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1 John 5 Bible study: This is the victory

In 5:4-5 the chapter speaks three times of overcoming the world: "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world" (5:4), and 5:5 asks who overcomes it. The letter's last verse is "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." (5:21).

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“The testimony is this: that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has the life. He who doesn’t have God’s Son doesn’t have the life.”
1 John 5:11-12 · World English Bible

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“1 John 5:5 asks, "Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"”

Is that in 1 John 5, or not? Make your call.

What's really going on

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ

In the text

The chapter opens, "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God. Whoever loves the Father also loves the child who is born of him." (5:1) (tap born) "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments." (5:2) "For this is loving God, that we keep his commandments. His commandments are not grievous." (5:3) (tap grievous) "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world: your faith." (5:4) (tap overcomes, victory) "Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" (5:5). These notes give this chapter as the WEB has it, explain it no further than its own words and the lexicons, and apply it to no one, no church, teacher, people or group, then or now; nothing in 5:16-17 or 5:21 is said here of anyone, and 5:3 is applied to no law or rule today.

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The Greek word behind it

νίκηnikesay NEE-kay

Thayer: "victory". "This is the victory that has overcome the world" (5:4): behind victory is this noun, and the New Testament has it only here (counted in RP2018, and in all eight editions TAGNT compares). Strong's gives the verb behind overcomes and has overcome in the same verse as "from G3529", this noun, and Favor's 1 John 2 studies that verb (tap overcomes). Favor's 1 Corinthians 15 studies a related word.

For your group

1 John 5 Bible study questions

  1. 1"This is the victory that has overcome the world" (5:4). What do you notice in the way 5:1-5 speaks of overcoming?
  2. 2"The testimony is this: that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." (5:11). Which words of this verse would you most like to talk over together?
  3. 3"We know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding" (5:20). As you finish this letter together, what has grown clearer to you?

Leading a group? In Favor, everyone reads 1 John 5 during the week and answers these questions privately. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together, and you can print the week's sheet.

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Questions

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Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the Hebrew and Greek behind the words, the details most readers miss, and how each part of the Bible leads to Jesus. Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church.

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Last reviewed October 12, 2026. Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Hebrew and Greek words are checked against the original-language texts and public-domain lexicons. What we believe · Favor home