Standing Against the Devils Wiles

Put On the Full Armor of God

By: Don Pirozok

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

The apostle Paul begins his exhortation on spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6 by calling believers to strength—not in themselves—but in the Lord and in the power of His might. “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” (Ephesians 6:10). He then commands them to “put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). This call is not passive. It is a militant cry to readiness in the face of a cunning and relentless enemy. The very purpose of the armor of God is to enable the believer to stand against the wiles, or deceptive strategies, of Satan. It is not enough to believe in Christ for salvation; one must also be equipped daily to face the spiritual warfare that inevitably follows.
The word "stand" in this context implies resistance and steadfastness. It is a military term, portraying a soldier holding his position under attack. To stand is to remain firm, unshaken, and unwavering in the midst of battle. Paul does not say that the armor is merely for defense or retreat, but that it equips believers to hold their ground and resist every onslaught of the enemy. In James 4:7, the Word says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Resistance begins with submission to God and is empowered by the spiritual tools God provides. This is echoed again in 1 Peter 5:8–9, where Peter exhorts believers to “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith.” Standing against Satan is not a passive effort. It requires vigilance, sobriety, and spiritual resistance through faith and obedience.
The "wiles of the devil" refer not merely to overt acts of evil but more insidiously to the strategies and cunning deceptions that Satan employs to entrap, corrupt, and destroy. The Greek word translated “wiles” (methodeia) refers to schemes, trickery, and cunning arts. Satan does not usually attack with horns and fire. He comes as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), appearing as good, moral, even spiritual, while subtly undermining the truth of God. His strategies are vast—false doctrine, temptation, pride, division, despair, distraction, and persecution. In Genesis 3, Satan approached Eve not with brute force but with a subtle question: “Yea, hath God said…?” (Genesis 3:1). He questioned God’s Word, twisted its meaning, and promised enlightenment apart from obedience. The first fall of humanity was not due to overwhelming force, but to deception—a method Satan still uses today.