Satan’s Rise

The man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming.

2 Thessalonians 2:8

THE WORLD HAS its share of formidable people. If we look at the social landscape, we see renegade despots and others threatening those who would uphold peace. From Iran to North Korea to Venezuela and other nations, we see leaders breathing all kinds of threats against those in the free world. Many are empty threats, but they still inspire fear.

The verse above reminds us that even the most powerful people will face and answer to the awesome, almighty God. The “man of lawlessness” referred to in this Scripture is traditionally believed to be the Antichrist, who will appear in the end times of our world and wield great power over those who are living at that time. He will persecute and kill many Christians. And he will be the worst of the worst.

But notice how God will deal with him: a sword battle à la Star Wars? A huge gunfight at the OK Corral? The firing of cruise missiles and nuclear warheads? No, it’s the mere “breath of his mouth.” Martin Luther wrote of it in the great hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” when he said, “One little word shall fell him.”

Imagine it! The Antichrist will have incredible power, yet all God does is breathe a word and he’s gone! He is more powerful than the world’s most evil leaders, including the Antichrist. This great God is the one who promises to be with you through everything!