“Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” (1 John 2:18)
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:1-4)
According to scholars, John wrote the letter of 1 John three years after he wrote the Book of Revelation. In Revelation, he wrote that the antichrist was coming. But in 1 John, just three years later, he wrote that the spirit of antichrist had already come. Throughout the writings of the Apostle John, he wrote in detail how there was a war between Christ and His Kingdom and the devil and his kingdom of darkness.
As we look at what John wrote in Revelation, we can see a distinct difference between these two kingdoms. In Revelation chapter 12, we can see the Ox nature represented by the Mature Manchild. In Revelation chapter 13, we can see the Ass nature represented by the antichrist. Allow me to show you these two natures throughout Scripture so that you can better understand what I am showing you here.
Scripture clearly shows us that there is a battle between the Ox nature (the nature of the Spirit of Jesus Christ) and the Ass nature (the spirit of the antichrist) battling it out for the dominion of this planet. Before I get into depth about these two natures, allow me to first show you the Scriptures concerning them.
The Wild Ass Nature
“Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass? Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings.” (Job 39:5-6)
“How canst thou say, I am not polluted, I have not gone after Baalim? see thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done: thou art a swift dromedary traversing her ways; A wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her.” (Jeremiah 2:23-24)
“Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure. For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.” (Hosea 8:8-9)
The Ox Nature
“And the Lord hath given me knowledge of it, and I know it: then thou shewedst me their doings. But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered. But, O Lord of hosts, that judgest righteously, that triest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I revealed my cause.” (Jeremiah 11:18-20)
“Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.” Deuteronomy 25:4)
“For it is written in the law of Moses, thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless, we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.” (1 Corinthians 9:9-14)
As you can see, the Wild Ass nature is the spirit of the antichrist. Revelation 13:15-18 (ESV) tells us, “And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.”
Now look at one final verse that talks about both the Ass nature and the Ox nature. Luke 13:10-17 (RSV) says, “Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And there was a woman who had had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your infirmity.” And he laid his hands upon her, and immediately she was made straight, and she praised God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.” Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger, and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?” As he said this, all his adversaries were put to shame; and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.”
Now, here is the interesting part. Immediately after these verses, what does Jesus start talking about in verse eighteen? The Kingdom! He starts talking about Kingdom living, Kingdom relationships, Kingdom responsibilities – dominion here on earth! He begins talking about the parable of the mustard seed, then moves on to the parable of the yeast, then still on to the parable of the narrow door. He does so because we must choose which kingdom we will be fighting for in this war. The Christ nature (Ox nature) produces the Kingdom of God. The antichrist nature (Ass nature) produces the kingdom of darkness, or spiritual misunderstanding.
What is happening here? Jesus is showing us that in order for us to enter into the Kingdom of God, we must understand that there is a warfare present between the ox and the ass that we must win if we are to enter into the Kingdom of God. Further, He is showing us that within the synagogue (the Church) that there are two distinct personalities present. It was obvious that the religious crowd (Ass) didn’t like the fact that Jesus (Ox) had healed the woman. Why? Because He did it on the Sabbath.
In verse 15, the Lord is clearly showing us that within the Church both the Ox and the Ass natures are there. And it is within that setting that Jesus is teaching that both the Ass nature and the Ox nature are released every time people get together. The question that we must ask ourselves is, when you loose either your Ass nature or your Ox nature, which watering hole will you take them to? Living water? Or dead, stagnant water? Water that is flowing from the fountain of God that brings life everywhere it goes? Or stale, stagnant water that no living thing can exist in because there is no flow?
There are 7 things that are being ministered by the spirit of antichrist, the Wild Ass nature, which is characterized by impatience, arrogance, and the weakness of his own strength.
- Division (John 7:40-43)
- Resentment (John 4:20)
- Disease (1 Corinthians 11:28-30)
- Death (2 Corinthians 3:7)
- Bondage (Galatians 5:1, 13-16, 25-26)
- Bitter Water (James 3:11; Hebrews 12:14-15)
- Hate (Acts 9:1-2)
On the other hand, there are 7 things that are being ministered by the Spirit of Christ, the Ox nature, which is characterized by patience, humility, and the strength of God.
- Reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)
- Forgiveness (Ephesians 4:29-32)
- Healing (Matthew 10:8)
- Life ( 2 Corinthians 2:16)
- Liberty (Luke 4:18)
- Sweet Water (James 3:8-18)
- Love (Romans 5:5)
Kingdom people, Kingdom warriors, are people that will let the Ox nature subdue the Wild Ass nature. They are spiritual warfighters that are fighting not just for themselves, but for the Kingdom itself and for total dominion. When the Ox finally totally subdues the Ass, the Kingdom of God will have arrived in its fullness. Until then, as spiritual warfighters, it is our solemn duty to keep on pressing on, to keep on fighting the good fight of faith, because one day soon our King is going to come and then there really will be total dominion on this planet.