Read 2 Thessalonians 2

“For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.” — 2 Thessalonians 2:7

There is much theologically we could unpack in this verse. It rests on one of the most pivotal sections of Scripture about the end times, and describes a very present reality we are all witnessing today.

That reality is what Paul calls the mystery of lawlessness, or as some translations put it, the secret power of lawlessness. What Paul fully meant by this phrase is hard to understand, but what is clear is that lawlessness, under the orchestration of Satan (see 1 John 5:19), began working on a global scale toward a specific goal. That goal is clearly outlined by the context surrounding this verse. It involves a great falling away from the faith and the rise of a man of sin. This man is also called the lawless one, and elsewhere in Scripture is known as the Antichrist.

“The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” (2 Thessalonians 2:9–10)

This devilish goal is not new. Throughout history, Satan has always used a puppet he could manipulate to draw men away from God. And God has always restrained mankind from fully being given over to it. God restrained man from going back into the Garden of Eden so that they could not partake of the Tree of Life in sin. God restrained by the Great Flood to preserve mankind from total corruption, though it was very close. God restrained by confusing the languages at the Tower of Babel to keep mankind from being given over to worldwide idolatry. God has, indeed, restrained mankind over and over again from complete and total corruption produced by sin and Satan. This is the mystery of lawlessness.

But now, ever since Christ defeated sin and death by His resurrection, which ushered in what the Scriptures call the last days, this working of lawlessness is violently trying to move forward. It's the devil’s last desperate attempt to draw mankind away from God before he is put away forever in eternal punishment. And if the mystery of lawlessness was already at work in Paul’s day, it is no doubt climaxing in our day. You can be sure Satan’s working overtime.

Yet! — no matter how much ground the enemy of our souls makes, the mystery of lawlessness will never be able to fully achieve its purposes until, He who now restrains… is taken out of the way. How is God restraining this evil? The only biblical answer is us, the Church.

We, the church, who are filled, indwelled, and empowered with the Holy Spirit of God, are the restraining force in these last days against Satan and lawlessness. And we will continue to be until we (that is, the collective church who are filled with the Spirit) are taken out of the way. This event, we understand, to be the Rapture of the church.

If then the Holy Spirit dwells in us to restrain, oh how we must guard ourselves from sin and Satan each day! Christian, dare I ask, are you participating in lawlessness or are you restraining it? Have you let your guard down, and let the devil trip you up at the heels?

Paul commands:

“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” (Ephesians 5:11)

Let us walk as children of light! — exposing the darkness, restraining the works of lawlessness, and walking uprightly in this world. We have a sacred duty, under the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit, to be restrainers.

Beloved, have you taken this duty to heart?

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15–16)

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