2 Thessalonians 2:1-7
“Christians: Character or Calendars?”
2:1-17 What are you waiting for?
Vs. 1-12 Do you know what time it is?
Vs. 3-4 Man of sin seen
Vs. 3-5 Words and their meanings
Vs. 5-7 Restrainer removed
Vs. 6-7 The mystery of evil
Vs. 8-12 Son of God sent
Vs. 13-14 Let’s worship
Vs. 13-17 Time to worship and work
Vs. 15-17 Let’s get to work
Vs. 1-2 For His Church and with His Church
Intro.
We come now to the point in Paul’s letter where he clarifies what the church in Thessalonica had become confused about (verse 1 “…concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him”). Biblical prophecy was not put forth for Christians to make calendars placing information marking days and hours. No, it was given to build our character and encourage us to stay on course where God has placed us. The church at Thessalonica reveals the danger of prophetic calendars for Christians as clearly someone had got these precious believers to start date-setting instead of heart-changing! To set their hearts back on course Paul had to reassure them that they weren’t on the same month as the Day of the Lord was on; in fact they weren’t on the calendar of God’s wrath at all.
Based upon verse 2 the confusion had not come from Paul or his letters as he states that they “not….be soon shaken in mind or troubled either by spirit,…word or letter, as if FROM US.. ” In verse 3 he says that their confusion had come about from “deception”; finally in verse 5, he asks if they had “forgotten what he had clearly taught them while he had been with them those 3 to 4 weeks” with regards to this subject. We can deduce two things from establishing the context:
- Paul was not confused with regard to what he believed and taught with regard to this subject. He had not believed and then changed his mind or position, he had remained convinced of what he taught and still believed it to be true regardless of his or others’ personal experience.
- This subject is one in which deliberate “deception” has been put forward. The deliberate deception was being put forward by the person Paul alludes to in verse 4, satan. Satan wants the church to remain confused and indifferent about the events and the timing with regard to Jesus’ return and coming for His Church. I can deduce from this 2 things:
- He knows that he lost at the cross and that his time as ruler of this world is short!
- His deception is designed to render the church less effective in the short time that he has left!
Vs. 1-2 For His Church and with His Church
Vs. 1-2 Paul mentions the coming of our Lord Jesus and also our gathering together to Him and implies a difference in the two events, essentially “two” comings of Jesus.
- One coming is for His church
- The other one is coming with His church, to judge a rebellious world.
Two parts of one great event! These two verses contain two important points:
- First, Paul clearly states that he wants to clarify the coming of the Lord and then describes this as, “our gathering together to Him”. In 1 Thess. 4:16-17a Paul spoke of this event by saying, “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, … And the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air”.
If a person views Jesus “coming” and His gathering together as two events happening within a short period of time then our “gathering together” would have to be at the end of the tribulation period (post-trib). The key to the interpretation is in the Greek as the word “parousia” can be rendered “coming” but it carries the meaning and emphasis upon the Lord’s “presence”.
The context of the word must be interpreted upon what Paul had already said in 1 Thess. 4:16-17a where he said that “we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air”. If we who are alive and on earth are “caught up…to meet Jesus in the air” clearly the coming of the Lord is in His presence in the air and not His physical appearance upon the earth.
2. The 2nd thing we need to consider is what was the “soon shaken in mind or troubled by spirit, word or letter” was a good thing or a bad thing. Something had begun to happen to these believers that caused them to think that they had already begun and were going through the “day of the Lord” or the great tribulation. They had Paul’s first letter where he described this time in chapter 5 verse 3 as a time when “sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.” These poor saints were being heavily persecuted and it seems as though some false teachers by “word or letter” had suggested that they were in the great tribulation. The key then of interpretation lies with the words “soon shaken in mind or troubled by spirit, word or letter”.
Was their shaken mind or troubled spirit positive or negative? The post-trib position has to interpret the Thessalonians “soon shaken in mind or troubled by spirit, word or letter” as an excitement, as one post-tribulation commentator put it a “wild anticipation of the immediate return of Christ.” The phrase means to be shaken out of your mind, and driven to its end. These believers were not excited and jazzed about the soon coming of the Lord; they were scared out of their minds because they believed they had missed the rapture which meant that they weren’t presently believers!
