“But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil” (2 Thessalonians 3:3).
We note that the devil is branded in Scripture as being an evil character. He is called’ the wicked one (1 John 2:13). He is subtle (Genesis 3:1; 2 Corinthians 11:3). He is deceitful (2 Corinthians 11:14; Ephesians 6:11). He is cruel (1 Peter 5:8).
We observe that the devil is the enemy of God and the truth, and, therefore, the great hinderer of every good word and work. He opposes God’s work (Zechariah 3:1; 1 Thessalonians 2:18). He perverts the Scriptures (Matthew 4:6). He hinders the Gospel by snatching away the Word and blinding the minds of the unbelieving (Matthew 13:19; 2 Corinthians 4:4). He ensnares men by pride, dishonesty, and error (1 Timothy 3:7; 1 Timothy 6:9; 2 Timothy 2:24-26).
God keeps His own from the evil one and from all evil. This is the assurance of the Holy Spirit through the apostle in the passage before us, ” … who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.” He keeps from the evil one by His Word as the Holy Spirit operates in and through it. He keeps from the evil one by directing providence to restrain the enemy, or to protect His own, or to overrule the evil intent and acts of the enemy to carry out His own will and purposes. He keeps from the evil one by His own blessed presence and by His mighty power. “The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul” (Psalm 121:7).
We observe further that the Lord’s keeping is assured on the ground of His faithfulness. The apostle has just been saying, ” … for all men have not faith” (2 Thessalonians 3 :2). The reference, of course, is to Christian faith. Some of these unbelievers are unreasonable and wicked; that is, they are perverse and evil minded. Such characters are the instruments of the wicked one and will hinder the truth and people of God all they possibly can. On the other hand, though many will not believe, the Lord is still to be believed. “But the Lord is faithful … “