The Wicked Lawless One and Judgement: 2 Thess Lesson 7

Wicked Deception and God’s Righteous Judgement

Good morning, Grace Bible Church! I hope that you are having a great morning! 

For those who are listening online, my name is Matthew McWaters – thanks for joining us while we study through 2 Thessalonians. 

Let’s open our Bibles and turn to 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12. 

“9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

Let’s take a moment to go to God the Father in prayer before we dive into these verses.

Before we begin studying these verses, I would like to echo something that Pastor Brad said last Sunday.

 And that is God wins! 

No matter what our eschatological views are on the coming of the lawless one we know that God wins and that He is sovereign, even over Satan, the lawless one, and the false prophet that will arise in the last days. 

We do not need to fear or have anxiety over the coming of the lawless one because he is a defeated foe. 

And speaking of the coming of the lawless one, we are going to kick this thing off with verse 9. 

I am not going to spend a lot of time talking about the lawless one today in the sense of defining who he is. 

However, I will be focusing on the coming of the lawless one, his wicked works, God’s response to those works and God’s treatment of those who are perishing. 

And even though I am not going to spend a lot of time talking about the lawless one himself, I do not want you to be uninformed about who he is. 

So, I am going to take a moment to give you a brief rundown of who he is. 

The Bible describes the lawless one in several different ways – using several different names. 

He is the antichrist in John’s letters, the beast in Revelation, the little horn in Daniel, and the man of lawlessness here in 2 Thessalonians.

He is NOT Satan incarnate. However, the lawless one will be empowered by Satan. 

He will come, he will be directly opposed to God, he will deceive those who are perishing, and he will be killed by Jesus. 

So, let’s talk about his coming. Verse 9-10 says “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.”

We see here that the coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan and then we see a list of those activities - all power, false signs and wonders, and all wicked deception.

Now I am going to address each of these activities and the purposes they serve; However, I want you to notice something first – the lawless one’s coming is by the activity of Satan. 

To get a better understanding of the lawless one’s coming, we need to look at a few different Scriptures. 

First let’s look at 2 Thessalonians 2:3:

“Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,” 

Now let’s look at 1 John 4:3:

“and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.”

Now let’s look at 2 Thessalonians 2:3: 

“For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.”

So, what do these verses mean? 

Well, with 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Paul is saying that there is a process for the coming of the lawless one – there will be a rebellion, and the man of lawlessness will be revealed. 

With 1 John 4:3 we see that the spirit of the antichrist is already in the world. 

And with 2 Thessalonians 2:7 we see that the mystery of lawlessness is already at work here in this world. 

So, John and Paul are pointing to the same reality from different angles: 

A present, hidden, satanic influence that denies Christ and resists God’s law, which will one day culminate in the revealed person of the Antichrist, the man of lawlessness.

This leads me to raise an important pastoral point: As Christians, we must be realistic about the present and the future. 

Friends our hope is not in the progress of humanity, our hope is in Christ!

The Bible does not teach that the world will gradually evolve into a utopia.

I mean just look at what 2 Timothy 3:1-5 says, “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”

Evil will intensify, deception will grow stronger, and the final rebellion will culminate in the revealing of the lawless one.

Even today, and in our lifetime, we are seeing an intensification of evil. 

Even today, and in our lifetime, we are seeing that deception is growing stronger.

Even today, and in our lifetime, we are seeing an intensification of rebellion towards God.

Does this mean that the lawless one is already here? I don’t know the answer to that question.

What I do know is that Matthew 24:36 says this, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”

What I do know is that evil has its present expressions, but it will one day have its final embodiment.

I also know that throughout history, Christians have often speculated about who the lawless one might be. 

In the early centuries, many thought it was Nero, the cruel Roman emperor who persecuted Christians and demanded worship. 

During the Reformation, many Protestants identified the papacy, the Catholic church, as the antichrist, because of its corruption and blasphemous claims. 

In more recent times, some have pointed to figures like Adolf Hitler or Joseph Stalin, men who exalted themselves, deceived nations, and slaughtered millions.

And today, some Christians eagerly scan the headlines, looking for signs of a coming world leader who might fit the role of the antichrist – the lawless one.

But Paul is not calling us to speculate. 

Paul’s point is to anchor us in a present and future reality.

Our task is not to predict the future but to be faithful in the present. 

Now I am NOT asking you to ignore what’s going on in our world today. That would be foolish. 

But I am asking you to be faithful now. To place your trust in Christ now!

Think of it this way. 

