2 Thessalonians 2:7-9

The Coming and Power of the Lawless One

The lawless spirit was probably called a mystery because it was not practiced in the open in its early stages. The "he" who prevented lawlessness from spreading at the time of Paul's writing may have been Christ. Certainly, we know he has the power to restrain the devil (Revelation 20:1-3). Paul explained that once God allowed the restraints to be released, the spirit of lawlessness would come out of hiding. That spirit would be particularly embodied in one man. The defeat of lawlessness would come about initially through the preaching of God's word and ultimately through the coming of our Lord in the last day.

Paul stated that just as the Lord will have a coming, the wicked, or lawless, one, would come. Christ worked by the power of God, but the apostle foresaw the wicked one working by Satan's power. He also said the wicked one would have signs and wonders, just as Jesus did, but they would be deceitful instead of true like those Jesus worked (2 Thessalonians 2:7-9).