Passage
And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie:
2 Thessalonians 2:11 (ASV)
Nearby Context
2 Thessalonians 2:9 [even he], whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2 Thessalonians 2:10 and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2 Thessalonians 2:11 And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie:
2 Thessalonians 2:12 that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, for that God chose you from the beginning unto salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
Study Lenses
The verse centers on "cause", "sendeth", "working", "error", "should", and "believe". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "cause" and "sendeth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 10's "and with all deceit of unrighteousness for..." into verse 12's "that they all might be judged who...", so "cause" and "sendeth" belong inside that flow. In 2 Thessalonians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.
A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "cause" and "sendeth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.