“Stand Firm”Eternal Encouragement - 1&2 ThessaloniansLanse Evangelical Free ChurchSeptember 14, 2025 :: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-15  
The main idea and title of this message is drawn from the last verse of our passage for today, verse 15. And it’s very simply this: 
“Stand Firm.”
Paul wants the Thessalonians to be stable and steadfast. He wants them to stand upright and not fall down or back down in their Christian faith. “Stand firm.” That’s Paul’s encouragement to the Church of the Thessalonians, and I believe that we need to hear it for ourselves today.
Lanse Free Church, stand firm. There are many things flying at us every single day as a Christians that threaten to knock us off balance and off course. Many trials and temptations that imperil our stability. You know that feeling like you’re going to fall over?  This is often us.
Paul sees that potential fall for his beloved baby church plant back in Thessalonika, and he comes out and tells them, “Don’t let that happen to you. Stand fast. Don’t fall over. Stand firm.”
[VIDEO WILL BE EMBEDDED HERE.]
Now, there are lots of things that might cause a follower of Christ to get off balance, but the particular thing in this case had to do with a false doctrine about the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
We’ve seen over and over again that these two letters are full of important teaching about the return of Christ. Paul has mentioned it at least once in every single chapter! And this chapter says more about it than many other places in the rest of the whole New Testament. But there are a lot of details in this chapter that are unclear, at least to me  and to many other Bible scholars throughout the history of the church. Just about every sentence has a phrase whose meaning has been disputed and debated by faithful Christians through the years. 
And I’m smart enough to know that I will not solve all of the eschatological debates of the last 2,000 years in this message today! And yet, the main point of this chapter is crystal clear and the application is unmistakable: “Stand firm.”
So before we get into the details, we should probably practice our little phrase that we used so often as we studied the prophecy of the wiseman man Daniel earlier this year.
With some questions about eschatology (the doctrine of the end times), the right answer is, “I don’t know...and that’s okay.”
Now, for some questions, that’s a bad answer. There are some things we must know and hold fast to. “Stand firm!” But there are some details that are less clear, and humility is the order of the day.
So, let me ask you this question: When is Jesus Christ going to return?
“I don’t know...and that’s okay.” In fact, it’s better than okay, right? It’s good and right and best that we don’t know so that we can stay constantly ready. How many times have we said that this year?
But how about this question: Has Jesus Christ already returned?
Don’t you dare say, “I don’t know, and that’s okay!” The right answer is, “I know that Jesus has NOT returned.” 
But that’s not what the Thessalonians were hearing! Let’s start up in verse 1 of chapter 2.
Paul writes, “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come” (vv.1-2).
I’ve got just two points this morning, and here’s number one:
#1. DON’T BE SHAKEN BY DECEPTION.
Paul says, “We’re asking you brothers and sisters in Christ, to (v.2), “not become easily unsettled or alarmed...”
They were going, “Yee! Yikes! Aaahooga! Aaahooga!” They were in danger of panic. They were getting wigged out. They were afraid. 
Paul says, “We’re asking you not to do that. Don’t get unsettled. Don’t get alarmed. Don’t be troubled by this thing you’re hearing.” Apparently, there was some kind of rumor going around that (v.2), the day of the Lord had already come.
Now, you and I hear that, and we say, “I don’t think so. That’s obviously false. That’s bizarre and ridiculous.” 
And maybe they would, too, if they thought about it. But Paul wanted them to not get knocked off balance by this deception.
In first Thessalonians, Paul said that the Day of the Lord was going to come like a thief in the night. And take, especially, unbelievers by surprise. But that we are “Children of the Day,” and so we look forward to it and stay ready for it with faith, love, and hope.
But it sounds like somebody has come along and told the Thessalonians that they missed it!
And if I believed that, I’d be scared, too.
The Thessalonians didn’t want to miss out. If you remember in first Thessalonians, they were worried that their loved ones who had already died before Jesus returned were going to miss out on either the resurrection or the rapture or maybe even the great reunion to be with the Lord forever. But Paul assured them in 1 Thessalonians 4 that the dead in Christ had not missed out. They would, in fact, be first in line.
Now here, he’s assuring the alive in Christ that they have not missed out on those things either. Jesus Christ has not yet returned.
