The Antichrist is Real, But Jesus Has Already Won
By Taylor Sullivan, Small Groups Minister
The Antichrist is a frightening topic. It brings to mind end-times chaos, deception, and fear of the unknown. Scripture warns us of his arrival—not to terrify us, but to prepare us. And today, that preparation doesn’t mean stockpiling guesses or deciphering codes. It means clinging to the truth.
The Bible describes the Antichrist as one who sets himself up in opposition to Christ. One who speaks lies dressed as truth, performs counterfeit signs, and leads many astray (2 Thess. 2:3–10; 1 John 2:18). He is not just a future figure, but any person, power, or teaching that seeks to replace Christ as our savior. Whether through corrupt religion, false prophecy, or seductive ideologies, the goal is always the same: to pull hearts away from the Gospel.
It reminds me of a sci-fi story I loved while growing up.
It is a story where evil seems unbeatable, and all hope appears lost. Set a few hundred years in the future, you’re thrown into a thriving galaxy of alien civilizations that all unknowingly depend on a dark secret: every 50,000 years, a hidden race called the Reapers awakens to wipe out all intelligent life. Their warships are two miles long, but worse yet, that two mile long ship is not a ship at all but an actual reaper. They are not war machines, but living weapons.
And it’s not just one. It’s millions. All your technology is based on theirs. Your weapons are useless. Your armies are helpless. They are immune to modern war tactics, and worst of all, they turn your own people into weapons through indoctrination. They’re thoughts seep into your mind to eventually turn against your own people. any one who comes too close to them are at risk of this sinister indoctrination until they are turned into grotesque, soulless husks.
You watch friends, leaders, and loved ones become hollowed-out enemies. The enemy is everywhere, and resistance seems hopeless.
That’s the kind of fear the Antichrist evokes. It’s the feeling that no matter what we do, we are outmatched, outmaneuvered, and outgunned.
The reason I bring this up is because there is a specific line in the story that always stood out to me as a believer in Christ. In the story, you seek out a rumored creator race of these “reapers.” The theory is that if you can find them before the reapers you can convince them to help you in your effort. When you do find them they tell you they are unwilling to help, but when you ask them to let you go they reply no.
“You are an anomaly…it is clear the reapers perceive you as a threat. Your victories are more than a product of chance.” In the story, they see that even though you are insignificant in every way, by some unseen force, you have been victorious over your enemy.
I love it because I know why we are a threat. It’s not us. It’s Christ in us.
You may view the antichrist as an overwhelming threat that leaves us with no hope, but that is not what the Bible tells us. 2 Thessalonians 2:8 tells us that the power of the antichrist is defeated with the mere breath of Jesus, also known as His Word. God’s word puts to shame this so-called undefeatable power.
We confess our need for a hero to defeat antichrists and the antichrist, but where do we find our hero? Jesus tells us over and over again in the book of John. “I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you “(John 14:20). “Remain in me, and I also remain in you”(John 15:4). “I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity”(John 17:23).
From these examples we see that the power that dispels darkness is in you already. The risen Jesus dwells within us. You are not alone in the fight against evil. You have the God of all creation on your side.
He who said “no one will snatch them out of my hand,” has legions of angels out for your protection. The Antichrist may come with a deceiving tongue and lead many astray, but remember that just like the reapers in that sci-fi game, you are seen as a threat, not because of your strength, but because of the one who lives in you. Jesus Christ is the Antichrist’s defeat.
And if God is for us, who can stand against us?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, when I am afraid of evil, remind me that you have already won. Help me rest in your Word, trust in your presence, and stand firm in your victory. Remind me that my confidence does not come from me, but from you. Amen