Before the coming of the Lord, the antichrist will be revealed, the man of lawlessness; he will work many false signs and wonders to deceive those who love the world, who acknowledge not God, so God will hand them over to him who is not at all god, that they may fill up the full measure of their error, and be found fit for the coming destruction. They will be given over to a great delusion because they did not receive the love of the truth, but delighted in wickedness and falsehood. The antichrist will even be allowed to trample the hosts of heaven and slay God's saints; he will be victorious in all that he does, but his time is not forever - for the Lord Jesus will come with a shout, at the last trumpet, with the voice of an archangel, slaying him with the appearing of His coming and the breath of His mouth. Then the dead in Christ will be raised and caught up with the Lord and be forevermore with the Lord. The antichrist's reign is only for a moment, but the glory of the reign of the kingdom of God is forever and ever; the antichrist's reign is finite, it is given a number, 42 months, 1,260 days (time, times, and half), but the reign of Christ and the saints is given no such number. The horn will cast truth to the ground during this time and he will trample under foot God's saints. As it says, "I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them.” (Daniel 7:21) And, " It grew up to the host of heaven and caused some of the host and some of the stars to fall to the earth, and it trampled them down. It even magnified itself to be equal with the Commander of the host; and it removed the regular sacrifice from Him, and the place of His sanctuary was thrown down. And on account of transgression the host will be given over to the horn along with the regular sacrifice; and it will fling truth to the ground and perform its will and prosper. " (Daniel 8:10-12)
These things are spoken about in further detail by the apostle Paul in the letter to the Thessalonians (2 Thessalonians 2:3-12). So we cannot stop these things from occuring, for they are ordained to occur; and we, as God's saints, are destined for affliction; as the apostle affirms, see to it that “no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this.” (1 Thessalonians 3:3) This affliction does not come from God, but from the spiritual rulers of wickedness, whose ruler is the evil one. “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” (2 Thessalonians 3:3) For “God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.” (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10) The wrath of the devil is great, but his time is short; as it says, "Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time." (Revelation 12:12) And the works of devils and antichrists are already at work in the world; as it says, “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work.” (2 Thessalonians 2:7) Then it says, " It is the last hour, and just as you have heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen, by which we know that it is the last hour. " (1 John 2:18)
And "The spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.” (1 John 4:3) These are granted abilities to work false signs and miracles and wonders, even preaching false doctrines and gospels; as it says, “The Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.” (1 Timothy 4:1) But as we cling to God, He is faithful to protect us from lying deceit.
For “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist.” (1 John 4:3) This antichrist spirit was the very spirit at work in the leaders who crucified Christ; for they said to the keepers of the tomb, "You are to say, 'His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.'” (Matthew 28:12-13) (Not to mention, they crucified Him!) And by this we know which spirits are at play, for spirits manifest themselves; they have not bodies, you cannot see them, but they speak. So by the confession of the lips we know the spirit; as it says, "I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed"; and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:3) And this is the Holy Spirit who revealed Jesus Christ to us; as Christ says, " Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. " (Matthew 16:17)
Then He says, " No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, 'AND THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT OF GOD.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me. " (John 6:44-45)
And by the Spirit of God, He will raise us up on the last day. As it is said, " If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. " (Romans 8:11)
This is “the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago.” (Titus 1:2) “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil.” (Hebrews 6:19) So therefore “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23) “And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” (1 John 3:3)
So we have great confidence in the day of the Lord - provided that we share in the sufferings of Christ. For the promise of everlasting life has a condition, and that condition is faith; as it says, "If indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. " (Romans 8:17)
And "If we died with Him, we will live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. " (2 Timothy 2:11)
For the death He died was to sin, and in His death He suffered for us; “For If we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection.” (Romans 6:5) And "If by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:13) (See more about the work of Christ and our work of faith)
And Christ was saying things such as, " I always do the things that are pleasing to Him. " (John 8:29)
And, " For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. " (John 6:38)
The apostle John affirms the life of Christ is for us to imitate today; as he says, " By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. " (1 John 2:5-6)
This is the goal. This is the pursuit. All the apostles affirm the same: as the apostle Peter says, " Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. " (1 Peter 4:1)
And as the apostle John says, “The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John 2:17) And as the apostle Paul says, " For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised." (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)
It's not that God's will is grievous or causes suffering to us; but it's that God's will is contrary to the will of this world and the desires of our flesh. So this world will begin to hate us. They hated Him before us; but He says, " Take courage; I have overcome the world. " (John 16:33)
“For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” (1 Peter 2:21-24)
Therefore, strive for blamelessness in all matters that we may be able to stand before the Son of Man, that we may be perfect before the Father, being made complete in all the fullness of the Spirit and the maturity of Christ. For the old nature has been crucified on the cross and done away with, but we fight temptation from this world actively every day, picking up our cross daily, and putting on the full armor of God, standing firm against the wiles of the evil one, and fleeing from immorality, idolatry, and youthful lusts, so that when we die, we don't remain as one dead, but as though asleep, who wakes up to eternal life. For you know what happens to them who sleep - they wake up! So it is with us who die in the Lord, we awake to life and we are forever-more with the Lord - for even while asleep, we are alive to the Lord. " Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must be clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! " (1 Corinthians 15:12-57)
And as Christ says, " But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. " (Matthew 22:29-32)
So although our bodies may perish and our feet may slip, although our struggle is in the world, we look forward to the fulfillment of the promise of the new bodies which are beyond decay, the freedom from our bodies of sin, and the new heaven and the new earth, in hope and against hope, believing that just as God has promised, He is able to do. And this is the great hope we hold onto. "For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." (Romans 8:24-25) "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1) And this confidence and this assurance comes from the Word of God, the promises, from the prophecies of the prophets, and from the foretelling of the Psalms. Just as what was previously promised has been fulfilled, so these promises will be fulfilled at their appointed time. The coming of the Lord is nearer now than it once was, so do not slack behind in diligence, having thought we've already obtained salvation (Philippians 3:12-14); no, but rather as we wait eagerly for it from above, we do so patiently. And as for the Day of the Lord, it will be day unto us who are children of the day, but night to those who walk in darkness (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11). So therefore, be on the alert! His coming is as a thief in the night. So watch and pray (Luke 21:36). (See more about the Children of the Light)