Actually, it doesn't say that the Restrainer is restraining ALL lawlessness. The passage says that the power of lawlessness is already at work. The Restrainer is restraining it only to the level of the Man of Lawlessness to 'reveal' himself.
[3] Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, [4] who 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. [5] Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? [6] And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. [7] For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. [8] And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. -2 Thessalonians 2:3–8
I think you're missing a big chunk of the picture here. Mainly...The Holy Spirit is God. God, by nature, is omnipresent. Even if the Holy Spirit "left" this world within the Church, he would still be fully present here.
Also, being all-powerful God, the only way for Satan to operate "fully" is for God to 'let' him, not for God to be 'gone'.
No, I am not missing a big chunk. You're misunderstanding what I am saying, so I will try again.
When the second person of the Trinity took on flash he set aside his godly powers and writes. Meaning his spirit was still God, but did not exercise his powers as God. Instead, he functioned through is human flesh as a man.
The holy spirit, as restrainer, will move to the sideline as an observer, so to speak.
Hope that is clearer.
Not sure of your point here, sorry.
Sorry I was not clearer.
Again, I'm not sure of your point about sin versus Satan or how it relates to the Antichrist and who the Restrainer might be.
The easy one is a restrainer is not going to restrain himself if he is lawlessness. So if definitely not the AC.
Sin is the actions we take of our own accord and the prompting of demons. Satan promotes sin and wants to replace God. H once to destroy everything if he can't have it.
Again the assumption that the HS is the Restrainer. Where does it say it? Why does it HAVE to be the HS?
It simply cannot be anyone else.
What purpose would there be to remove the Church to 'remove the HS', if the HS is everywhere anyway?
The holy spirit is in us and working. He protects us, which he cannot do if on the sidelines.
It becomes an additon to the text solely to insert a Rapture event that is desired. But the text doesn't say it. It just doesn't, and you really cannot make it say that, or even find any other texts that support that it must be the HS.
It does say it.
What alternative do you have to be that the restrainer that fits all the criteria required?