Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil.

1 John 3:8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. John’s contrast is clear. We read yesterday that the one who is of God, practices righteousness because God is righteous. Today’s verse states that the one who is of the devil practices sin because the devil has always sinned. We notice that John’s insight comes from understanding that the root of the tree determines the fruit of the tree. Jesus taught this lesson in the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 7:16-18. “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.” On another occasion Jesus spoke to some Jews in the temple. “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). We see the same understanding in John that there was in Jesus. The root of the life of a person cannot be hidden. The person practices what their source of life practices. If Jesus is the root, then the person practices righteousness because Jesus is righteous. If the devil is the root, then the person practices sin—he knowingly, intentionally, repeatedly, plans to sin because the devil does the same. John wanted his readers to know how to make sure they weren’t deceived by the false teachers and so-called Christians whose lives didn’t reflect Jesus. We can be greatly encouraged by his telling them why Jesus came to earth. It’s an overarching purpose statement. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. So what should they expect to see in the lives of those in whom Jesus dwells? We should expect to see them turning from practicing sin and instead practicing righteousness. The purpose and practices of life change in those who are born of God. They used to live to love self and the things of this world. After the new birth, they live to love Jesus and to love with Him. If we see Jesus leading us to put to death the deeds of the flesh and filling us with His love for God and others, take heart! You are born of God and are righteous in God’s sight. Wow! What love the Father has bestowed on us as His children.