What is Satan trying to accomplish through the Antichrist? If we look at the greatest commandment—to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind—we see that humanity was created to bring God glory. And Satan’s whole agenda, from his original fall in Isaiah 14 to his work through the Antichrist, has been to rob God of that glory. He deceives humanity in two main ways: leading us to worship idols instead of God, and tempting us to put ourselves on the throne. In this sermon from 2 Thessalonians 2, we take a look behind the curtain at how Satan uses the Antichrist to steal the glory that belongs to God alone—and why that matters for us today.
Only God Is Worthy of Glory
When the Pharisees asked Jesus what the greatest commandment was, He pointed them back to Deuteronomy 6:4-5: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is why God created us—we are made in His image so that we will know, love, and worship Him, giving Him glory.
The first of the Ten Commandments makes the same point unmistakably:
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:6-7
God says He will not share His glory with idols (Isaiah 42:8). And in Revelation 4, we see the elders around God’s throne casting their crowns before Him, saying:
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
— Revelation 4:11
Only God is worthy of praise. So when we look at the Antichrist, we need to see what’s really at stake: Satan is using him to divert worship away from God and onto a human being.
How Satan Fell: The Original Glory Thief
To understand what Satan is doing through the Antichrist, we have to go back to his own downfall. Isaiah 14:12-14 records his prideful words:
“How you are fallen from heaven, O day star, son of dawn! … You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high … I will make myself like the most high.'”
— Isaiah 14:12-14
Satan fell because he wanted the glory that belonged to God alone. And ever since—from the Garden of Eden to the tower of Babel to the tribulation—Satan has been trying to steal God’s glory. His two main weapons? Idolatry (worshiping created things instead of the Creator) and pride (putting ourselves in God’s place).
In the Garden, Satan told Eve, “You will be like God”—diverting her attention from God onto herself. At Babel, Nimrod said, “Let us make a name for ourselves”—seeking glory that belonged to God alone. And through the Antichrist, Satan will do the same thing on a global scale.
The Antichrist Will Come in Power
Human beings worship power. Anything that is big, spectacular, or seemingly able to meet our needs tends to get our devotion. In the ancient world, nations worshiped gods they believed would give them fertility, wealth, and health. Today, we put our trust in politics, money, and influence. But when the Antichrist appears, he will represent the ultimate in human power.
The Antichrist will be extraordinarily brilliant, charismatic, and successful. After the Rapture— when a large portion of the world has suddenly vanished—and amid the chaos of wars and rumors of wars, he will step onto the world stage and bring temporary peace. The world will look at him and think he is the answer to every problem.
But halfway through his seven-year reign (Daniel 9:27), everything changes. Revelation 13 describes what happens next:
“One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed and the whole earth marveled as they followed the Beast. … They worshiped the Beast, saying, ‘Who is like the Beast, and who can fight against it?'”
— Revelation 13:3-4
This appears to be a failed assassination—an apparent death and miraculous “resurrection.” This is Satan’s attempt to duplicate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The world will look at this and say, “He is God!” In fact, 2 Thessalonians 2:4 tells us exactly what the Antichrist will do: “He opposes and exalts himself against every so-called God or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.”
The false prophet will also promote worship of the Antichrist (Revelation 13:11-15), performing great signs—including making fire come down from heaven—to deceive the nations. The world will be swept into worshiping the Antichrist, and at that moment, God will pour out His wrath through the bowl and trumpet judgments while Satan pours out his wrath through the Antichrist.
The Antichrist Will Come in Fear
But Satan won’t only use power—he’ll also use fear. Revelation 13:14-15 describes a second terrifying mechanism:
“The false prophet was allowed to give breath to the image of the Beast, so that the image of the Beast might even speak and cause those who would not worship the image of the Beast to be slain.”
— Revelation 13:15
This image of the Beast—given breath to speak, recognize people, and kill those who refuse to worship it—sounds like something out of science fiction. But consider: thirty or forty years ago, this technology was unimaginable. Today? Facial recognition is on everyone’s phone. AI is advancing faster than anyone can comprehend. We live in an age where these prophecies don’t seem far-fetched at all.
Along with the image of the Beast comes the mark of the Beast (Revelation 13:16-18)—a system that will force people to pledge allegiance to the Antichrist on pain of death and economic exclusion. If you don’t receive the mark, you can’t buy or sell. This is what Satan will use to force the world into worship.
For most people, it will work. The world will be deceived into worshiping the Antichrist because he will offer power, peace, and security—and threaten destruction for anyone who refuses.
But Jesus Wins
Here’s the outcome of all of it. At the end of the tribulation, Jesus Christ returns. And when He does, the Antichrist and the false prophet are thrown alive into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:19-20). The rest of the unrighteous are slain by the sword coming from His mouth. Bad guys lose. Good guys win.
“Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. … On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”
— Revelation 19:15-16
The battle where this takes place is the battle of Armageddon, in the valley of Megiddo—a real place in Israel that Pastor Josh visited. Standing there, overlooking that valley, with Nazareth in the distance where Jesus grew up, he said it struck him: God had His Son grow up overlooking the very place where He would win His greatest military victory. Your victory is secure.
What About Us?
Here’s the application. We won’t be here for the tribulation (if our eschatology is correct— we believe in a pre-tribulational rapture). But Satan is still trying to rob God of His glory in our lives today—through the exact same two strategies.
The question is: is there any area in your life where you’re robbing God of His glory?
Stewardship: Are you actively demonstrating your trust and worship of God in the way you handle your finances? Or is money an idol in your life?
Time: You’re here at church—that’s a start. But beyond this hour, how much time do you spend in God’s Word and in prayer? Is God a priority with your time, or does He just get what’s left?
Service: God has given each of us gifts, time, and abilities. Are you using yours to build up your own reputation, portfolio, and comfort? Or are you giving glory to God by using your gifts to build up His church?
The spirit of lawlessness is at work today, just as it will be during the tribulation. We are just as prone to idolatry and pride as anyone who will bow before the Antichrist. So fight against it. Guard your heart. Make sure there is nothing on the throne of your life except God Himself.
And take communion as a bold declaration: All glory goes to God. He demonstrated His power by conquering sin and death through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And He gives us hope—the opposite of fear—that drives out terror. Proclaim it. He is coming back, and He wins.
Scripture References
- 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 — The man of lawlessness revealed
- Daniel 9:27 — The strong covenant of the Antichrist
- Revelation 13:1-18 — The Beast, the mortal wound, the image, and the mark
- Revelation 19:11-21 — The return of Christ and the defeat of the Beast
- Isaiah 14:12-14 — The fall of Satan and his pride
- Deuteronomy 5:6-7 — The first commandment
- Revelation 4:9-11 — Worship around the throne
- Matthew 22:34-38 — The greatest commandment