In the context of the Bible, "influences" refer to the various forces, individuals, and circumstances that affect a person's thoughts, actions, and spiritual life. The Scriptures provide numerous examples and teachings on how influences can shape one's character and relationship with God, both positively and negatively.

Positive Influences

1. Godly Wisdom and Instruction: The Bible emphasizes the importance of seeking wisdom and understanding from God. Proverbs 1:7 states, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." Godly wisdom is portrayed as a guiding influence that leads to righteous living.

2. The Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is a divine influence in the life of believers, guiding them into all truth and helping them to live according to God's will. In John 16:13 , Jesus says, "However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth."

3. Scripture: The Word of God is a foundational influence for believers. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 declares, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work."

4. Fellowship with Believers: The community of believers serves as a positive influence, encouraging one another in faith and good works. Hebrews 10:24-25 encourages believers to "spur one another on to love and good deeds" and not to forsake assembling together.

5. Godly Leaders and Mentors: Spiritual leaders and mentors can have a profound influence on one's faith journey. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 11:1 , urges, "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ," highlighting the role of godly examples.

Negative Influences

1. Worldly Desires and Temptations: The Bible warns against the influence of worldly desires that lead one away from God. 1 John 2:15-16 cautions, "Do not love the world or anything in the world... For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world."

2. False Teachings and Prophets: Believers are warned to be vigilant against false teachings that can lead them astray. In Matthew 7:15 , Jesus warns, "Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves."

3. Peer Pressure and Ungodly Associations: The influence of ungodly companions can corrupt good character. 1 Corinthians 15:33 states, "Do not be deceived: 'Bad company corrupts good character.'"

4. Satanic Influence: Satan is depicted as a deceiver and tempter, seeking to lead people away from God. Ephesians 6:11-12 advises believers to "put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes."

5. Cultural and Societal Pressures: The Bible acknowledges the pressures of conforming to societal norms that contradict God's commands. Romans 12:2 instructs, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

Discernment and Resistance

The Bible encourages believers to exercise discernment in recognizing and resisting negative influences. James 4:7 advises, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Additionally, believers are called to test all things and hold fast to what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

In summary, the Bible provides guidance on recognizing and responding to various influences, urging believers to seek those that align with God's will and to resist those that lead away from Him.INFLUENCES

in'-floo-ens-iz (ma`adhannoth): This word occurs only in Job 38:31 the King James Version, "Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades?" the Revised Version (British and American) "the cluster of the Pleiades," margin "or chain, or sweet influences"; Delitzsch, Dillmann and others render "fetters," that which binds the group together; "influences," if correct, would refer to the seasons, which were believed to be regulated, so far, by the PLEIADES (which see). In The Wisdom of Solomon 7:25, it is said of Wisdom that she is "a pure influence (aporrhoia, the Revised Version (British and American) "effluence") flowing from the glory of the Almighty."

W. L. Walker

3524. nephalios -- sober
... Cognate: 3524 (an adjective, derived from 3525 , "to be sober") -- properly, not
intoxicated, free from negative influences (intoxicants); (figuratively) clear ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3524.htm - 7k

3525. nepho -- to be sober, to abstain from wine
... 3525 -- properly, to be sober (not drunk), not intoxicated; (figuratively) free
from illusion, ie from the intoxicating influences of sin (like the impact of ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3525.htm - 7k

2513. katharos -- clean (adjective)
... purged), hence "clean" (pure) because (without); (figuratively) spiritually because
(purified by God), ie free from the contaminating (soiling) influences of . ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2513.htm - 7k

302. an -- usually untranslatable, but generally denoting ...
... Accordingly, 302 () is often called the " particle." However, it always influences
("conditions") its sentence and is key to properly understanding the verse ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/302.htm - 8k

5351. phtheiro -- to destroy, corrupt, spoil
... to pine or waste); properly, to shrivel or wither, ie To spoil (by any process)
or (generally) to ruin (especially figuratively, by moral influences, to deprave ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5351.htm - 7k

3498. nekros -- dead
... to impulses, or perform functions ("unable, ineffective, dead, powerless," , 1,
74.28); unresponsive to life-giving influences (opportunities); inoperative to ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3498.htm - 7k

The Necessity of Divine Influences.
... SERMONS. THE NECESSITY OF DIVINE INFLUENCES. LUKE xi.13.""If ye then, being
evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children ...
/.../shedd/sermons to the natural man/the necessity of divine influences.htm

