The Final Smackdown

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. 2 Thessalonians 2:8

Paul's letters to the Thessalonians focus on Christ's second coming. He lived and encouraged his readers to live daily in anticipation of that event. He shared with them conditions that would be have to be met before this grand and glorious day happened.

My thoughts today aren't dealing with an end times time line. I'm not prepared to tackle such an expansive topic in this small space. I want to concentrate on the awesome power of God when directed against His enemies.

Revelation 19 introduced Jesus as the Rider on the White Horse. John's description is both jaw dropping amazing and terrifying. When the time comes to set the record straight, Jesus will be no nonsense to the max. There will be no doubt who's the boss! Verse eight gives a snapshot of how He'll neutralize and destroy the greatest con artist the world will ever meet – the anti-christ. When the two meet head on, good will triumph over evil forever. That will be a sight to see.

Jesus won't need to even lift his little finger to take out this impostor. The “breath of his mouth” and “the splendor of his glory” will destroy the world's biggest loser. No swipes of a sword, no shots fired, no missiles launched and no bombs dropped will be needed. How totally outside our capabilities of taking down an enemy. Our God is awesome! His breath and His glory will eradicate the most evil person who'll ever exist. That's effective pest control.

The devil would have us believe he's a worthy opponent for God. He has power, but only what we give him. He's seriously outclassed compared to the Almighty. Jesus doesn't even crack a sweat taking out the anti-christ. No contest there.

We should be encouraged. God is more powerful than anything the devil can dish out. John 17:20 records Christ's prayer before His arrest. He declared that believers would be IN Him just as He is IN the Father. Despite what we see, feel or experience this is our present day reality. We're actually in Christ right now. That said, in light of 2 Thessalonians 2:8, what do we really have to fear? Any attempts to dethrone God aren't a fair fight – ever. The devil always loses.

God is bigger and more powerful than we can imagine. Renewing our minds with God's Word reinforces the reality that truth always trumps fact. Picture the scene of verse eight in your mind's eye. Have you ever seen might and power displayed like that before by anyone? With minimal effort, His goal is achieved. That's the final smackdown!