The Restrainer of Evil in the World Today

 

The Restrainer of Evil in the World Today – September 28, 2020

 

 

We are living in days of great spiritual warfare. We are seeing evil manifesting in all areas of life from individuals' lives to the highest level of governments around the world. Lawlessness, immorality, perversion, and occult worship seem to be everywhere. There is so much deception and lying in the world today that truth seems hard to find. But God says that there is also a restrainer of all this evil. So just who or what is this restrainer and what is it doing, or supposed to be doing?

 

Restrain - to control the actions or behavior of someone by force, especially in order to stop them from doing something, or to limit the growth or force of something: Prevent (someone or something) from doing something; keep under control or within limits.

 

To restrain something or someone implies using both authority and force to control or limit the actions or behavior of someone or something. In the context of the use of restrain or the restrainer in the Bible, what is it that this restrainer is supposed to do?

 

2 Thessalonians 2

Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

2 But relative to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and our gathering together to [meet] Him, we beg you, brethren, ² Not to allow your minds to be quickly unsettled or disturbed or kept excited or alarmed, whether it be by some [pretended] revelation of [the] Spirit or by word or by letter [alleged to be] from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has [already] arrived and is here. ³ Let no one deceive or beguile you in any way, for that day will not come except the ^[a]apostasy comes first [unless the predicted great ^[b]falling away of those who have professed to be Christians has come], and the man of lawlessness (sin) is revealed, who is the son of doom (of perdition), ⁴ Who opposes and exalts himself so proudly and insolently against and over all that is called God or that is worshiped, [even to his actually] taking his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming that he himself is God. ⁵ Do you not recollect that when I was still with you, I told you these things? ⁶ And now you know what is restraining him [from being revealed at this time]; it is so that he may be manifested (revealed) in his own [appointed] time. ⁷ For the mystery of lawlessness (that hidden principle of rebellion against constituted authority) is already at work in the world, [but it is] restrained only until ^[c]he who restrains is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one (the antichrist) will be revealed and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of His mouth and bring him to an end by His appearing at His coming. ⁹ The coming [of the lawless one, the antichrist] is through the activity and working of Satan and will be attended by great power and with all sorts of [pretended] miracles and signs and delusive marvels—[all of them] lying wonders—

In 2 Thes. 2:1-8 we find the activities of a restrainer in the context of activities of the day of the Lord, the days of the Lord’s second coming. Paul tells us that this day will not come until the man of lawlessness (sin) is revealed. This man is identified as a man who will sit in the temple of God, proclaiming that he is God. This man is who we call the Antichrist. But Paul tells us that this event is being restrained and cannot occur until a “he” who restrains is taken out of the way.  After this taking out of the way, the Lord himself will destroy the Antichrist at the Lord’s second coming to the earth. The generally accepted identity of this “restrainer” is the Holy Spirit working in and through the Lord’s Church. The identity of this “restrainer” is fully discussed in my article “The Great Apostasy and The Restrainer” that can be found on my blog.

What all of this tells us is that the Church should be restraining the works of the devil as he is trying to establish his rule and authority over all the earth by installing his Antichrist as God and putting him on God’s throne in the temple of God. This implies using both authority and force to control or limit the actions and workings of Satan (2 Thes. 2:9). This is spiritual warfare. In these last days, it is the Church that is restraining Satan’s plans to establish his kingdom and throne on the earth. Are we the Church authorized,  trained, and equipped for this great task?

First, we must put on the armor of God.

[Eph 6:10-14, 16-18 ESV] 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ... 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

 

We are to be watching, aware of the devil's activities, and resist him.

[1Pe 5:8-9 ESV] 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

We wage our warfare not with human weapons but with spiritual weapons. We are to destroy the strongholds the devil has built in the world and especially in people’s lives. We destroy arguments and rational that come against the knowledge of God and take every rebellious thought against obedience to Christ captive.

[2Co 10:3-5 ESV] 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

We must know that we are the sons and daughters of God and as such because the Spirit of God is within us, we have already overcome the devil and his minions and he will flee from us because Jesus has already defeated him.

