Book of 1 John Chapter 3 Vs. 8

 Father hath Bestowed

I John 3:8 "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."

he that committeth... Means continues to commit. Jesus defeated sin, and the devil, on the cross. Christians, who have put their faith in Jesus, are no longer to serve sin. Sin is not our master; neither is the devil controlling us.

The one who committeth or practices sin meaning habitually practice sin.

the Devil

See on 1Jhn. 2:13. Compare John 8:44. The devil made no one, he begot no one, he created no one; but whosoever imitates the devil, is, as it were, a child of the devil, through imitating, not through being born of him (Augustine).

sinneth

The present tense indicates continuousness. He sinned in the beginning, and has never ceased to sin from the beginning, and still sinneth.

from the beginning... Since Satan was originally created as perfect and only later rebelled against God (Isa. 14:12-14; Eze. 28:12-17), John probably means the moment of his rebellion against God, the beginning of his rebellious career.

the Son of God

For the first time in the Epistle. Hitherto the title has been the Son, or His Son. See on 1Jhn. 1:7.

of the devil... The phrase gives the source of the false teachers’ actions. The term devil, means accuser or slanderer. Not only does Satan our adversary oppose God and His plan, but he is the originator and instigator of sin and rebellion against God and His law, verse 4.

Therefore, all the unsaved are under the diabolic influence of Satan. Their sinful lifestyle reflects their satanic origin. John contrasts the children of God with the children of Satan in terms of their actions. While those who are truly born again reflect the habit of righteousness, Satan’s children practice sin.

Since sin characterizes him completely, so everyone characterized by sin must derive from him (John 8:44).

for this purpose… A third reason why Christians cannot practice sin is because Christ came to destroy the works of the arch-sinner, Satan. The devil is still operating, but he has been defeated, and in Christ we escape his tyranny. The day will come when all of Satan’s activity will cease in the universe, and he will be sent to hell forever (Rev. 20:10).

might destroy (λύσῃ)

Lit., dissolve, loosen. Compare Acts 27:41; 13:43. “The works of the devil are represented as having a certain consistency and coherence. They show a kind of solid front. But Christ, by His coming, has revealed them in their complete unsubstantiality. He has undone the seeming bonds by which they were held together (Westcott).

works of the... This summarizes a variety of the devil’s activities: sin, rebellion, temptation, ruling the world, persecution and accusation of saints, instigation of false teachers, and the power of death.

Twenty-five Works of the Devil

1. Sin—rebellion (Gen. 3:2 Cor. Gen. 11:3)

2. Works of darkness, including moral sedition and sex perversion (Eph. 5:11; 6:12; Acts 16:18; Rom. 1:1-32)

3. Works of wickedness (Col. 1:21)

4. Spiritual blindness (2Cor. 4:4)

5. Stealing the Word of God (Mat. 13:19)

6. Deceptions and false religions (2Cor. 11:14; 1Tim. 4:1-16; Rev. 12:9)

7. To kill and destroy (John 10:10)

8. Sowing tares, tempting, and sifting saints (Mat. 4:3; Mat. 13:25; Luke 22:31)

9. Promoting counterfeit worship and miracles (2Thes. 2:8-12; 1Cor. 10:20)

10. Causing storms (Job 1:18-19; Eph. 2:2)

11. Ruling nations (Mat. 4:8-9; Dan. 10:1-21)

12. Executing death (Heb. 2:14-15)

13. Accusing the brethren (Rev. 12:10)

14. Hindering prayers (Dan. 10:12-21)

15. Opposing the gospel (Eph. 6:1-18)

16. Supervising demons (John 12:31), fallen angels (Rev. 12:7-12), and fallen man (Eph. 2:2; 1Jhn. 3:8; John 8:44)

17. Causing sickness and disease (Mat. 4:23-24; 9:32-33; 15:22; Acts 10:38)

18. Causing infirmities (Mat. 8:17; Luke 13:16; John 10:10; Acts 10:38)

19. Causing lunacy and mania (Mat. 4:23-24; Mat. 17:14-21; Mark 5:1-18)

20. Urging suicides (Mat. 17:15; John 10:10)

21. Agitating lusts (John 8:44; Eph. 2:1-3)

22. Lying and false prophecy (1Kgs. 22:1-53; Mat. 24:11, 24:24; 2Cor. 11:13-15)

23. Propagating false doctrines (1Tim. 4:1-16; 2Tim. 4:1-22; 2Thes. 2:1-17; Rev. 13:1-18)

24. Oppressing men (Acts 10:38)

25. Persecuting Christians and warring on saints (Eph. 6:10-18; 1Pet. 5:8-9).

We have been bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus. We are servant of the Lord Jesus and His righteousness. Those who desire to continue in sin, do not belong to God, they belong to the devil.

Christ died to destroy and cancel all these works of the devil for believers in this age, and to give complete mastery over them (Col. 2:14-17; 1Pet. 2:24; Luke 10:19; John 14:12; Mark 16:17-18). The only works listed above that will not be put down in this age are: all sin and rebellion among men; Satan’s rule of the nations; the reign of death; and continued opposition of Satan to saints. These will be done away in the Millennium (Eph. 1:10; 1Cor. 15:24-28; Rev. 21:1-8; 22:3).



Here by contrast to the last verse we studied we find, He who does what is sinful is of the devil. It would be wrong to water this assertion down. All sin, of whatever kind or degree, is satanic in nature. This is because the devil has been sinning from the beginning (cf. John 8:44). Sin originated with Satan and is his constant practice. To take part in sin at all is to take part in his activity. It is also opposing the work of the Son of God who came (appeared; cf. 1Jhn, 3:5; Heb. 9:28) to put an end lysē, destroy to that activity, the devil’s work. Even the smallest sin runs counter to the work of Christ. Believers are to overcome the evil one (1Jhn. 2:13-14), here called the devil, and not to participate in what he is.