The phrase “the wicked one” appears in 1 John 5:19, which says “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” This verse gives us insight into who “the wicked one” or “the evil one” is referring to.
Based on the context of 1 John and other passages in the Bible, “the wicked one” or “the evil one” is referring to Satan or the devil. He is called the wicked/evil one because he stands in opposition to God and promotes wickedness and evil in the world.
Here are some key points about who the wicked/evil one is and what the Bible teaches about him:
- He is a real spiritual being, not just a symbol of evil. He is a fallen angel who rebelled against God (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:12-19).
- He is fundamentally opposed to God and seeks to thwart God’s plans and purposes (1 Peter 5:8; Job 1-2).
- He has some power and influence in this fallen world, as “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4).
- He tempts and accuses believers, trying to lead them into sin and discourage them (1 Thessalonians 3:5; Revelation 12:9-10).
- He sows evil, deceit, and spiritual blindness in the world (Matthew 13:38-39; 2 Corinthians 4:4).
- He prowls around like a roaring lion looking to devour and destroy (1 Peter 5:8).
- He can perform lying wonders and false miracles to deceive people (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10).
- He has been defeated by Jesus Christ through his death and resurrection (Hebrews 2:14; Colossians 2:15).
- His final destiny is eternal punishment in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10).
In summary, “the wicked one” or “the evil one” refers to Satan, the devil. He is a malicious spiritual being who opposes God and humanity. He promotes evil and rebellion against God throughout the world. But Jesus Christ has broken his power so that his evil purposes can be restrained until his final defeat.
Now let’s explore this topic of the wicked one in more depth…
The devil is the ruler of this world
When 1 John 5:19 says the whole world lies in the power of the evil one, it means the devil exerts authority and influence over the world’s system and culture. Though he was defeated at the cross, he still operates with significant power in this present age. Several other verses also indicate the devil is the ruler of this fallen world:
- John 12:31 – Jesus called Satan the “ruler of this world.”
- John 14:30 – Jesus said Satan has no power over him, but he has power and authority in the world.
- Ephesians 2:2 – Satan is at work in those who are disobedient.
- 2 Corinthians 4:4 – Satan has blinded the minds of unbelievers.
The devil was cast out of heaven to the earth (Luke 10:18), and he currently has the ability to exert influence and authority in the world. He manipulates and deceives people, promotes rebellion against God, and seeks to keep nonbelievers blinded from the gospel.
The devil seeks to turn people against God
The devil is fundamentally opposed to God and actively tries to thwart God’s plans and purposes. From the very beginning, Satan has been deceitfully working to turn humanity against God.
In Genesis 3, Satan tempted Eve and succeeded in bringing sin into the world by enticing Adam and Eve to disobey God’s direct command. He continues to tempt and deceive people today, luring them into evil:
- 1 Peter 5:8 – He seeks to devour believers.
- Ephesians 6:11 – Christians must stand against his schemes.
- 2 Corinthians 11:3 – He seeks to lead people astray from God as he did with Eve.
- 1 Thessalonians 3:5 – He tempts believers and tries to thwart God’s work in them.
The devil is cunning and crafty in the way he deceives people and lures them into unrighteousness, immorality, false belief systems, rebellion, and other traps. But Christians can resist him through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The devil accuses and slanders believers
Satan not only tempts people to sin, but he also accuses believers and reminds them of their failures. Revelation 12:9-10 pictures the devil as accusing believers before God day and night. He actively looks for ways to harass, discourage, and shame followers of Christ.
The devil’s accusations are meant to wear us down emotionally and diminish our joy, hope, and effectiveness for God’s kingdom. But the Bible gives us strategies for defending against his accusatory attacks:
- Romans 8:1 – There is no condemnation in Christ for those who belong to him.
- Romans 8:33-34 – God justifies us in Christ, so no charge can stand.
- 1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, God forgives and cleanses us.
- James 4:7 – We can resist the devil through submitting to God.
- Revelation 12:11 – We overcome the devil by Christ’s blood and our testimony.
When Satan accuses us, we can remember Christ paid for our sins on the cross. We can confess any known sins and receive God’s complete forgiveness and cleansing. We can also testify to God’s work in our lives despite our failings.
The devil inflicts suffering and problems
Not every problem or suffering is directly caused by Satan, but he does seem to have some role in inflicting or worsening difficulty:
- Luke 13:16 – Jesus healed a woman whom Satan had kept crippled.
- Acts 10:38 – Jesus healed those oppressed by the devil.
- 1 Corinthians 5:5 – Paul handed a sexually immoral man over to Satan for destruction of his flesh.
- 1 Timothy 1:20 – Paul delivered Hymenaeus and Alexander over to Satan to teach them not to blaspheme.
- 2 Corinthians 12:7 – Paul was given a messenger from Satan to torment him.
The devil is capable of inciting and inflaming all kinds of problems for believers including physical infirmity, sin and immorality, false teachings, and persecution. God may allow some of these difficulties for our discipline or growth, but Satan delights in tormenting God’s people.
The devil sow lies, deceit and doctrinal confusion
One of the major ways Satan works evil in the world is by spreading lies, falsehoods and misunderstandings – especially about spiritual things:
- Genesis 3:1 – He deceived Eve into doubting God’s word.
- 2 Corinthians 11:3 – Paul feared the Corinthians would be led astray from true devotion to Christ, just as Eve was deceived.
- 2 Corinthians 4:4 – Satan keeps unbelievers blinded from the truth of the gospel.
