There is a lot of evil in the world today. This evil takes on many different forms. We read about it on our smartphones and hear it described on our evening news. It is not contained within one particular area of the world, nor in one particular race or culture. It is not a new development in our modern age of electronics and instant communication. These evils have been going on since the beginning of time, in every past century of man walking this planet. Where did it originate? What is the source? Why does Paul call it a ‘mystery’?
The Greek word for ‘mystery’ in the King James Version of II Thessalonians 2:7 denotes a secret, or something that is hidden. ‘Iniquity’ has the meaning of perverted and crooked, deviation from the right path, sin, evil, lawlessness, and wickedness.
The New International Version renders it as: “For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out-of-the-way.”
The New English Translation reads this way: “For the hidden power of lawlessness is already at work. However, the one who holds him back will do so until he is taken out-of-the-way,”
The secret or mystery is describing the ‘power of lawlessness’. Lawlessness is exactly what we see running rampant in our society, on the daily news, and around the world in every tribe, tongue and nation of humanity. There are a lot of ‘hidden’ and ‘unlawful’ activities taking place in all levels of our society; from the back alleys, into the church, and on up to the highest levels of the governments of every city of this world.
This lawlessness was going strong in Paul’s day. It had power over nature, plant and animal life, and people. It caused God’s creation to degenerate into self-destruction. Paul says in Romans chapter eight that the whole world groans and travails in pain from this lawlessness. (Rom. 8:22)
In verse eight, Paul goes on to say that this lawlessness is being held back by a ‘he’. Only ‘he’ who now allows will allow, until ‘he’ be taken out-of-the-way. This ‘he’ is the Holy Spirit indwelling Christ’s true believers. When Christ returns for His bride, the church (the true believers in Him as their Lord and Savior), then shall that ‘wicked one’ be revealed.
This ‘wicked one’ is the Antichrist of the books of Daniel and Revelation, who is possessed by Satan himself. So this ‘mystery’ of iniquity, or this ‘lawlessness’, is the ‘spirit’ of the devil that is waging war with God’s creation, especially man who is made in His image and after God’s likeness.
We are not given the whole story of what went down in the heavens between God and Satan (or Lucifer as he was known in heaven), only some basic details.
I see it this way; when we are children we are not able to understand everything about the ‘whys’ and the ‘hows’ of our earthly father’s words and actions. Some things are just not shared by our dads and moms; because we are not of an age where we are able to comprehend what they are trying to tell us. Then there are some things that are only learned by experience, even after you have scored an A+ on the written exam!
The New Living Translation of Deuteronomy 29:29 puts it this way: “The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions.”
Sometimes we humans allow our egos to convince us that we understand how to run a universe, even when we have trouble remembering where we put the car keys. Humankind is funny that way. The fact remains that even though we are convinced we are eternal spirit beings, none of us have ever seen our spirits with natural or physical eyes. Paul confirms this in I Corinthians 2:14. “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” We also cannot see the angels and unclean spirits that inhabit the spirit world around us, but we all know we are eternal beings; and we also know that there is good and evil in the world that goes beyond the human characteristics of mankind. I have personally experienced angels and I have dealt with demonic-possessed people and a world of Witchcraft. Once you have encountered either unseen spirit world, you know without a doubt that the evil in the world does not have its origins in Yahweh or Jesus Christ.
What we do know is that Lucifer was the most beautiful and the most intelligent being of God’s Creation. He led the choir of heaven in worship. He covered, as an anointed cherub, the very throne of Yahweh. He was over a vast number of angels. He had rule over a portion of the universe, including earth. Then pride entered his heart and he expressed the five ‘I wills’ of Isaiah chapter fourteen that brought judgment upon him. God cast him out of His throne room and the third heaven along with 1/3 of the angels that he had influenced to follow him in his rebellion against God.
When Yahweh stooped down to breathe life into the lungs of Adam, Satan became aware for the first time that God was making his replacement. Satan was filled with rage that a dust ball was going to be able to dwell in the very presence of God and enjoy what he had lost. This explains why Paul says that the saints, or believers in Christ, will judge angels. We will testify against these fallen angels who followed Lucifer in rebellion, as weaker vessels than angels, yet endued with the Power of the Holy Spirit to overcome all of Satan’s obstacles and temptations!
Look at the examples in your own circle of friends and family. One person has overcome great obstacles to accomplish his/her achievements. Another has had the same setbacks, but has used excuses as to why he/she has not been able to overcome and achieve. Look at the cases that come before a judge in a court of law. The man who shows that he is learning from his mistakes receives the lighter sentence for his crime. The one who justifies himself and blames others loses the judges sympathy.
When Eve obeyed the deceptive half-truths of Satan, she disobeyed her Creator, and soon convinced her husband to do the same. The spiritual authority that Yahweh had entrusted to Adam to dominate the earth was forfeited. Satan now was the new prince and power of this world; and he has attempted to hinder God’s plan for mankind and this earth ever since. Lawlessness, iniquity, is abounding more and more around the globe, and is being hindered only by the Holy Spirit interacting in the lives of those who believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior of the world. Jesus says that His believers are the ‘light’ and ‘salt’ of the earth. God is light and all things pure. He is a Spirit and He is Holy. When He dwells in our human spirits there is good that goes forth to bless the whole creation. When the evil and dark corrupt nature of Satan influences and possesses rebellious people, then self-destructive lifestyles result and violence fills our streets.
Jesus defeated Satan in the wilderness by quoting the Word of God from the Old Testament. Jesus taught us that man shall not live by bread alone but by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. The Word of God is Spirit and Life. It is alive and living in the person and Spirit of Jesus Christ. His Holy Spirit permeates the Words of the Bible as the inspired Words of God. The devil hates the Bible and does his best to discredit it; but I have seen demons respond to it when I hold it before them and declare its authority over them by the Name of Jesus Christ. They know better than humans that this Bible, or Words of God, declares that the devil believes there is one God and trembles! (James 2:19)
When Jesus died on the cross, His Spirit descended first into the lower parts of the earth and preached to the souls of men who were held captive by Satan. Christ took the keys of death, hell and the grave from the devil and led those who had believed in Yahweh in the Old Testament back to Jerusalem. The graves of many were opened and these resurrected Old Testament saints appeared to many, testifying of Christ’s power over the grave and death. Jesus went on to appear to His disciples and many others, then ascended to His Father to await the day He will return for His church and the day He will return as King of this earth. At that day He will cast Satan and his unclean followers into the Lake of Fire, and proceed to create New Heavens and a New Earth filled with His knowledge and righteousness.
As we see this mystery of lawlessness abound, we know that we are drawing closer to the end of this age; just as Jesus, the Apostles and the Prophets have warned us. The last seven years of time will see Satan possess one man totally, who will demand to be worshipped as Yahweh. He will destroy all who try to oppose him. Only those who are convinced that Jesus Christ is the one and true God will have enough power from the Holy Spirit to withstand his mark and eternal damnation.
The mystery or secret of lawlessness is only a mystery or a secret to those who do not know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, as their Lord and God. The whole world lies in darkness, Paul says, but believers are not of the night, but of the day and of the light. That daylight is Jesus Christ; Yahweh manifested in flesh to reconcile us back to Himself. His Bible is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. (Psalm 119:105)
Are you ready to meet Him? Are you ready to refuse the lawless one and his one world religious and political system? “The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.” (Revelation 21:7)