In this text, the apostle John continues to answer our question, “Why did Jesus come?”  Here he declares that Jesus came to take way sins and destroy the devil’s work.  We are incapable of cleaning out the accumulated guilt from the sin of our lives, no matter how hard we try.  Only Jesus can exchange our sin for His righteousness by bearing our guilt at the cross and then adopting us as His own.  Only Jesus can change us by conquering our the devil and the sin within by waging war.