Vs. 3-5 Words and their meanings
Vs. 3-5 These three verses also need to be carefully interpreted and two questions jump out immediately:
- Paul says, “Let no one deceive you” and the question is why he didn’t simply say “If this is the tribulation period you wouldn’t be here!” This letter is a “general letter” written to a church made up of many different people that Paul hadn’t met and couldn’t be sure that they were believers. Giving such blanket assurance without knowing exactly who would read this letter would offer false assurance, something Paul would not want to do.
- There is also the question about the meaning of the phrase “falling away” in verse 3. In Greek the word is “apostasia” which is commonly translated as “apostasy” or “falling away” but here it has a definite article placed with the word which means that Paul had already told them about this, something that verse 5 further reveals. Paul hadn’t written to them about a “falling away” of the church but he had written to them about being “caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” in 1 Thess. 4:16-17a.
The way this word is written here in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 3 appears nowhere else in the New Testament and as such its meaning must be interpreted by the context here and when we do that we note that this compound word is made up of two words, “AWAY” and “STANDING” thus the words translation is NOT “falling away” but “standing away”.
This combined with the fact that Paul had made no previous mention of a falling away and instead had made mention of a “gathering together” gives us the meaning of the word as a “standing away” of all believers for a departure to meet the Lord in the air.
Even if we don’t want to take this word to mean “standing away” and prefer to interpret it as “falling away” there is no indication that Paul would be using that in conjunction with the church. In fact, if we compare this apostasy with Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:15-21 the apostasy that Paul is writing about here has to do with the event which reveals the “son of perdition, the man of sin” not the rapture of the church as the context indicates.
In verse 4 Paul describes the scene that Jesus spoke about to His Jewish disciples in Matthew 24:15-21 and in verse 5 indicates that he had spoken to them about this while he was with them. The 5th chapter of his first letter goes over the timing of the great tribulation saying that they “are not in the darkness that this day should overtake them as a thief.” And just in case he hadn’t been clear Paul went on to say in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 9 that, “God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ…”
Vs. 6-7 The mystery of evil
Vs.6-7 Paul says that the Day of the Lord cannot come until the man of sin, the son of perdition is revealed and that cannot happen until that which is “restraining…is taken out of the way.” That leads to yet another question:
- “What is that which is restraining that prevents this from happening”?
Paul tells them in verse 6 that “they know what is restraining!” Every believer knows what it is that restrains evil in their life! The Holy Spirit indwells us and it is He who restrains us from evil. Not only does the Holy Spirit restrain us from evil personally He works through the Church to do this corporately as Jesus described His church as the “Salt of the earth”. In ancient times salt was used as a preservative to arrest corruption and decay.
It was also used as an antiseptic to keep away infection. Jesus also called His church the light of the world and light by its very nature reveals that which would otherwise be hidden and warms that which otherwise would be overrun with darkness and cold. Paul says that there is a “mystery of lawlessness” which is already at work in humanity. People are self-destructive, engaging in things that destroy them. With all our education and scientific advancements, humanity has not educated or eradicated human wickedness as people are still struggling with the same evils for thousands of years. Where is this illusive “Age of Aquarius” that the (American Folk Rock Band ) Fifth Dimension sang about in the 60’s? We have seen in human history great times when the church through awakenings has pushed back the tide of evil to where the things that hold so many were temporarily abolished but they have come back.
When the Church surrenders to the Lord and is revived and awakened, moral awakening occurs but when the Church becomes more interested in serving their lusts the world suffers!
Verse 7 answers this question as it says “… only he who now restrains will do so until he is out of the way.” That phrase “out of the way,” literally, “becomes out of the midst.” It does not say the Holy Spirit is “taken out of the midst”; it says that the Holy Spirit “becomes out of the midst.” Paul tells these believers that when the Church through whom the Holy Spirit is working to restrain sin in the world is removed…not the Holy Spirit just His work through the Church of restraining the Lawless one. When that takes place, Satan will have complete access to humanity. This will end with the unveiling of Jesus as he comes with us back to earth.