- 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 – His servants disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.
- 1 Timothy 4:1 – The Spirit warns that people will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.
Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44). He twists God’s word, plants seeds of false doctrine, and blinds people’s minds from believing the truth. This is why maintaining sound doctrine and discernment are so critical for the church.
The devil seeks to trap and destroy people
The Bible presents the devil as a dangerous predator looking to devour, trap, and destroy people. This is evident in a number of verses:
- 1 Peter 5:8 – He prowls around like a roaring lion looking to devour.
- 2 Timothy 2:26 – He ensnares people in the trap of the devil.
- Luke 8:12 – The devil comes and takes away the word from people’s hearts so they cannot believe and be saved.
- 1 Timothy 3:6-7 – He ensnares people with conceit and pride.
- 1 John 3:8-10 – The devil has been sinning and destroying from the very start.
Satan takes advantage of human weakness, temptation, and spiritual blindness to attach, oppress, and potentially damn people to the same fate he faces – eternal destruction. Without God’s intervention, he would succeed in dragging the whole world down with him.
The devil pretends to be an angel of light
Although Satan is evil, he is also crafty and able to disguise himself as righteous. Consider these warnings:
- 2 Corinthians 11:14 – Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light.
- 2 Corinthians 11:3 – He uses cunning and deception just as he did with Eve.
- Matthew 24:24 – False messiahs will perform great signs and miracles to deceive people.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:9 – The lawless one will come with counterfeit power and signs and wonders.
- 1 Timothy 4:1 – Deceitful spirits promote falsehoods by hypocritical liars.
Satan is able to masquerade as good, perform false miracles, and twist truth just enough to deceive people. This is why believers need to be discerning and test all spirits against the full counsel of God’s word.
The devil incites pride, anger and dissension
James 3:13-18 indicates that many problems like bitter jealousy, selfish ambition, boasting, and disorder come from the devil and his influence. He stirs up arrogance, anger, resentment, and infighting.
The devil wants to breed strife, selfishness, and pride that destroy relationships and dishonor God. But believers can resist giving him a foothold through cultivating humility, peace, and righteousness in our relationships.
The devil hinders ministry efforts
As “the wicked one,” Satan actively opposes evangelism and all efforts to promote God’s kingdom. A few examples:
- 1 Thessalonians 2:18 – Paul said Satan hindered him from returning to the Thessalonians.
- Mark 4:15 – Satan immediately takes away the word from people who hear it, preventing fruitfulness.
- Matthew 13:38-39 – The devil sows weeds that hinder the good crop.
- Zechariah 3:1 – He accuses Joshua the high priest and resists God’s purposes for restoring Israel.
Wherever God begins a good work, Satan quickly moves in to try and hinder, choke out, or limit the impact. This spiritual resistance requires vigilance and perseverance from believers involved in gospel ministry.
Satan empowers false religions and cults
Since Satan disguises himself as an angel of light and plants deceitful workers in the church, it should be no surprise that many false religions and cults draw people away into dangerous spiritual deception:
- 1 Corinthians 10:20 – Pagans sacrifice to demons, not God.
- 1 Timothy 4:1 – Demonic spirits promote false doctrines.
- 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 – Servants of Satan disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.
- 1 John 4:1-3 – Many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Any group that denies Christ or promotes unbiblical doctrine likely involves influence from the devil. Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Scientology, Islam, Hinduism, Transcendental Meditation and other groups all teach principles contrary to Scripture.
Victory over the wicked one through Christ
Although the devil exerts great influence in this present world, believers have victory over him through Jesus Christ. Here’s what Scripture teaches about overcoming the wicked one’s schemes and power:
- Colossians 2:15 – Christ disarmed and triumphed over Satan and his forces.
- Hebrews 2:14-15 – Through his death, Jesus destroyed the devil and delivered people from fear of death.
- 1 John 3:8 – The Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.
- 1 John 4:4 – Believers overcome Satan because He in us is greater.
- Revelation 20:10 – The devil will be thrown into the lake of fire for eternal torment.
Christ decisively broke Satan’s authority through paying for sin and resurrecting from the dead. Believers now have the Holy Spirit living in them greater than the devil. Followers of Christ can walk in the authority that’s already been won and look ahead to the day when Satan will be completely eradicated.
Resisting and defending against the devil
Scripture gives many practical instructions believers can follow for resisting Satan’s influence and defending against his attacks in daily life:
- James 4:7 – Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
- Ephesians 6:10-18 – Put on the full armor of God for protection.
- 1 Peter 5:8-9 – Be sober-minded and alert because he prowls around.
- 2 Corinthians 2:11 – Do not be outwitted by Satan’s schemes.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:22 – Avoid every kind of evil.
- 1 Peter 1:13 – Gird up your mind for action and be sober-minded.
Through prayer, God’s word, and the Spirit’s help, believers can recognize and resist Satan’s activity. The more we submit to God and resist the devil, the more he will flee rather than gaining ground in our lives or churches.
Summary
The wicked one that 1 John 5:19 refers to is Satan, the devil. Though defeated by Jesus, he still operates as the god of this world and exerts significant influence. He deceives people into unbelief and sin, afflicts suffering, spreads doctrinal confusion, destroys lives, and hinders gospel ministry. But believers have victory in Christ’s finished work on the cross and will one day see the utter destruction of this evil foe. By submitting to God and actively resisting Satan, Christians can walk in freedom and stand firm.