[1Jo 4:4 ESV] 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

[Jas 4:7 ESV] 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

We must know and believe that the Lord himself will guard and protect us from the evil one even in times of testing and trouble and the attacks of the devil.

[2Th 3:3 ESV] 3 But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.

[Isa 43:2 ESV] 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

 

As we the Church stand to restrain the workings and activities of Satan we need to know that through Jesus and the indwelling Holy Spirit we do have the authority and the power to control the actions and works of Satan by spiritual force, especially to stop him from doing something or to limit the growth or force of what he is trying to do.

Jesus defeated Satan when he walked out of that grave 1990 years ago.

What happened to Satan at the cross?

·         He was stripped of his authority and disarmed - Col. 2:15.

·         His works were destroyed - 1 Jn. 3:8; Mk. 16:17-18.

·         So the enemy’s weapons and authority are gone, but he still deceives (he gets us to obey by deceptions and lies -Gen. 3:13).

o   John 8:44 -  You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

What happened to us at the cross?

·         He delivered us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us to the Kingdom of Light - Col. 1:13-14.

·         He gave us the power to live the life He called us to live - 1 Jn. 4:4.

·         He gave us back authority to exercise on the earth -Lk. 10:19.

·         We exercise our authority by obedience.  Legal authority must become exercised authority.

·         In the book of Acts, God gave us the power to exercise our legal authority.  We must activate our will and choose to exercise our authority.  We must pursue the enemy, confront the enemy, and finally “arrest” the enemy.  It is the dunamis power of God that is within that is the power to enforce Jesus’ victory on the cross.

o   Acts 1:8 -  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."   (Matt. 28:18-19)

 

Now all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus.  He in turn gives it to all those who are His disciples, His Bride, the sons and daughters of God so that they can continue His work on earth; making disciples of all nations and destroying the works of the enemy.

·         Matthew 28:18-19 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

·          1 John 3:8 He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. (NIV)

·         [Jhn 20:21 NKJV] 21 So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you."

 

The power and the right to exercise that power, which is authority, that has been released to the saints of God to use on earth, is to be used for specific things.

·         It is the authority over evil spirits, demons, and the power of the enemy:  It is also authority over sickness and the authority to heal diseases. 

·         Matthew 10:1 He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

·         Luke 9:1 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases,

·         Luke 10:19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

·         Mark 6:7 Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.

·         Mark 16:17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;

·         It is the authority to bind and to loose things on earth.

·         Matthew 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

o   Using His name, the name of Jesus (i.e. appropriating His authority, power, and love) we can bind (to bind, to tie, fasten with chains, to forbid, prohibit, declare to be illicit) and loose (to loose any person tied or fastened, to loose one bound, i.e. to unbind, release from bonds, set free, to do away with, to deprive of authority, to declare unlawful, to break up, demolish, destroy) things on the earth and they will be bound or loosed in heaven. 

o   We have the authority to "bind the strongman" and plunger his house (Matt. 12:29). 

o   We have the authority to bind people to the Lord. 

o   We have the authority to loose people from the bondages of hell (1 John 3:8) and to loose the love of God and the power of the cross into people and situations. 

 

 

 

·         It is the authority to encourage and build up the saints of God on earth.

·         2 Corinthians 10:8 For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it.

·         Titus 2:15 - These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.

·         It is the power and authority to be His witnesses in all the earth.

·         Acts 1:8 -  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."   (Matt. 28:18-19)

·         And to those who are overcomers and do His will to the end, He will give power and authority over the nations.

·         Revelation 2:26 To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations -- (NIV)

·         The Church, Jesus' bride, is to rule and reign with Him as kings and priests.  Lk. 12:32, Rev. 3:21, 1 Cor. 6:2-3, Jn. 17:22, Rom. 8:17, 1 Pet. 2:9.

 

 

These things are what the Church should be doing as the restrainer of the activities and works of Satan. The devil cannot proceed with his plans to bring the Antichrist into the world until the Lord “takes the Church out of the way” in the catching away of His Bride.

Until that day, we the Church need to be very busy restraining the works of the devil!