8Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.
In every generation of Christians there is a constant assault on our faith. Paul gives the broad outlines, personified in the “lawless one . . . whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan.” This assault will shake and disturb believers (2 Thess. 2:2). It will undermine the authority and authenticity of God’s inspired Word (vs. 2). Apostasy will arise, that is, a falling away from the faith will take place (see 1 Tim. 4:1). An individual will arise who presents himself as god (2 Thess. 2:4) and will attempt to supersede the Creator God of the universe, the God of Abraham and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. His spirit is already at work in the world, and his efforts will only increase (vs. 7). This is what the apostle John calls the “antichrist” (1 John 2:18, 22, 4:3).
When the Lord Jesus Christ comes, the great deceiver will be exposed and all his devices will become clear. The truth will snuff out all deception, from Eden to the cross. He is not dead; He is alive; the heel of truth’s seed will finally crush the head of the deceiver’s seed (Gen. 3:15). It is finished (John 19:30). It remains only to play out the scenario until the end when the risen Lord comes back in all His glory.
Notice the weapon is “the breath of His mouth,” a metaphor reminding us of the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” With that breath, God spoke the universe into creation out of nothing (Gen. 1:1–3); indeed, “The voice of the Lord is powerful” (Ps. 29:4). That breath of creation brought Satan into existence, and that same breath, like a sword, will bring an end to the deceiver. “All” includes all his activity, his demonstrations of power, caricatures of miraculous signs and pseudo-wonders. Further, all of his deceptions will finally come to an end. And all believers, in response, let out a breath of relief.
Again, Paul is writing to believers, those who “receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.” But to those who do not, they will perish along with Satan, for they have chosen to follow the deceiver rather than the truth. What a horrifying day that will be for them, but what an exaltation of rejoicing that will be for us who have embraced the truth of the Word of God!
Though many words are used to describe the coming individual who will act in the spirit of Satan, the focus of the truth of God is embodied in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, who Himself is the truth.
Lord, I believe in You, the truth of God, who exposes the great deception.
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