I John 4:1-6  The Light has shone into the darkness and revealed sin.. the truth that was in the shadows.. that we love less... and in effect that it is hatred that is in our hearts.  The Light, Jesus Christ, reveals and exposes this and waits to see if we will deny it or confess it.  And when we acknowledge it and confess it.. He forgives completely! He cleanses us perfectly!

Jesus calls us to abide in the Light, in the Truth, in Him.  To abide and to love... to love Him and to love one another.  He gives us His Spirit to abide within us, to help us, to light the way, to counsel us, to fill us with His love that overcomes the hate.

Chapter 4 begins with another vital truth that we need to see in His Light.  There are spirits that are false.. spirits of antichrist.. spirits of error, from the world.  We need to "test the spirits" John tells us.
We need to discern. We need to listen carefully to what men say... to distinguish what is from God and what is not.
Jeremiah 29:8 "For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Do not let your prophets who are in your midst and your diviners deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams which they dream. "
Paul lists the gift of "distinguishing of spirits" in I Corinthians 12:10 and tells us in I Thessalonians 5:20-21 to " not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good. "
John gives us the precise test to apply to every "spirit"; every principle, every breath; every prophecy spoken.  "By this you know the Spirit of God; every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; ..." ( v2-3)

Twice in this passage John reminds us " You are from God" . 
Since we are His, "greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." (v4)
We can overcome the spiritual deceptions because He gives us the ability to discern "the spirit of truth and the spirit of error." ( v6)

It all depends on the fellowship that we have with the Father and the Son.  It depends on us abiding in the Light that Jesus has given us. Here is truth. Here is life.

Father, abide in us!  Fill us with Your Spirit and keep us from the evil one.  Let our minds and hearts be filled with truth, with Jesus Christ who came in the flesh and who has brought us into fellowship with You. Give us discernment.  May we not listen to the dreams and lies of the world. Thank You for delivering us out of the darkness and into the marvelous Light, the Light of Jesus.  Blessed be Your Name in all the earth. Amen.

Constantly abiding. Jesus is mine.
Constantly abiding, rapture divine; 
He never leaves me lonely,
whispers oh, so kind
"I will never leave thee,"
Jesus is mine. 
( Anne S. Murphy 1942)