The Necessity of Divine Influences. [*Continued]
... SERMONS. THE NECESSITY OF DIVINE INFLUENCES. [*continued]. Luke
xi.13.""If ye, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto ...
/.../shedd/sermons to the natural man/the necessity of divine influences 2.htm

Influences that Gave Rise to the Priestly Laws and Histories
... IX INFLUENCES THAT GAVE RISE TO THE PRIESTLY LAWS AND HISTORIES. [Sidenote:
Influences in the exile that produced written ceremonial laws] ...
/.../ix influences that gave rise.htm

The Influences that Produced the New Testament
... V THE INFLUENCES THAT PRODUCED THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Sidenote: Importance of the study
of origins] ... [Sidenote: Influences that gave rise to the earliest Gospels]. ...
/.../v the influences that produced.htm

Religious Influences of Nature.
... RELIGION OF NATURE. 180. " Religious Influences of Nature. 180. LM Peabody.
Religious Influences of Nature. 1 God of the fair and open sky! ...
/.../adams/hymns for christian devotion/180 religious influences of.htm

LM Frothingham. For Spiritual Influences.
... I. PUBLIC WORSHIP. 23. LM Frothingham. For Spiritual Influences. 1 O God,
whose presence glows in all Within, around us, and above! ...
/.../book of hymns for public and private devotion/23 l m frothingham for.htm

Whether Local Distance Influences the Angelic Speech?
... THE SPEECH OF THE ANGELS (FIVE ARTICLES) Whether local distance influences
the angelic speech? Objection 1: It would seem that local ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether local distance influences the.htm

Of the Necessity of Divine Influences to Produce Regeneration in ...
... PRACTICAL DISCOURSES ON REGENERATION. DISCOURSE VII. OF THE NECESSITY OF DIVINE
INFLUENCES TO PRODUCE REGENERATION IN THE SOUL. Titus iii.5, 6. Titus 3:5, 6. ...
/.../practical discourses on regeneration/discourse vii of the necessity.htm

He Further Shows that the Pretemporal Generation of the Son is not ...
... Book IX. Section 3. He further shows that the pretemporal generation of the Son
is not the subject of influences drawn from ordinary and carnal generation. ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/section 3 he further shows.htm

What Happened to Solomon
... worship. These influences Solomon withstood for a long time. His heart
held true to God; but these influences kept on working. He ...
/.../naylor/heart talks/talk twenty-seven what happened to.htm

Influences (3 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia INFLUENCES. in'-floo-ens-iz (ma`adhannoth):
This word occurs only in Job 38:31 the King James Version ...
/i/influences.htm - 8k

Amulet
... Originally "amulet" denoted any object supposed to have the power of removing or
warding noxious influences believed to be due to evil spirits, etc., such as ...
/a/amulet.htm - 17k

Weather (5 Occurrences)
... 9. (vi) To undergo or endure the action of the atmosphere; to suffer meteorological
influences; sometimes, to wear away, or alter, under atmospheric influences...
/w/weather.htm - 10k

World (2829 Occurrences)
... time," "age"; tebhel, "fertile earth"; ge, "earth"; aion, "age," "indefinite time,"
with frequent connotation of the contents of time, its influences and powers ...
/w/world.htm - 40k

English
... 6. (n.) A twist or spinning motion given to a ball in striking it that influences
the direction it will take after touching a cushion or another ball. ...
/e/english.htm - 38k

Proper (62 Occurrences)
... THE RANGE OF PROPER NAMES 1. Personal Names (1) Not Exclusively Descriptive (2)
Drawn from a Wide Field (3) Influences Leading to Choice (4) Popularity of Names ...
/p/proper.htm - 57k

Cyprus (12 Occurrences)
... Dynasty (1501-1447 BC). But the influences which molded its civilization
came from other quarters also. Excavation has shown that ...
/c/cyprus.htm - 27k

Apocalyptic
... APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE. a-pok-a-lip'-tik lit'-er-a-tur: INTRODUCTORY I. BACKGROUND
OF APOCALYPTIC 1. Judaism and Hellenism 2. Political Influences II. ...
/a/apocalyptic.htm - 42k

Literature (2 Occurrences)
... APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE. a-pok-a-lip'-tik lit'-er-a-tur: INTRODUCTORY I. BACKGROUND
OF APOCALYPTIC 1. Judaism and Hellenism 2. Political Influences II. ...
/l/literature.htm - 82k

Languages (36 Occurrences)
... 2. The Hebrew of the Old Testament 3. Its Uniformity 4. The Cause Thereof 5.
Differences Due to Age 6. Differences of Style 7. Foreign Influences 8. Poetry and ...
/l/languages.htm - 49k

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