Verses to review today: 1 John 4:1-5:18
New Verse: 1 John 5:19

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We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. (ESV)

And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. (KJV)

Greek: οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐσμεν καὶ ὁ κόσμος ὅλος ἐν τῷ πονηρῷ κεῖται.

Transliterated Greek: oidamen hoti ek tou theou esmen kai ho kosmos holos en tō ponērō keitai.

Literal Word for Word Translation: We know that we are from God and the whole world lies in [the power of] the evil one.

Vocab: ὅλος, holo, whole; τῷ πονηρῷ, tō ponērō, the evil (an adjective, thus: “the evil one,” could be: “that which is evil”, but context is contrasting God and the one who has power over the world); κεῖται, keitai, it lies/lays.

Commentary: There are only two options: a person and a group of persons are either of God, or in the power of Satan (Jn 8:44-45; Lk 11:23). Not that God and Satan are equals as in Zoroastrainism (an ancient Persian religion), but that Satan is the ruler of the world systems for a time (Jn 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; Eph 6:12; 2 Cor 4:4; Isa 14; Ezek 28). By default, however, if we are not of God, we are under Satan’s power and influence, being blinded and deceived (2 Cor 4:4).