Lesson sequence
1 John 5: Overcoming the World
1 John 5:1–8; 1 John 5:9–12; 1 John 5:13–17; 1 John 5:18–21
These verses connect belief in Jesus with love, obedience and victory. The writer also points to agreeing testimony about Jesus Christ, bringing faith, love and truth together in this passage. This lesson also brings together God’s Testimony about His Son, Effective Prayer, The True God.
Before you teach
In this part of the letter, the writer explains how believing that Jesus is the Christ relates to being born of God. He links love for God with love for God’s children, then speaks about overcoming the world through faith and the testimony of the Spirit, the water and the blood.
Describe the central teaching of 1 John 5: Overcoming the World, using two details from the reading. This passage teaches that faith in Jesus as the Christ is joined to love, obedience and confidence in the testimony that agrees about him. God’s testimony declares that eternal life is given in his Son, so having the Son is the decisive issue in this passage. Because believers have life in the Son, they can pray boldly according to God’s will and should respond seriously and prayerfully to sin. This passage teaches that believers belong to God, know the true God through his Son Jesus Christ, and must guard themselves from idols.
Your lesson sequence
Use the teaching outline below for each session, with these reading and activity choices.
Overcoming the World
1 John 5:1–8
This passage teaches that faith in Jesus as the Christ is joined to love, obedience and confidence in the testimony that agrees about him.
Try together: Use the evidence sheet for 1 John 5:1–8. Record key details, compare the opening and closing of this reading, and prepare a short explanation with a supporting Bible reference for each point.
God’s Testimony about His Son
1 John 5:9–12
God’s testimony declares that eternal life is given in his Son, so having the Son is the decisive issue in this passage.
Try together: Use the evidence sheet for 1 John 5:9–12. Record key details, compare the opening and closing of this reading, and prepare a short explanation with a supporting Bible reference for each point.
Effective Prayer
1 John 5:13–17
Because believers have life in the Son, they can pray boldly according to God’s will and should respond seriously and prayerfully to sin.
Try together: Use the evidence sheet for 1 John 5:13–17. Record key details, compare the opening and closing of this reading, and prepare a short explanation with a supporting Bible reference for each point.
The True God
1 John 5:18–21
This passage teaches that believers belong to God, know the true God through his Son Jesus Christ, and must guard themselves from idols.
Try together: Use the evidence sheet for 1 John 5:18–21. Record key details, compare the opening and closing of this reading, and prepare a short explanation with a supporting Bible reference for each point.
Welcome: 1 John 5: Overcoming the World
4 minIntroduce “Overcoming the World”, “God’s Testimony about His Son”, “Effective Prayer”, “The True God” and locate 1 John 5:1–8; 1 John 5:9–12; 1 John 5:13–17; 1 John 5:18–21. This passage teaches that faith in Jesus as the Christ is joined to love, obedience and confidence in the testimony that agrees about him. Invite each learner to name a detail or question they will listen for. Choose the reading for today’s session from the sequence above.
1 John 5:1, 1 John 5:5, 1 John 5:8
Read and explain the passage
8 minOvercoming the World (1 John 5:1–8): The passage begins with belief: whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God. The writer then joins this to love. Loving the Father is connected with loving the child born of him, so faith in God is not separated from care for God’s family.
God’s Testimony about His Son (1 John 5:9–12): The passage begins with a comparison people can recognise. If human witness is accepted, then God’s witness carries even more weight. The writer is not discussing many topics at once. He points to one testimony in particular: what God has testified concerning his Son.
Effective Prayer (1 John 5:13–17): John begins with purpose. He has written to those who believe in the name of the Son of God so they may know they have eternal life and may continue to believe. The passage starts with assurance, not uncertainty. Eternal life is presented here as something believers may know.
The True God (1 John 5:18–21): The first statement says, “We know” that whoever is born of God “doesn’t sin”. In this letter setting, that is given as a mark of life from God. The verse also says the one born of God keeps himself, and the evil one does not touch him. The stress is on God-given life and careful keeping.
Read the selected verses together, pausing at “Overcoming the World”, “God’s Testimony about His Son”, “Effective Prayer”, “The True God”. Use the source reading below and check the explanation against the words of the passage.
