The Antichrist has yet to be revealed, but Pastor Jack Hibbs warns that the spirit of Antichrist is already at work. We can encounter its deception even through what our churches teach and leave untaught.
In his message, “The Daze of the Antichrist,” Hibbs described an enemy whose influence often develops quietly.
“He will deceive you very subtly in a very, very small degree,” Hibbs said of Satan.
That deception can surface in our personal lives and congregations, he said, “maybe by what’s being taught or not taught.”
His warning connects future biblical events to our immediate responsibility: Know God’s Word and remain yielded to the Holy Spirit.
The spirit already at work
Drawing from 1 John, Hibbs distinguished between the spirit of Antichrist already operating in the world and the coming individual known as the Antichrist.
“There is a day coming when the spirit of antichrist with Satan’s working power will produce the antichrist,” Hibbs said. “And that is an actual real person.”
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Hibbs pointed to passages identifying those who deny Jesus is the Messiah or reject His coming in the flesh as expressing the spirit of Antichrist.
The future leader, he said, will pretend to take Christ’s place while leading people into deception.
Hibbs also stated his conviction that we will escape the Antichrist’s revelation.
“I personally believe that we will escape the actual revelation of the antichrist, the man,” he said.
That conviction accompanies his warning that we already face spiritual opposition and need discernment today.
A coming worldwide deception
Turning to 2 Thessalonians 2, Hibbs described the “man of sin,” who will exalt himself above God and present himself as God in the temple.
The passage describes his coming through satanic power, signs and lying wonders. Hibbs stressed that supernatural displays can serve deception.
“Only the Holy Spirit can protect you and the truth of God,” he said.
He also emphasized why the passage says people will succumb: They refused to receive the love of the truth.
“Have we received the love of the truth? That’s the question,” Hibbs said.
Comparing persistent rejection of Christ to standing in wet cement until it hardens, Hibbs warned about the coming judgment Scripture calls “strong delusion.” He explained that those who reject truth will embrace the lie.
How we can stand firm
“Truth will be the only weapon against deception,” Hibbs said.
He urged us to deepen our knowledge of Scripture, explaining that God’s Word equips us to recognize falsehood and remain grounded in our faith.
Hibbs also cited 1 John 4:4 to emphasize that the Holy Spirit’s power within us surpasses the spirit of Antichrist in the world.
As we face an increasingly deceptive world, his closing assurance points us to a firm foundation.
“If I know that I’m living in a time of deception, and I’ve got the word of God as my guide and my sure foundation, I don’t have to worry,” Hibbs said.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