When meteorologists forecast a coming hurricane, the point is not to argue endlessly about whether it will be Category 3 or Category 5 or exactly where the hurricane will land. 

The point is to prepare: to board up windows, gather supplies, and be ready. 

Paul is like the meteorologist here. He is warning us that the lawlessness one is coming. 

Don’t be caught unprepared. Don’t be lulled into thinking that life will go on as normal forever. Be ready in Christ.

Paul wants us to face this reality. 

The lawless one will come. He will come “with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing.” 

But Paul also wants us to know that this story does not end in despair – it ends in victory, and I’ll talk about that a little later.

Now speaking of power, false signs, wonders, and wicked deception, let’s go back to 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 to get a better understanding of the activities, some of which we see already see in our world today. 

“The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.”

We already know from 1 John 4:3 that the spirit of the antichrist is already in the world.

We already know from 2 Thessalonians 2:7 that the mystery of lawlessness is already at work here in this world.

We see this being played out today. 

We’ve got Mormonism, which speaks of Jesus but denies His eternal deity. 

We’ve got Islam, which honors Jesus as a prophet but rejects Him as the Son of God who died for sinners. 

We’ve got New Age spirituality, which talks of light, peace, and divine presence but empties these words of their biblical meaning. 

We’ve got the prosperity gospel, which preaches blessings, healings, and miracles but twists them into a self-centered pursuit of wealth and comfort rather than holiness and Christlikeness. 

All of these are energized, in one way or another, by the spirit of the antichrist because they deny what the Bible teaches. 

I mention this to make two specific points before we get into talking about the power, false signs, wonders, wicked deception, and their purpose. 

The first point I want to make is that Satan has been preparing the stage for the arrival of the lawless one for a very long time. 

Much like God worked miracles through the prophets of the Old Testament and the Disciples of the New Testament, Satan has also been working false signs and wonders through false teachers over the years. 

The second point I want to make here is that God has allowed Satan to work these false signs and wonders throughout history and that God has allow Satan to do this because it serves God’s master plan.

Now I want to be abundantly clear here, because some people can take this the wrong way. 

There is no evil in God. God is the God of truth; in Him there is no falsehood.

Yet, we must understand and believe that God is sovereign and that God allows Satan to do things he does because it serves God’s purpose. 

Now there are a number of ways that this can play out: 

• To accomplish God’s judgments on sin

• To refine and strengthen God’s people

• To magnify Christ’s victory over evil

• To display God’s sovereignty over evil

• To highlight the difference between those who love truth and those who reject it

The list goes on and on, but the important thing to remember is that there is a reason why God allows Satan to do what he does, and I’ll get to that specific reason here in a few minutes.

Now 2 Thessalonians give us four very specific acts when it comes to Satan’s activity through the lawless one – all power, false signs, wonders, and all wicked deception.

The first thing that I would like to point out is that the word “all” here does not mean unlimited. Only God is all powerful. Only God is unlimited. 

However, it does mean “all” that Satan can muster. 

Satan will unleash his entire arsenal. 

Every kind of counterfeit sign will be arranged. Every possible wonder will be displayed. Every wicked deception will be deployed.

And the goal of all this will be to dazzle the eyes, excite the imagination, and convince the heart that lawless one is worthy of worship.

Now I want to pitch a tent and camp out here for a moment by asking you a question. 

How easily are people impressed by displays of power today? I mean, think about it.  

A magician performs sleight of hand, and we marvel. 

A technology company unveils a new gadget, and we rush out to buy it. 

A politician makes grand promises, and crowds cheer. 

A prosperity gospel preacher says that you’ll get blessed by donating money to his ministry, and people donate millions.

If we are so easily swept away by human power and smooth speech, how much more will the world be swept away by satanic power?

And that’s not even taking into consideration the modern Chirstian church – where signs, wonders and miracles are sought after more than Biblical truth. 

Let me illustrate this point with a modern example. 

In recent decades, there have been movements within Christianity that emphasize signs and wonders as the mark of authentic faith. 

In some gatherings, people fall to the ground, laugh uncontrollably, claim to see gold dust falling from the ceiling, or speak of miraculous healing without any evidence. 

These experiences are presented as proof of God’s presence in that church.

And yet, more times than not, the preaching of the Word is neglected, the gospel of Christ crucified is excluded, and holiness is forgotten.

The fact is that the modern church is often too quick to equate the miraculous with the divine. 

And that will be the modern church’s undoing. 

Remember that the lawless one’s entire coming is designed to deceive through signs and wonders.