1 John 5:1, 1 John 5:9, 1 John 5:13, 1 John 5:18
Discuss the details and their meaning
6 minUse the three questions below. Begin with “According to this passage, how are believing in Jesus and loving others connected?” and allow time to find the supporting verses. This passage teaches that believers belong to God, know the true God through his Son Jesus Christ, and must guard themselves from idols. Ask learners to explain which details support their answer and to identify a question they would like to explore further.
1 John 5:1, 1 John 5:16, 1 John 5:17, 1 John 5:18, 1 John 5:19, 1 John 5:20
Make and respond: Words and images response sheet
9 minWork on “1 John 5: Overcoming the World: Words and images response sheet”. Follow the materials and steps below, using “Overcoming the World”, “God’s Testimony about His Son”, “Effective Prayer”, “The True God” as reading headings. Each learner should include at least two accurate details and their verse references. Share one observation from the finished sheet and explain how it connects with the central teaching.
1 John 5:1, 1 John 5:11, 1 John 5:21
Closing: return to The True God
3 minRevisit 1 John 5:18–21. Invite a learner to summarise what the group has learned about The True God and another to support the summary with a verse. Give learners a moment to complete their response sheet. They can share a question or, if appropriate for the group, join the optional prayer.
1 John 5:18, 1 John 5:20, 1 John 5:21
Questions to explore
According to this passage, how are believing in Jesus and loving others connected?
Look at how verse 1 joins belief that Jesus is the Christ with love for the Father and love for the child born of him.
1 John 5:1
What does John say to do when someone sees a brother sinning a sin not leading to death?
Read verse 16 carefully. John says he shall ask, and he also adds a careful limit about sin leading to death.
1 John 5:16, 1 John 5:17
What are the three things this passage says “We know”?
List the three statements in order from verses 18, 19, and 20, and notice how each one builds the passage’s confidence.
1 John 5:18, 1 John 5:19, 1 John 5:20
Make, think or respond
1 John 5: Overcoming the World: Words and images response sheet
What you’ll need
- plain paper or card
- pencils or pens
- coloured pencils or crayons
Try it together
- Fold a sheet into three panels or draw three columns. Label them “A repeated word or image”, “Its verse reference”, “What it expresses”.
- Read 1 John 5:1–8; 1 John 5:9–12; 1 John 5:13–17; 1 John 5:18–21. Use “Overcoming the World”, “God’s Testimony about His Son”, “Effective Prayer”, “The True God” as your reading headings and add a short quotation or detail with its verse reference to each panel.
- Talk through your notes with an adult. Add a word, drawing or short quotation that helps you remember each part.
- Choose one image and add a short written response or a simple drawing. Explain how it connects with the passage.
The finished sheet keeps the details of 1 John 5: Overcoming the World connected to their Bible references and gives the group a way to explain what they noticed.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, read the selected verses aloud, prepare the three panels and let them respond with drawings or a few words. Use Overcoming the World as the retelling prompt.
- For older children, add verse references to the response sheet and explain a connection between Overcoming the World and the final part of the reading.
An optional closing prayer
“God, help us listen carefully as we read 1 John 5:1–8; 1 John 5:9–12; 1 John 5:13–17; 1 John 5:18–21. Help us understand what we have read, ask thoughtful questions and respond with care for others. Amen.”
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
1 John 5
1 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.
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments.
3 For this is loving God, that we keep his commandments. His commandments are not grievous.
4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world: your faith.
5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
6 This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
7 For there are three who testify:
8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and the three agree as one.
9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is God’s testimony which he has testified concerning his Son.
10 He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who doesn’t believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son.
11 The testimony is this: that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 He who has the Son has the life. He who doesn’t have God’s Son doesn’t have the life.
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
14 This is the boldness which we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he listens to us.
15 And if we know that he listens to us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him.
16 If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life for those who sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I don’t say that he should make a request concerning this.
17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.
18 We know that whoever is born of God doesn’t sin, but he who was born of God keeps himself, and the evil one doesn’t touch him.
19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
20 We know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.