Commentaries:
Their message appeals to human nature, not to divine nature. The divine nature will recognize it for what it is and reject it! But human nature accepts it. To human nature—to the carnality within us—it looks logical and right, like something we can apply and use as a part of our personality and character.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Wisdom of Men and Faith
Jesus says in Matthew 24:24 that many false prophets and false christs will arise, and they will do signs and wonders so that it will be possible for them to deceive even the elect. The Bible, then, is clear that in the church era, spiritual power to do miracles is present in false ministers, but that it is evil and misdirected.
The spirit that power comes from is revealed in the teaching, the doctrine, of the prophet. Jesus says, "Depart from Me you who work lawlessness." Moses says that if they say anything about worshipping another god, they are not of God. Revelation 13 says that the miracles of the False Prophet will deceive people into worshipping the beast, a false god. His miracles will not witness to the truth, which always directs people to worship the true God. Thus, though we may see a miracle, we can tell its source through the doctrine, through what the miracle-worker is teaching. We have to ask, what is the doctrine of the prophet? The answer will reveal the source of his power.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Is God a Magician?
Other Forerunner Commentary entries containing 1 John 4:1:
Deuteronomy 13:1-5
Deuteronomy 18:22
Jeremiah 29:8-9
1 Corinthians 10:13
1 Corinthians 12:10
1 Corinthians 12:15-21
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
2 Timothy 4:3-4
James 1:23-24
Jude 1:15-19