1 John 4:5 They are from the world, [and] on account of this, they speak from the world and the world listens to them.
αὐτοὶ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου εἰσίν, διὰ τοῦτο ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου λαλοῦσιν καὶ ὁ κόσμος αὐτῶν ἀκούει.
There is a saying that goes, “itchy ears like to be tickled” (or at least that is come to my mind). People like to hear things that make them feel good and satisfy some curiosity, appetite, habit, or desire. Those who oppose Christ (“antichrists”) have a certain appeal to people who are walking in the darkness. They give a certain legitimacy to the actions of these people and let them know that what they are doing (where they are walking) is ok and that they do not need to worry. The danger of condemnation is glossed over. The darkness is masked as the light. In every day terms, people do not feel convicted by their actions but are deceived into thinking that there is no problem with their actions.
It is difficult to accept that we are wrong in our thinking or behavior. We humans do not like to be humble because it goes against the pride expressed by inner sin. Our sinful nature is marked by rebellion against the Light. John has already given the answer to this problem in 1:9: confession of our sins. This will require humility. The question becomes, where is our orientation point? What direction is our path? What is our reference for our actions? The darkness of the world, or the light of Christ?
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