2 Thessalonians 2:8-12
“The face of evil”
2:1-17 What are you waiting for
Vs. 8-9 The lawless one: revealed, works and destruction
Vs. 10-12 Deception, destruction and delusion
Intro.
The focus of verses 8-12 is the description and methods of the “lawless one” and his ultimate defeat. Though these verses deal with a person that we won’t have to deal with, we still need to take a close look at these verses as Satan’s methods have not changed and according to verse 7 “the mystery of lawlessness is already at work”. Satan was at work before Paul wrote this letter and looking out at the thousands of years since this letter he has continued to be at work.
His greatest disguise is hiding IN plain sight while the world makes jokes about a person in red with horns and a pitchfork. Paul’s message is directed at the church as well as those outside of the church. The church needs to show more discernment than did the courts of Pharaoh when it comes to signs and wonders, which according to Paul’s warning here is one of his tools to deceive people into believing his lies.
Vs. 8-9 The lawless one: revealed, works and destruction
Vs. 8 Paul continues to outline for the Thessalonian church the events of the tribulation period.
- Before Christ’s return to earth, there will be the removal of the work of the Holy Spirit who is now the one working to restrain evil through His presence in the Church. I believe that this signifies the rapture of the church which will start the tribulation period.
- Vs. 8 Paul speaks about the “lawless one” being revealed who at His coming to earth will be destroyed with the breath of His mouth and the brightness of His coming. That will occur according to Revelation 19:11 at the end of the great tribulation at the end of the Battle of Armageddon.
Paul records five things about evil two of which are in these verses:
Vs.8-9a Revelation or unveiling: Verse 9 tells us that the working of the antichrist and indeed all evil is “according to the working of Satan”. Because of the randomness of evil we tend to think that evil is also random and has no organization or plan, but nothing could be further from the truth. Satan has a plan that he has been putting into effect since the fall of man and it has been effective in the furtherance of his agenda upon this earth.
If not for our Lord evil would have no restraint. Mankind has found no legislation, education, religion, government, or technological advancement to form a utopian society. If all of humanity is limited to its resources, intellect, and ingenuity, evil will corrupt 100% of society. For this reason, I’m glad that Paul placed our Lord’s victory over evil right at the beginning of his description of Satan’s works as without Jesus we would forever be under his works.
The words “consume” and “destroy” do not mean to annihilate as Revelation 20:10 indicates that Satan and his cohorts will be in the lake of fire forever. The defeat of Satan will not take much from Jesus as only the breath of the word of God and the brightness of His glory will be more than enough.
Vs. 9b Works: Not only is evil ordered, but it has proven tools at its disposal that cause people to believe in evil and follow evil. Paul mentions three tools that satan employs upon humanity and society through time:
- All Power: Satan puts to work ALL his power to achieve his work. I’m afraid that because of our faulty impression of evil, we tend to think of it as haphazard and less than one’s best. But that is not the case; Satan puts forth all his power to achieve his results. The word power speaks both of maximum effect as well as creativity.
- Signs: The word here includes the seemingly miraculous, wonder. Humanity is impressed with the miraculous but often fails to realize that just because something or someone is using the wonder doesn’t necessarily indicate that they are from God. The question is, “Who gets the praise and glory”? Jesus said that a wicked and adulterous generation seeks signs, but that none would be given to it except the sign of Jonah.
Signs have been attributed to God that contradict the clear teaching of His word. Such as the apparitions of Mary at Fatima in 1917 where three shepherd girls in Portugal received three so-called prophetic revelations from Mary. Two were released, and the 3rd was sealed to be opened in 1960 but the Vatican refused to do so until 2000. Or the angelic visitations to Mohamed and Joseph Smith that contradict the clear teaching of the bible. Signs and wonders alone are not an indication of a godly origin, only the word of God and character can substantiate what is truly from God.
