1 John 3:8-10

⁸ He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

⁹ Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

¹⁰ In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

The Devil is the source of sin, and therefore the one who leads a sinful life is spiritually connected with him. … There is stress upon the phrase “from the beginning” (v.8).” Sin began when Satan first sinned. … By his misrepresentation of God, which is implied in the title “Devil,” he has ever sought to attack the soul of man, endeavoring to instill reasons for doubt and distrust of God. — Vine, page 56.

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The word [destroy] is used of that method of destruction by which a thing is broken and nullified, and this is the effect of Christ’s work on the Cross upon the works of the Devil. … The whole tenor of the passage stresses the fact that man by continuing in sin may refuse to avail himself of the effects of the work of Christ. — Vine, pages 56-57.

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works of the devil (v.8) — The works of the Devil are to deceive men to rebel against their Creator and to hate each other. The work of Christ is to restore fellowship with man through His sacrifice and the gift of the Spirit resulting in love for one another. — Grace, page 2222.

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Whoever has been born of God (v.9) — The phrase rendered “is begotten” is in the perfect tense, “Has been begotten”; in other words, “Has become and therefore remains a child of God.” … The statement here again conveys the thought of sinning as a practice, a habit. — Vine, page 57.

seed (v.9) — The divine nature of God’s Spirit.

he cannot sin (v.9) — Here again, not the committal of an act is in view, but continuance in sin. — Vine, page 57.

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While the phrase “the children of the Devil” (v.10) dos not occur elsewhere in the New Testament, yet the Lord interpreted the tares in the parable as “the sons of the evil one,” the word “sons” conveying the thought of likeness to parentage. In John 8:44 the Lord says to the Jews who were intent upon murdering Him, “ye are of your father the Devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do.” — Vine, page 58.

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To fulfill the Law is to be right with God and so to do righteousness. A proof of the existence of Divine relationship, then, consists in the manifestation of love to others. One who is born of God will love those whom God loves. — Vine, page 58.