“For the mystery of iniquity doth already work; only he who now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed.” 2 Thessalonians 2:7
In the beforementioned passage, the word “letteth” in the Greek means “restraining,” or holding back. We see that this One who is restraining is a person, and that part of His purpose is to hold back, or restrain, the flood of iniquity on this earth. He is that One who hinders sin and Satan from engulfing and destroying entirely.
In the book of Isaiah, we read the following: “Yea, before the day was I am He; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?” (43:13) Again here we find this issue of “letting,” or hindering, or opposing successfully. In this case the Lord is speaking of the enemy not being able to thwart Him in the doing of his will, and accomplishing His purposes. He is the sovereign Lord and God, and nothing the enemy can or would do will restrain or hinder Him from working.
Again the book of Isaiah, we find a very applicable passage, when it comes to believing God to hinder, restrain, or hold back the enemy. Isaiah writes: “So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” (59:19) Here we have the certain, effective work of the overcoming Spirit of God, and this, over all the power of the enemy. In essence He plants a standard the power and authority of which is absolute, and this will deter, hinder, and oppose any further encroachment by the enemy. In Paul’s letter to the believers in Colosse, he wrote concerning the extent of Christ’s victory over all the power of the enemy: “And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a shew of the openly, triumphing over them in it.” (Col. 2:15) The victory of Christ over the enemy was total, complete. The demonstration of that victory is seen in Christ’s ministry over the enemy at every level. The disciple of Christ, having been baptized into Christ, and thus, into His victory, is called to be the particpant of Christ’s victory, “…on earth as it is in heaven.” How then is this victory of Christ, by the Spirit, to be lived and known? The answer begins with a vision.
What is a vision, but the true and precise perception of Christ’s work on the cross, and the grasp of Him at the right hand of the Father. After the Lord Jesus conquered sin, Satan, and the world, by finishing His perfect and complete work of salvation on the cross, His resurrection became the eternal proof of God upon that blessed, accepted work before the Father. Not only was the work accomplished in the moment when He died, and confirmed by the resurrection, but Christ is NOW seated at the right hand of the Father, adored as the worthy Lamb that takes away the sin of the world. But there is more to this vision, because He has become the High Priest of the believer, His King, Lord, Shepherd, and very Life. That victorious Life is the great, present day restrainer of sin and Satan, the only one who shatters and overcomes all the power of the enemy on this earth. This He will do in His church, and every member of that church, who grasps the reality of this victory.
The second aspect to knowing this Victorious Restrainer is seeking Him. Christianity is not just a platter from which the believer eats daily bread. Only the one who will truly, perseveringly pursue Christ Himself, will know the strengthening of his Spirit to appropriate the living Christ as his victorious life. There is great promise for the believer who truly seeks Christ. He will certainly find Him.
Dear Father, Give us a thirst to truly know the Great Restrainer, the great Overcomer. In Jesus’ name, Amen,