- Lying wonders: Paul refers to “lying wonders” not because the miracle is real but because it was able to persuade people to believe a lie. A miracle is never alone evidence of a person being from God, especially if the miracle isn’t supported by the Bible and a godly character. Things like evolution seem to captivate the intellect but are all based upon a lie. Many Christians have been caught up in seeking signs, there is a ministry and so-called Bible school in Redding that seeks signs and wonders and purports that God’s presence is being experienced by gold dust, diamonds, and angel feathers during their services. Jesus warned about this approach to faith in John 4:48 saying “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.”
Satan has always been able to perform counterfeit signs and wonders as Pharaoh’s court could attest to in Exodus. In Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus says that many will say that they performed miracles in His name yet Jesus says they were never born again. The purpose of God’s miraculous works is to lead people to the truth, but the purpose of the antichrist’s miracles is to lead people to believe in lies.
Vs. 10-12 Deception, destruction and delusion
Here we are given the final three things about evil: Deception, Destruction, and Delusion.
Vs. 10 I believe that a great many people will come to faith in Christ during the Great Tribulation but the vast majority of the world will still not repent. During the tribulation period, many who have rejected the truth will have become so hardened that even in the face of truth will still choose to perish with a lie.
Vs. 10a Deception: Satan has always been about taking good things and causing them to be abused or over-emphasized to produce evil. Such deception and power have only one victim: “those who do not receive the love of the truth”. The reason for this is that these people are ripe for deception because they want to believe a lie instead of believing the truth so God will accommodate their desire. God doesn’t force anyone to believe a lie but He will allow Satan to foster this lie upon those who do not receive the truth. When it all comes down to it there are only two prayers a person can make:
- My kingdom come, my will be done!
- Thy kingdom come, thy will be done!
Vs. 10b Destruction: The final two things to realize about evil, is that it has two stated goals, the first of which is destruction. This is aimed specifically at those “that do not receive the love of the truth”. People who do not take the time for the word of God or refuse to listen to it will go down to destruction.
It has been stated many times before that the clearest sign of insanity is repeating an action over and over and continuing to achieve different results. Satan through deception has caused folks to repeat actions expecting different results. To counter this he has implemented a strategy that seeks not to change the action but only to lessen the consequences until a person believes that such destructive behavior isn’t a result of their own choices but rather the responsibility of others.
Vs. 11-12 Delusion: This final truth about evil is to get people to believe a lie. Jesus said that Satan was a liar from the beginning but people still choose to believe the lie instead of the truth. In verse 11 Paul says that God will allow a strong delusion, that the unbelieving world should “believe THE lie.” I believe that THE lie is none other than the first lie he even fostered upon humanity in the garden “You shall be as God”.
The lie is that God is not who He says He is and that we can be gods! This lie has come forth in the philosophy that says that humanity can do whatever it wants to better itself through its efforts. It tells people that they are basically good, you can run your own life, do it your own way, and never suffer any consequences. You can believe anything you want and still go to heaven.
Satan’s lie is always aimed at pride and it is this appeal to our pride that entraps us to follow his lies instead of God’s truths. Originally God made man in His own image but since the fall believing Satan’s lie man has been about trying to create a god in his own image! The irony is that those who so choose to reject the truth and believe a lie do so as a final act of rebellion against God but in the end they realize that it is this very act that causes their own punishment.
Amazingly Satan has even found success in pushing this agenda in the church, telling folks that they can have a little Jesus but still live to please themselves. No need to die to self-centeredness. Kyle Idleman’s book “Not A Fan” speaks to this as it points at the difference between being a spectator and a fan of Jesus instead of becoming a participating follower.
2 Thessalonians;
“Out Live, Out Love and OutLast”
Vs. 13-14 Six truths that will enable you to stand fast:
2:13-17 Time to worship and work
Intro.
This section is written to comfort the afflicted who were being persecuted for the crime of trusting in Jesus. Throughout history, we can see the so-called tolerant finding those who do not agree with their tolerance becoming intolerant trying to silence them by intimidation, threat, and eventually violence. Those who cannot make logical arguments to support what they are tolerant of have to resort to the use of these tools. Religion has certainly employed these same techniques to convince those who disagree, but they have not had the corner market on this.
Much of the intolerance that is happening is being done by those whose lifestyles and freedoms have been pushed upon society in the name of tolerance. Tolerance has been granted a status by definition that says that a person cannot believe differently and if they do they cannot say so publicly.
