness and to bring them into His marvelous light.
Do not let anyone deceive you. The anointing you received from God remains in you, and the Holy Spirit Himself teaches you what is true. What He teaches is not false. Therefore, remain in Christ and walk in continual fellowship with Him (1 John 2:26–27).
It is God who anointed you and who makes you stand firm in Christ. Do not quench or grieve the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19; Ephesians 4:30). Instead, enjoy the fellowship of the Holy Spirit continually and rely on His power every day (2 Corinthians 13:14; Acts 1:8)
Prayer. Father, I thank You for the anointing I have in Jesus Christ. Thank You for guiding my life through Your Word and for the power of the Holy Spirit working within me. Use my life to reveal Your goodness, to save those trapped in darkness, and to bring them into Your wonderful light. In Jesus’ name, Amen.