It’s not clear how the rumor got started. Paul gives three different possible scenarios in verse 2, “...some prophecy (or Spirit), report (or word), or letter supposed to have come from us...” So there might have been a forgery, a fake letter from Paul circulating around. Perhaps written by artificial intelligence. (Well maybe not that yet.) But some fake letter or perhaps somebody saying, “The Spirit has revealed to me that what Paul really meant in his preaching or his letter is this...” (see Jeffrey Weima, pg. 506, for that helpful suggestion). 
“The Day of the Lord has already come!”
Now, this happens a lot. Not this particular deception (though the Jehovah Witnesses have historically taught that Jesus Christ came back secretly and invisibly in 1914). But there are lots of different false teachings out there about the return of Christ that threaten to unsettle and alarm us. Don’t let them!
Good teaching, healthy teaching about the end times will comfort and encourage you. It will include sad, shocking, and scary things (and we’re going to see some sad, scary, and shocking things in verses 4-12), but the upshot will always be encouraging for the genuine follower of Jesus Christ. Don’t fall for the fear-mongering.
And don’t fall for the deceptions. Verse 3.
“Don't let anyone deceive you in any way...”
The Lord Jesus said the exact same thing, didn’t He? He warned us that there would be many deceivers.
In Matthew 24 Jesus said, “At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect–if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time. ‘So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:23-27).
It will be obvious. Not invisible. It will be visible. Not secret. Like like lightning that everybody can see. And genuine followers of Jesus Christ will not miss it!
Now, Paul goes on to say that there are some particular things that must take place before the Day of the Lord. And because they have also have not happened yet, the Thessalonians could be assured that the Day of the Lord has not yet come. Look at verse 3.
“Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.”
Two things (at least, and there’s probably more) that must happen before the Day of the Lord.
Number one: The rebellion will occur.Number two: The man of lawlessness will be revealed.
Now, what are those?
I’m not sure, and that’s okay. 
I am sure that they are going to be painfully obvious to the church when it’s time. But I’m less sure that I can positively identify them right now.
The Greek word for “rebellion” in verse 3 is “apostacia.” Some of your versions may even have the derivative English word “apostasy” there. It means “to depart” or “to defect.” But it doesn’t say who is departing or what they are defecting from.
It could be a wholesale defection from the Christian faith. Those who seemed like Christians but then departed from Christianity. That happens. And it may happen in great numbers in the future. Jesus said that the love of many will grow cold (Matthew 24:12).
Or this could be a great rebellion against law and order around the world, especially because it’s tied here to the man of lawlessness.
But I tend to think it’s a defection from the truth. That nearly everybody everywhere rejects the truth wholesale and that has all of the downstream effects you might imagine. And, you might say, “I think that’s happened already,” and it might have, there’s a lot of falsehood out there, but my guess is that we ain’t seen nothing yet.
And I am sure that the Man of Lawlessness has not yet been revealed, the man doomed to destruction.
Who is this? Well, here are some things we know. He is a man. A human. He is not a demon. He is not Satan. He’s a man. But he declares that he is God! Look at verse 4.
“He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” 
Wow! How scary is that?!  
This “Man of Lawlessness” sounds a lot like some things we read back in the Book of Daniel, doesn’t it? In fact, I quoted this chapter several times as we studied Daniel together. 
Remember that one little horn with the big mouth on the fourth and terrifying beast in Daniel chapter 7?
“He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time” (Daniel 7:25).
Or the evil king at the end of Daniel chapter 11? 
Daniel wrote this “...king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all” (Daniel 11:36-37). That sounds a lot like verse 4 to me.
The name that we often give to this person is “The Antichrist.” The Bible tells us there have been are lots of antichrists in the world, but there will be one Antichrist who will outstrip them all. [We learned earlier this year how Antiochus Epiphanes IV was vying for the role!]
Okay. How about this question? When will the Man of Lawlessness be revealed?
On one level, I’d say, “I don’t know, and that’s okay.”
Some faithful Christians believe that he will be revealed after the church is raptured. I was taught that in Bible school, and it’s a definite possibility. [In fact, some think that the “apostasy” of v.3 is the “departure” of the church which is possible but unlikely,  and very few pre-tribulational scholars take it that way].
I tend to think that he will be revealed before the church is raptured or else Paul would probably mention it here. 
Either way, we do know that he will be revealed before the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because that’s what Paul is saying here. Because the Man of Lawlessness has not yet been revealed, that means that Jesus has not yet returned!
So don’t be shaken.
Now how about this question: Who is the Man of Lawlessness? What is his name?