Such is always the way when lifestyle cannot be defended by logic and reason. Faced with increasing opposition many in the faith would rather compromise with the world’s belief system rather than suffer. Paul’s exhortation to these believers was to give thanks for the opportunity to speak the truth in love and allow the Lord to defend them.
Vs. 13-14 Six truths that will enable you to sand fast
Vs. 13-14 Paul writes a wonderful passage of comfort and assurance to stay the course. These 5 verses follow Paul’s description of the terrible conditions that will come upon the world during the tribulation period when the antichrist will be revealed. Notice that Paul starts this section with the transition word “BUT” as he is going to be switching from bad news for the world and the unbeliever to the “good news” of the believer.
The contrast is meant to cause the reader to realize that: “No matter how bad things become in the world, towards Christians, we are expected to live differently!” We are to “out live, out love and thereby at last those that oppose our faith!” To do this Paul offers six aspects of truth that will enable these believers to do so.
Vs. 13a “Beloved by the Lord”: The most important truth a believer can stand on when the world is ripping into them is that irrespective of how they are being treated by the world God loves them. Admittedly, this is difficult to do when the world’s treatment of us indicates the opposite. This is further complicated by the fact that we are very conscious of our own shortcomings as we have failed time and again to measure up.
Yet Paul still says that irrespective of those two realities they were the “beloved of the Lord”. The truth is God’s love for us is not determined by our qualities and characteristics but rather by His. God loves us in spite of ourselves, and He chooses to do so being all-knowing about all our shortcomings. Consider this little ditty: “Isn’t it odd, that a Being like God, Who sees the facade, still loves the clod, He made out of sod; now isn’t that odd?” (“Clod” referring to man being made from the dust of the earth) .
Vs. 13b “God from the beginning CHOSE you for salvation”: The 2nd truth Paul reminds them of is that they were “chosen for salvation”. I can imagine that it didn’t seem like they were chosen for salvation in the midst of their persecution but they were. Jesus said in Matthew 10:28 “And be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” People often fail to realize that the “salvation” that God speaks of that we were chosen to doesn’t have to do with being saved from adverse circumstances or situations. As such we have been selected out of destruction and destined for glory!
Vs. 13c “Through sanctification by the Spirit”: The third truth Paul reminds them of is that our transformation is both instantaneous as well as an ongoing process both of which are guaranteed as they are a work of the Holy Spirit. Our process of transformation is a continual sign of our finished transformation. When things look bleak and our hope begins to waiver we only need to look at the process of our continual transformation as a guarantee of our completion. Paul wrote of this truth to the Church at Philippi saying in Philippians, 1:6 “He who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
Vs. 13d “Belief in the truth”: The 4th truth Paul reminds them of is that they believed in truth and weren’t following superstition, popular opinions, or trends. They were trusting in truth and truth is always going to be truth no matter how unpopular and difficult people try to make it for those who trust it. This is something that many in the world just don’t understand about followers of Jesus: “We trust in Jesus because He is THE way, THE truth, and THE life.” Saints, ever so often life can get to a place where we realize that living life would be a little easier if we didn’t practice our Christian faith but we aren’t just following a sports team or a hobby we are following TRUTH and the only alternative is to believe and practice a lie!
Vs. 14a “He called you by our gospel”: The fifth truth Paul reminds them of is: “If the lie you were following was so good, then why did it cause you so much misery that you abandoned it?” The “good ole days” weren’t very good and the truth proclaimed about Jesus was so much better that we left a lie to follow Him because the promises it made were “good news”! Humans tend to exaggerate the temporary pleasures of sin while failing to remember the cost and consequences of the pursuit of those “temporary pleasures”. It is a good thing to realize just how “GOOD” good news really is!
Vs. 14b “The obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ”: The 6th truth Paul reminds them of is we will share Jesus’ triumph and be with Him forever in glory. We can fall into the trap of looking out into the unbelieving world and seeing how they seem to win every time, healthy and wealthy, living the good life all the while mocking God, and begin to envy the unbeliever.