And this leads us back to the point of God allowing Satan to perform these false signs, wonders, and wicked deception with all power. 

It is all done for those who are perishing. 

God allows Satan to perform all of these false signs, wonders, and wicked deception for all those who are perishing – not for those who are saved. 

So, why does God allow this? 

It’s because the perishing refused to love the truth and so be saved.

Now, what does Paul mean by “perishing”? 

To be perishing is to be outside of Christ, to be under the wrath of God, to be on the broad road that leads to destruction. 

Here is a good example: In 1 Corinthians 1:18, Paul contrasts the perishing with those who are being saved.

“The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 

To perish is to refuse to love the truth. To be saved is to love the truth.

My friends, there are only two categories of humanity. 

You are either being saved, or you are perishing. You either love the truth, or you don’t. 

There is no middle ground.

Now in terms of the perishing, it is not that they lacked information. It is not that God withheld evidence from them. 

The problem is that they do not love the truth. 

The gospel is preached, the Word is proclaimed, Christ is offered – but they turn away. 

They harden their hearts, close their ears, and reject the Savior.

I want to be crystal clear about this: People don’t refuse to love the truth because it is unbelievable, they refuse to love the truth because it is undesirable. 

They love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil (John 3:19). 

They take pleasure in unrighteousness rather than delighting in holiness. 

They resist the gospel not because it lacks credibility, but because it calls them to repent.

And this is why the lawless one’s deception will succeed. He will not be forcing people against their will. He will be giving them exactly what their sinful heart desires. 

I mean think about this for a moment. Think of how this plays out already in our world. 

Consider the rise of secular ideologies that promise freedom and progress apart from God. 

Take, for example, the sexual revolution. It promises happiness, liberation, and fulfillment through the casting off God’s design for marriage and sexuality. 

But what has been the result? 

Broken families, shattered lives, sexually transmitted diseases, and deep wounds. 

And yet, millions upon millions still believe sexual promiscuity will lead to happiness, liberation, and fulfillment. 

Why? Because they do not want the truth – they don’t want to repent. 

The truth calls for repentance purity, self-denial, and obedience to God. 

Or consider the prosperity gospel. It promises health, wealth, and success if you just have enough faith and sow enough seed money into the preacher’s ministry. 

Millions around the world are captivated by this message, giving their money, chasing miracles, and following charismatic leaders who live in luxury.

Why does this deception succeed? Because it appeals to those who love riches more than righteousness. 

They refuse the truth that Jesus calls us to take up our cross. So, they embrace the lie that says Jesus wants them to take up their mansion.

And folks, here’s the sad truth about those who are perishing. They are not the victims of deception; they are willing participants in the deception.

Now, I want to pause here for a moment, because I don’t want you thinking to yourself: 

“Well, those who are outside of the church are the ones who are perishing.” 

No. There will be plenty of church people who claim to be Christians who will be perishing. 

James 1:22 says this, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

The perishing within the church will be the ones who just hear the Word of God, the ones who deceive themselves into thinking that they are saved just because they heard the Word of God. 

And this leads me to pose a question to you. Why do the perishing refuse to love the truth and be saved?

Well, verse 12 tells us that the reason they refuse to love the truth and be saved is because they “had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

The heart of the matter is this: they refuse to love the truth because they love sin. 

Jesus makes the same point in John 3:19–20: “The light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.” 

The perishing prefers the darkness where their sins can remain hidden. 

The perishing would rather indulge their lusts, their greed, and their pride rather than submit to the lordship of Christ.

We see this all around us today. When biblical truth confronts cultural idols, people don’t reject it because it is irrational but because it is uncomfortable. 

For example: The biblical teaching on sexuality is clear, yet many dismiss it because they prefer sexual promiscuity. 

The biblical call to generosity and stewardship is plain, yet many ignore it because they prefer materialism. 

The biblical demand for humility before God is unmistakable, yet many mock it because they prefer self-exaltation. 

Those who perish may hear the truth, but they do not love it. It does not move their hearts. 

They are indifferent, uninterested, ungrateful. They may even be religious, but their affections are elsewhere.

At the end of the day, the rejection of truth is not about intellect, it is about the desires of the heart. 

And ultimately, the perishing refuse to love the truth because they love their sin more.

So, the question now becomes, do we have a Biblical example of what happens to people who loved their sin more than the truth? 

Yes, we do. It’s in Romans 1. In Romans 1, Paul explains why the gospel is necessary and I am going to give you a quick summary of that here. 

God’s wrath is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness (v. 18). 

Humanity has rejected the knowledge of God that is plain in creation, exchanging the truth of God for lies, and worshiping the creature rather than the Creator (vv. 19–25). 

As a result, God “gave them up” to their sin: to impurity, to dishonorable passions (including same-sex relations), and to a debased mind that produces every kind of unrighteousness (vv. 26–31). 

The chapter closes by noting that though people know God’s righteous decree – that those who practice such sins deserve death – they not only continue to practice them but also approve of those who do (v. 32).

And this is why Paul says the perishing are condemned in 2 Thessalonians 2:12.

I want you to understand something here. The perishing’s condemnation is NOT unjust. 

It is NOT because they lacked evidence or opportunity. 

It is because they willfully embraced Satan’s lies, hardened their hearts, and loved their sin.

And this is the reason why “God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false.”

The perishing wants a world without accountability to God, without submission to Christ, without repentance from sin. 

And God, in His justice, gives them a delusion so that they believe what is false.

I am going to pitch a tent here for a moment to explain something. 

God sending the delusion is an act of divine judgement against those who refuse to love the truth and so be saved. 

It is an act of divine judgement against those who love their sin more than God. 

This is what theologians call judicial hardening. God confirms sinners in the path they have chosen. 

Don’t get it twisted. God does NOT make them sin against their will. He simply hands them over to the consequences of their will.

This principle runs throughout Scripture. In Exodus, Pharaoh hardened his heart against God’s command to let Israel go. 

But after repeated refusals, the text also says, “the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart” (Exodus 9:12). 

Pharaoh’s stubbornness was his own choice, but God’s judgment was to confirm him in it.

God’s delusion is not arbitrary. It is not aimed at innocent seekers. It is His righteous judgment on hardened unbelief. 

They rejected truth; God lets them believe the lies. 

They would not love light; God confirms them in darkness. 

They took pleasure in unrighteousness; God allows them to be consumed by it.

Think of it like this. The same sun that melts the wax hardens the clay. The difference is in the material. 

The gospel comes as the light of truth. For those who receive it, it softens their hearts and saves them. For those who resist it, it hardens their hearts and condemns them. 

God’s judgment is simply to treat them according to what they are.

This is NOT only a future reality though – it’s a current reality. We see evidence of God giving people over to the delusion even in our culture today. 

How else can we explain a society that denies the basic truths of reality? 

How else can we explain the madness of calling evil good and good evil, of celebrating what God calls abomination, of mocking holiness as though it were foolishness? 

This is judgment of God already unfolding before our eyes.

Let me give a modern example. In recent years, we’ve witnessed the rise of gender ideology. 

We are told that male and female are not fixed, that gender is a matter of choice or feeling, that a man can become a woman simply by thinking he is. 

Entire institutions – governments, schools, corporations – have embraced this. 

Children are being taught to question their identity at the most basic level. And many in society applaud this as progress. 

But brothers and sisters, this is the delusion. It is not merely confusion. It is judgment. 

It is what happens when a culture rejects the truth of God as Creator. 

The refusal to love the truth leads them to embrace the lies. So, God hands them over to believe what is false.

Or think of the way truth itself is treated today. We live in what some might call a “post-truth” culture. 

Feelings are elevated above facts. 

Personal preference outweighs objective reality. 

People say, “That’s your truth, but this is my truth.” 

But the truth is not subjective. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). 

When a society rejects God, it loses all grip on the truth. 

And when God judges that society, He sends them a delusion so that the lies dominate that society.

Think of it this way. Every sermon you hear, every truth you ignore, every call to repent that you brush aside - these are steps toward rejecting the truth. 

And the day may come when God confirms you in that hardness, a day when He sends a delusion so strong that you can no longer believe in the truth. 

Proverbs 29:1 warns us of this, “He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing.”

Now, as we step back and consider 2 Thessalonians 2:9–12 in its entirety, we see a sweeping contrast. 

On the one hand, the lawless one will come, empowered by Satan, deceiving those who perish with false signs and wonders. 

The perishing will be swept away because they refuse to love the truth. God will send them a strong delusion, and they will be condemned. 

On the other hand, God’s people are beloved, chosen, sanctified, called, and destined for glory. They will not be deceived, for the Spirit keeps them. 

They will not be condemned, for Christ has justified them. They will not perish, for the Father has loved them with an everlasting love.

So then, this passage is both a warning to those who are perishing and comfort to those who believe and love the truth. 

It warns us not to trifle with the truth. But it also comforts us with the assurance that God’s elect cannot be lost. 

Let’s pray.