It can “cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain.” The man to whom God gave the breath of life in the beginning was able to love as God loved, show mercy as God showed mercy, etc.—a true image of God. The image to which the second beast gave life was a true image of the first beast; as the first beast could “make war on the saints and…conquer them” (Revelation 13:7), so its image was murderous as it sought to kill those who refused to worship the image of the beast. This was no empty talk as the martyrdom of Stephen (Acts 7:60), James (Acts 12:2), Antipas (Revelation 2:13), and the souls under the altar (Revelation 6:9) illustrate. Notice here again the effort to mimic God.
15 And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain.