1 John 2:14

The gift of the Holy Spirit is given for overthrowing the powers of the air. Whence in John: "I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one." This fortitude …

I write to you, young men, because you are strong, etc. Consider again and again that you are young men, fight so that you may conquer, conquer so that you may be crowned. Be humble, lest you fall in battle.

Having said that he writes them a new commandment, the apostle also indicates the disposition of those who will receive his epistle; he indicates this by the degrees that occur in bodily growth. For he knew that not all would receive his words with equal …

These very names the apostle previously applied from the perspective of age to moral teaching, and now repeats them from the perspective of disposition, without interrupting his instruction.

I have written unto you, fathers,.... This, with the reason annexed to it, is repeated, to raise the attention of the aged servants of Christ, and to quicken them to a discharge of their duty, who are apt to abate in their zeal, to grow lukewarm and indifferent, to cleave to the world, and to the things of it, which they are cautioned against in 1Jn 2:15. The whole of this, with the reason, because ye have known him that is from the beginning, is left out in the Vulgate Latin version, and Complutensian edition.

The word of God must abide in the adult disciples; it is the nutriment and supply of strength to them; it is the weapon by which they overcome the wicked one; the sword of the Spirit, whereby they quench his fiery darts: and those in whom the word of God dwells are well furnished for the conquest of the world.

Having finished his address to each, he returns to all together, whom he again terms, (as 1 John ii, 12,) "beloved children." Fathers, ye have known him that is from the beginning - We have known the eternal God, in a manner wherein no other, even true believers, know him. Young men, ye have overcome the wicked one - In many battles, by the power of faith.

There are the adult in Christ Jesus, those that have arrived at the strength of spirit and sound sense and can discern between good and evil. The apostle applies to them upon these accounts:-- (1.) Upon the account of their martial exploits. Dexterous soldiers they are in the camp of Christ: Because you have overcome the wicked one,

Young men are wont to glory in their strength; it will be the glory of youthful persons to be strong in Christ and in his grace; it will be their glory, and it will try their strength, to overcome the devil; if they be not too hard for the devil, he will be too hard for them.

The apostle is ready to own the knowledge of old Christians, and to congratulate them thereupon. They know the Lord Christ, particularly him that was from the beginning; as ch. i. As Christ is Alpha and Omega, so he must be the beginning and end of our Christian knowledge.

Those that are of longest standing in Christ's school have need of further advice and instruction; the oldest disciple must go to heaven (the university above) with his book, his Bible, in his hand; fathers must be written to, and preached to; none are too old to learn.

The word of God abideth in you - Ye have not only thoroughly known and digested the Divine doctrine, but your hearts are moulded into it; ye know it to be the truth of God from the power and happiness with which it inspires you, and from the constant abiding testimony of the Spirit of that truth which lives and witnesses wherever that truth lives and predominates.

Full of love the aged father ran after him, called on him to take courage, and announced to him forgiveness of his sins in the name of Christ. The youth was recovered to the paths of Christianity, and was the means of inducing many of his bad associates to repent and believe [CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA, Who Is the Rich Man Who Shall Be Saved?

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-brackets

OBSERVE the difference in the two verses—John first says, "I write," and then, "I have written." When in two former discourses I preached upon the beloved Apostle's address to the young men and the children, [Sermon #1711—A Sermon to the Lord's Little Childrei and Sermon #1715—A Description of Young Men in Christ] I gave you as full an interpretation of this difference as I could command—and I need not, now, repeat it. Certain additional thoughts occur to me, which I will give you, that the matter may be still clearer.

Being the Annual Sermon to Young Men in Connection with the London Missionary Society. "I have written unto you, young men, because you are strong, and the Word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the Wicked One." 1 John 2:14. JOHN abounded in charity, but with the utmost stretch of it he could not have written to all young men in this style, for, alas, all young men are not strong, nor does the Word of God abide in them all, nor have they all overcome the Wicked One.

Being the Annual Sermon to Young Men in Connection with the London Missionary Society. "I have written unto you, young men, because you are strong, and the Word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the Wicked One." 1 John 2:14. JOHN abounded in charity, but with the utmost stretch of it he could not have written to all young men in this style, for, alas, all young men are not strong, nor does the Word of God abide in them all, nor have they all overcome the Wicked One. Strong in muscle they may be, like Samson, but like Samson they are weak in moral principle and before long are found in the lap of a sinful Delilah to their own destruction. What multitudes of young men there are in London who, instead of being spiritually strong, are weakness itself—bending like the willow in every gale, drifting down the stream like dead fish—having neither the wish nor the ability to stem the torrent of temptation! These weak young men who are entrapped in every snare, taken with every bait, are the objects of our earnest anxiety. But to them we can address no Epistles entreating their aid in holy work, or cheering them with sacred consolations. It is painful to reflect that in the vast mass of ripening manhood the Word of God does not abide. Tens of thousands of them do not even hear it! They look upon the Sabbath as a day of amusement and to religious exercises as a slavery. Thousands more attend to the Word only after the fashion of the old proverb, "In at one ear and out at the other." They see their natural face in the glass of the Word, but they go their way and straightaway forget what manner of men they are. They are young men of good judgment, too, in worldly things and yet so foolish as to esteem eternal things as mere trifles! They play with immortality and value the joys of an hour of sin at a higher price than unending bliss.