I don’t know, and that’s okay. Christians have speculated about who this man is for the last 2,000 years. I’m not going to waste very much time trying to figure that out. You can, but I’m not going to join you. I’m on the watch for him. I think he’s probably the same person we saw in Daniel 7 and 11 (and maybe 9). I think he’s probably the same person as the Beast coming out of the sea in Revelation chapter 13.
But is he on the world scene right now? I have no clue. His name is not in 2 Thessalonians 2, so I have no idea what it is. 
I hate him and everything he stands for. But I’m also not that scared of him, because I’ve read what is going to happen to him in 2 Thessalonians 2. This chapter is not here to scare us but to comfort us! Look at verse 5.
“Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?”
Paul says, “I explained all of this to you back when I was planting the church there. Remember? This shouldn’t scare you. You shouldn’t be knocked off your pins. You shouldn’t be teetering on the edge. You have nothing to be scared of if you belong to Jesus.”
In fact, the Man of Lawlessness is being held back right now. Restrained. Look at verse 6.
“And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time.”
Sadly, I don’t know what is holding him back. Apparently, Paul told the Thessalonians, but he didn’t include it here in this letter. And neither do any of the other writers of the New Testament tell us clearly either. Here, Paul just tells us that it’s happening. Verse 7.
“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 spirit of antichrist is already at work throughout the world (see 1 John 2 and 4 and 2 John 7), but it’s not anything like what it’s going to be when the Antichrist is fully revealed. His power to deceive and to lead people into pure lawlessness is being restrained by something and someone.
And who is the one who holds it back?
I don’t know, and that’s okay. There has been perhaps more speculation about who that person is in verse 7 than who the Man of Lawlessness is throughout the last 2,000 years of church history. And I’m not going to solve it for you this morning. You may have been taught a certain thing, and you might be pretty sure you have a good idea, and if so, I’m happy for you. I know of seven leading theories about Who and What this Restrainer is. And they all have strengths and weaknesses. 
In my study this week, I came to lean towards the idea that is the archangel Michael whom we learned about in Daniel chapters 10 and 12. I’m not at all sure about that, but I can see how it might fit the biblical data.
What’s important to know is that God has a perfect plan, and it’s perfectly on track. The secret power of lawlessness is being held back. And the one who holds it back will continue to do so until and up to the moment that God says differently. And then he’s going to be taken out of the way. And then (and only then) verse 8.
“And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.”
He’s not been revealed yet so Jesus has not returned yet. One day, it will be painfully obvious who the lawless one is. He’ll be unleashed.
And then, soon after that, it won’t matter! Because he’s going down.
People are so consumed by “Who is the Antichrist? Who is the Antichrist?” Who really cares?! What we should really focus on is the fact that the Antichrist is going to be defeated by Jesus Christ!
And so easily! It says, “With the breath of his mouth” (see Isaiah 11:4) I don’t know if that means with a word? Or with a little puff of breath? Goodbye, Man of Lawlessness!
Paul says he’s going to be destroyed by the splendor of Jesus’ coming. He will not survive the glory that will be revealed. 
The evil king of Daniel 11, “...will come to his end, and no one will help him” (Daniel 11:45).
The terrifying fourth beast with its boastful little horn will be slain and its body destroyed and thrown in the fire that flows from the throne of the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:11).
The King of Kingdoms will ride down from heaven on a white horse and throw the beast into the fiery lake of burning sulfur (Revelation 19:11-21).
Whatever ever else those images mean, they certainly mean the overthrow and destruction of the Man of Lawlessness. He’s doomed to destruction. Justice will be done. He is going to Hell.
And no...this has happened yet. I don’t know when it’s going to happen. I don’t pretend to know! But I know that it’s going to happen. So I don’t have to be scared. I can stand firm. 
Church, don’t lose your head. When the Bible talks about the end times, it always stresses that we should keep calm and carry on. That we should wait patiently and actively loving our neighbors including our enemies. To be clear-minded and prayerful.  Not excited and fretful. And wigged out and worried.  As if our Lord doesn’t have a perfect plan, and it’s not going according to plan perfectly. He does, and it is. 
Yes, these things are sad, and shocking, and scary. But not too sad, shocking, or scary! Don’t fall for the fear. Don’t be shaken by deception. Because there’s a lot of that, and it comes from Satan. Look at verse 9.
“The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved” (vv.9-10).
