1 John 3:8

“He that committeth sin is of the devil, &c.] Not everyone that sins, or commits acts of sin, then every man is of the devil, because no man lives without the commission of sin; but he who makes sin his constant business, and the employment of his life, whose life is a continued series of sinning, he is of the devil; not as to origin and substance, or by proper generation, as some have literally understood the words; but by imitation, being like him, and so of him their father, doing his lusts, living continually in sin, as he does, and so resemble him, as children do their parents; and hereby also appear to be under his government and influence, to be led captive by him at his will, and so…”

“He that committeth sin is of the devil--in contrast to "He that doeth righteousness," Jo1 3:7. He is a son of the devil (Jo1 3:10; Joh 8:44). John does not, however, say, "born of the devil." as he does "born of God," for "the devil begets none, nor does he create any; but whoever imitates the devil becomes a child of the devil by imitating him, not by proper birth" [AUGUSTINE, Ten Homilies on the First Epistle of John, Homily 4.10]. From the devil there is not generation, but corruption [BENGEL]. sinneth from the beginning--from the time that any began to sin [ALFORD]: from the time that he became what he is, the devil. He seems to have kept his first estate only a very short time after his…”

“He that committeth sin - Habitually, willfully, characteristically. Is of the devil - This cannot mean that no one who commits any sin, or who is not absolutely perfect, can be a Christian, for this would cut off the great mass, even according to the belief of those who hold that the Christian may be perfectly holy, from all claim to the Christian character. But what the apostle here says is true in two senses: That all who commit sin, even true believers, so far as they are imperfect, in this respect resemble Satan, and are under his influence, since sin, just so far as it exists at all, makes us resemble him. (2)All who habitually and characteristically sin are of the devil.” This latter…”

“He that committeth sin is a child of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning - That is, was the first sinner in the universe, and has continued to sin ever since. The Son of God was manifested to destroy the works of the devil - All sin. And will he not perform this in all that trust in him? 1 John 3:9”

“3:8 destroy: This does not mean “to annihilate” but “to break down” (see Eph 2:14), “to undo,” or “to render ineffective.” Christ did not obliterate Satan; he came to undo the works of the devil by freeing people from sin and its awful consequences.”

“He that: Jo1 3:10, Jo1 5:19 \*Gr: Mat 13:38; Joh 8:44; Eph 2:2 for: Pe2 2:4; Jde 1:6 this purpose: Jo1 3:5; Gen 3:15; Isa 27:1; Mar 1:24; Luk 10:18; Joh 12:31, Joh 16:11; Rom 16:20; Col 2:15; Heb 2:14; Rev 20:2, Rev 20:3, Rev 20:10, Rev 20:15 1 John 3:9”