God not only commands those who are in Christ to show love, He also enables them to obey that mandate by granting them the capacity to do what He requires. There is nothing original about John’s teaching that Christians are marked by love for one another. Because God loves us, true believers must reflect that love in their relationships with one another. Therefore, having stressed the importance of love in verse 11, John contrasted the children of God, who obey that command, with the children of the Devil, who do not. Instead of being characterized by love, Satan’s children are marked by assassination, animosity, and apathy toward the children of God.