And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.
Spiritual warfare is conducted at many levels.
In these passages, the Apostle John provides us with the practical guides for fighting this battle within the Church. First John is a letter about faith and love and the overwhelming importance of the Gospel. It is written against a background of false prophets. These prophets were part of the Christian community, but left to pursue their false teachings. Many surmise these false teachers were members of either the Docetic or Cerinthian Gnostic groups.