Paul says there are two comings. There’s the coming of the Christ and the coming of the Antichrist. The second one is an evil echo of the first. Jesus comes in true miracles, signs, and wonders and everything good that comes with the truth from God. The Antichrist comes with counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders and every sort of evil that deceives and is powered by Satan.
It’s going to get hard for some people to tell the difference. We must be careful when confronted with miracles, signs and wonders because even Pharaoh’s magicians could do them! The Man of Lawlessness will be very persuasive. He will not be boring. He’ll be very interesting. He’ll be very attractive and powerful. You and I will probably be tempted to follow him. Don’t think you’re “too smart to fall for that.” And he will tell people what they want to hear. Not what they need to hear, but what they want to hear. And they will believe the lie because they want to.
Verse 10 says, “They perish because they [refuse] to love the truth and so be saved.” They want to be deceived! And eventually God says, “Okay. You can be deceived.” Look at verse 11.
“For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness” (vv.11-12).
That’s about the scariest thing in this whole chapter. That God would send a powerful delusion. Not that he tempts them to evil. Keith showed us in James that He never does that. But He does turn them over to their preferred deception (see Romans 1). And it leads to condemnation. If someone continues to believe the lie until they die, they will go to hell.
As Paul wrote in chapter 1, “They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power” (2 Thessalonians. 1:9).
Don’t be shaken by deception! Because the end of that is condemnation.
But that’s not us! Paul says that verse 12 does not describe the Thessalonians. Verses 13 and 14 do! Look at verse 13.
“But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (vv.13-14).
Isn’t that wonderful? That must have been so encouraging for them to read. 
And that’s you and me. That’s every genuine believer who has heard the good news about Jesus Christ and what He did for us on the Cross and at the Empty Tomb and put our faith and trust in that truth. This is what’s happened to us.
We’ve be chosen to be saved by the electing love of God the Father.We’ve been called through the gospel of God the Son Who loved us. “Brothers and sisters loved by the Lord.”We’re being sanctified, made holy, by God the Spirit.So that we might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The same glory that will destroy the Man of Lawlessness will be ours to share forever!
That’s you, Church! Not because you deserve it, but because we’re been loved by the Lord Jesus Christ with a love as vast the the ocean. Yes, we ought to give thanks for that forever! And we need to believe it and hold onto it forever.
What’s the obvious application?  
Stand firm!  Verse 15.
“So then, brothers [and sisters], stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.”
#2. HOLD TIGHT TO THE TRUTH.
You might think that (after verses 13 and 14) we should just relax because God is doing all of that. And we should rest in it. But we also should firmly grasp it and hold onto it like our lives depended on it. Because they do.
“Hold to the teachings [Paul and his team] passed on to you, whether by word of mouth [when they were there in person] or by letter.”
Like this one that we hold in our hands. Hold tight to this letter! Hold tight to this book! Those who are perishing refused to love the truth and so be saved (v.10). But we love the truth and so are saved!
Do you love the truth?
Jesus Christ is the truth! And the way and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him. But everyone who does come through Him gets to the Father!
Have you turned from your sins and put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ and what He did you and me on the Cross? He loved you enough to carry your sin on His shoulders, the wonderful merciful Savior.
Turn from your sins and embrace Him. And don’t let go. Stand firm. Stand fast. Hold tight. Cling to Jesus.  Because He is stable, we can be stable forever. 
Don’t worry about what the world is going to throw at you this week. Stand firm.
Don’t worry about where the world is headed. It’s headed to hell in a handbasket. Stand firm.
Don’t worry about the identity of the Antichrist or the timing of his revelation or whatever the Rebellion is. It will all become obvious, and then it will be over. Focus on the Truth of Jesus. Hold tight to that. And you will stand firm.

***

Messages in this Series:

1 Thessalonians

01. "To the Church of the Thessalonians" - 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
02. "We Loved You So Much" - 1 Thessalonians 2:1-16
03. "You Are Our Glory and Joy" - 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13
04. "Do This More and More" - 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
05. "Encourage Each Other With These Words" - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
06. “We Belong to the Day” - 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
07. "To Each Other and To Everyone Else" - 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15
08. "This Is God's Will For You" - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-28

2 Thessalonians

09. "In Every Good Deed and Word" - 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
[Bonus Historical Message: "Forever: Hell" - 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12, October 30, 2005]
10. "God's Judgment Is Right" - 2 Thessalonians 1:1-1011. "We Constantly Pray for You" - 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12