. This view was something that the Psalmist Asaph wrote about in Psalm 73 where he said, “I was envious of the boastful when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” … “Behold, these are ungodly, who are always at ease; they increase in riches.” “Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence.” “When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for me; until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end.” Those that seem to have the best the world has to offer have the highest rate of personal unhappiness as life is all about them. It’s a lonely miserable world when you are the only one living on your own planet!
2 Thessalonians 2:15-17
“Standing fast and holding on”
2:13-17 Time to worship and work
Vs. 15 Standing fast and holding on
Vs. 16-17 The greatest warranty
Intro.
Last week we shared out of 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verses 13-14 and Paul’s words of encouragement to a Church that was so persecuted it had begun to believe that it missed the rapture and therefore weren’t believers. Clearly his words were meant to “Comfort their hearts and establish them in every good word and work”, verse 15.
I went on to share with you that these 6 truths can truly cause you to have a “Happy New Year” if applied regularly there is no way that our enemy (Satan) will be able to defeat you.
I also outlined for you that this passage indirectly gives us great insight into Satan’s strategy against the Christian as well as Jesus’ church. You will recall that I said based upon this passage and others that it is impossible for Satan to defeat you or the church, thus his only strategy is aimed at getting the church or the Christian to quit or fold by tossing in their winning hand! Saint’s that’s why these 6 truths are so important for us to remember:
- You are the beloved of the Lord: No matter how you feel or how the world treats you!
- You are chosen for salvation: Our salvation isn’t from adversity but from destruction.
- Your sanctification is by the Spirit: God sees us perfect in His Son and one day we will too!
- You believe in THE truth: Our trust is in THE truth, not superstition. There is no other truth than the one we have trusted in!
- You were called by the “good news”: Bad is not the new good! The consequences of our past pursuit of sin was far greater than the temporary passing pleasures they offered.
- Your destiny is glory: Those who seem to have it so good while embracing a lie aren’t doing as well as we will be for all eternity!
Vs. 15 Standing fast and holding on
Vs. 15 These six truths will enable the believer, Paul says, to “Stand fast and hold the traditions which they were taught.” These believers had lost focus; the persecution had caused them to lose perspective and now reminded of these six truths they could stand fast and hold fast! That is very revealing as it suggests that Satan’s whole plan is to get us to fold, lay down our winning hand at his bluff as focus of the temporal at the expense of the eternal!
Saints, don’t give up on the TRUTH, even though society is yelling at you, contradicting the truth at every turn. No matter how many shouts the world offers of the lie it has no power to alter one syllable of the truth! “Stand fast! Hold on! And you will see the salvation of the Lord!”
We are to hold onto that which was “taught by word or letter”, thus the Word of God.There are far too many folks that can tell you the latest prices of the stock market or the ball score but have failed to keep the treasures of the Word. Our lack is always associated with a failure to appropriate the truths of the word of God.
Among many a Christian church, there is a biblical illiteracy that exists that goes far beyond thinking that an Epistle is the wife of an apostle as people fail to realize the rewards and resources of their faith! The Bible is a treasure chest of promises that supply never-ending resources for the believer but far too many Christians use it only as a rule book!
Vs. 16-17 The greatest warranty
Vs. 16-17 In the brief prayer of these two verses Paul again emphasizes the great resource of every believer. That resource is not a technique or ritual it’s a person who is God himself! Talk about a great warranty program it can’t get any better than the Creator Himself! Dear ones, when you are in trouble Paul says, you can expect God to come to your defense, to supply what you are lacking so that you can stay on course.
Paul says, “Who HAS loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace.” The word “has” tells us that these very believers had already in times past experienced God’s love, consolation, and good hope. They knew firsthand that God was capable and willing to be their resource for them again!
- When the world was telling them they weren’t valuable, God had already confirmed to them that they were accepted in Christ.
- When the world told them they had no future, God had already told them that they would always have a future in Him.
Paul expected that to comfort their hearts when they were failing! He expected those words to steady and strengthen them when they were weak and weary. What that means is that when these truths are applied we can go on being more than conquerors in Christ
Jesus. We have the power to overcome bad habits, and the power to be victorious over lingering doubts and insecurities.