WHEN I preached a short time ago upon John's message to the "little children," [Sermon #1711—A Sermon to the Lord's Little Children] I explained why it was that he first said, "I write," and then, "I have written." He is writing—his whole heart is in it and he cannot help saying that he is earnestly writing to those whom he loves so well. But he has scarcely penned the line before he feels that he must alter that present tense and set it in the past, under the form of, "I have written."

WHEN I preached a short time ago upon John's message to the "little children," [Sermon #1711—A Sermon to the Lord's Little Children] I explained why it was that he first said, "I write," and then, "I have written." He is writing—his whole heart is in it and he cannot help saying that he is earnestly writing to those whom he loves so well. But he has scarcely penned the line before he feels that he must alter that present tense and set it in the past, under the form of, "I have written." He knows that he must soon be gone from them and be numbered with those who were, but are not, among living men. These words, then, are the language of a father in Israel still among his children; they are also the words of one who has passed from earth and entered into Glory. If what I shall have to say at this time, fairly flowing from the text, shall come to you as Christ's words from His favored disciple, John, you will attach the more importance to it and it will do your hearts the more good. Lifting his head from that dear bosom which gave him unexampled rest, he whispers, "I write unto you young men." Looking down from that favored place which he now occupies so near to the Throne of the Lamb, he looks over the battlements of Heaven upon us and cries, "I have written unto you, young men." In the Christian Church there is an order of Christians who have grown so much that they can no longer be called, "babes in Grace," but yet they are not so far matured that they can exactly be called, "fathers." These, who form the middle class of the spiritual-minded, are styled "young men." Understand that the Apostle is not writing, here, to any according to their bodily age—he is using human age as a metaphor and figure for representing growth in the spiritual life.

OBSERVE the difference in the two verses—John first says, "I write," and then, "I have written." When in two former discourses I preached upon the beloved Apostle's address to the young men and the children, [Sermon #1711—A Sermon to the Lord's Little Childrei and Sermon #1715—A Description of Young Men in Christ] I gave you as full an interpretation of this difference as I could command—and I need not, now, repeat it. Certain additional thoughts occur to me, which I will give you, that the matter may be still clearer. The Apostle John says, "I write," and, by-and-by, "I have written." This shows, I think, the importance of his subject. If he has already written upon it, he must think it to be a very necessary and valuable Truth of God if he writes upon it yet again. A man does not discourse repeatedly upon the same subject if he is a man full of matter, as this Inspired writer was, unless he feels that it is necessary that he returns, again and again, to his subject until he has impressed it upon the minds of his audience. Hence the Apostle is not ashamed to say, in effect—"I write this, though you need not remind me that I have written it before, for I feel it to be wise, so long as I am in this tabernacle, to put you in remembrance of what I have said unto you." Nails which are important to a structure must be driven in with diligence. Foundation stones should be laid with scrupulous care and Truths of God which are fundamental, should be repeated by the teacher till the disciple has learned it beyond all fear of ever forgetting it. This form of speech also reveals the unchanging conviction of the writer, who, having written once, is glad to write the same things again. This shows a mind made up and decided, from which proceeds consistent testimony.

I have written unto you, fathers, because ... - The reason assigned here for writing to fathers is the same which is given in the previous verse. It would seem that, in respect to them, the apostle regarded this as a sufficient reason for writing to them, and only meant to enforce it by repeating it. The fact that they had through many years been acquainted with the doctrines and duties of the true religion, seemed to him a sufficient reason for writing to them, and for exhorting them to a steadfast adherence to those principles and duties. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong ... - The two additional circumstances which he here mentions as reasons for writing to young men are, that they are strong, and that the word of God abides in them. The first of these reasons is, that they were strong; that is, that they were qualified for active and useful service in the cause of the Redeemer. Children were yet too young and feeble to appeal to them by this motive, and the powers of the aged were exhausted; but those who were in the vigor of life might be called upon for active service in the cause of the Lord Jesus. The same appeal may be made now to the same class; and the fact that they are thus vigorous is a proper ground of exhortation, for the church needs their active services, and they are bound to devote their powers to the cause of truth. The other additional ground of appeal is, that the word of God abode in them; that is, that those of this class to whom he wrote had showed, perhaps in time of temptation, that they adhered firmly to the principles of religion. They had not flinched from an open defense of the truths of religion when assailed; they had not been seduced by the plausible arts of the advocates of error, but they had had strength to overcome the wicked one. […]