The “restrainer” in 2nd Thessalonians is not the Holy Spirit, it is the unholy Spirit (or Satan).

At the heart of Satan’s deception of a pre-tribulation rapture is the misconception that the “restrainer” referred to in the second chapter of 2nd Thessalonians, who is holding things back, is the Holy Spirit. This restrainer that Paul talks about is not the Holy Spirit, it is the unholy spirit, or Satan. Look at the language Paul uses. The one holding back the secret power of lawlessness will continue to do so until “he is taken out of the way”. It is not a voluntary thing—he is forcibly removed. The Antichrist is Satan’s “trump card”, his last resort. If you are in a war and you are wise and cunning, then you do not use your last resort before it is time to do so. The world today is full of corruption and evil. It would be foolish of Satan and not necessary for him to use his best weapon or last resort in a world where he is pretty much having his way. But that will change when Christians unite and become the true Church. As the Church realizes its part in the end times and comes together in love and grows and matures and starts walking in the true power of Christianity, doing the things Jesus did and even greater things, reaping the great end time harvest in the greatest revival the world has ever known, and as they pull down strongholds of the enemy all over the place, then the overcoming Church, as personified by the man child of Revelation 12:5, will win the victory over the Devil by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony and Satan will be cast down from heaven—he will be taken out of the way. Paul knew there was coming a time when the Church would be victorious over Satan as described in Revelation 12:7-12. This onslaught against the powers and principalities of darkness will back Satan into a corner, forcing him to play his trump card, or use his best weapon, his last resort. It is at the very beginning of Revelation 13 that the beast arises. So it is Satan who is the restrainer who must be taken out of the way in heaven and then the Antichrist will be revealed.