Wiles Of The Devil

There is a word Paul uses and it only appears twice anywhere in the new testament. Both uses of it are found in the book of Ephesians.

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

And that is the word: Wiles of the devil. Notice back in Chapter four:

Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

Ephesians 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Ephesians 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

And there is the word: Deceive. That "deceive" is the same word as "wiles" in chapter six. In chapter six it is about standing against the wiles of the devil and in chapter four it is the cunning craftiness of men...whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and the two are connected, they are related.

Now remember that the Ephesians to whom the Ephesian letter was written are saved people. They had heard the gospel, believed it, and trusted Christ as their Saviour:

Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

So they had trusted Christ and they are sealed in Christ with the Holy Spirit. But even so, there is cunning craftiness, there is deception. It's called the sleight of men. In other words a trick, like sleight of hand. It is so done that you don't observe it. These are very religious men in chapter four and they lie in wait to deceive, and it is all bound up in the "wiles of the devil."

Paul says we are not ignorant of his devices. Well, Satan can't cause a believer to lose his salvation, but he can deceive you, and he can cause you, through that deception, to start focusing on the things that religion focuses on, the things of this life, the things of this world, instead of setting your affection on things above.

Paul writes in Colossians that you are complete in him. But, if the devil can deceive you into thinking you are not complete, that you need to be certain things and do certain things then he has neutralized your ministry. He has made you ineffective.

So we are told to put on the whole armour of God that you may be able to stand against the deceit and the craftiness and the trickery. One of the main schemes of the devil is deceit. Notice:

2 Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

The word "beguiled" there means to seduce wholly, in other words to deceive. Paul says that Eve, being deceived, was in the transgression in 1 Timothy 2:14.

2 Corinthians 11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

So in the verse, someone comes and he presents to you another Jesus, which Paul didn't preach, another gospel which Paul didn't deliver...and they come with another spirit. Not the Holy Spirit.

Notice in Ephesians chapter two:

Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Notice the prince of the power of the air. That's the devil. He is called the god of this world, and it is his spirit that works in those people. The aim of it is deception. The aim of the devil is to blind the minds of them that believe not, but his aim as far as a believer is concerned is to so neutralize him that whatever he could be or do for the Lord is ineffective. And it suits him just fine if you doubt your own salvation and if he can make you think that you must do things in order to maintain your salvation

So Paul says to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. That power is the power that worketh in us and it is the resurrection power of God. Notice:

Ephesians 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Ephesians 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

In other words when Jesus Christ died on the cross he died for our sins. God made him to be sin for us, him who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. So in him, in the Lord, we are the righteousness of God. We are strong in the Lord, not in ourselves, not in our own power. Notice:

2 Timothy 2:1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

2 Timothy 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

So the analogy that Paul is using in Ephesians is that of a good soldier. Notice that this warfare is not to be entangled with the affairs of this life. That is the very thing that most of religion focuses on...the things of this life, the things of the flesh.  But notice this:

2 Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

2 Corinthians 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Now notice back in Ephesians:

Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

This world is a dark world. It is ruled by the god of this world, by Satan himself. When Satan rebelled a third of the angels went with him in rebellion and they are the power structure of this world's system. And it affects every area. Social, economic, political and especially RELIGIOUS. The devil, as the god of this world, wants to be worshipped. Notice in Isaiah:

Isaiah 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

Isaiah 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

Isaiah 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

Believe it or not, all of the kingdoms of this world are under the control of the god of this world, the devil. He even offered them to Jesus Christ:

Luke 4:5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

Luke 4:6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

Luke 4:7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

So everything in this world is under the control of the god of this world. Power, glory and kingdoms. And that includes religion. It is called INIQUITY.

In the book of Ezekiel you see a prophecy pertaining to the prince of Tyrus and the king of Tyrus. The prince is the antichrist and the king is Satan himself. Notice:

Ezekiel 28:12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.

Ezekiel 28:13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

Ezekiel 28:14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

Ezekiel 28:15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

And that iniquity is always associated with false religion and Satan is the one behind it. From Adam to Noah to Moses and right on down to today Satan has been working his plan of evil. Remember Paul referred to powers and principalities and spiritual wickedness in high places? God warned the Israelites about those high places in Leviticus:

Leviticus 26:30 And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcasses upon the carcasses of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you.

Those high places in the bible are places of worship, but it is not God being worshipped. It is other gods. It is images, groves, golden calves and on and on and behind it all is Satan, the god of this world. Paul calls it the mystery of iniquity.

2 Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

2 Thessalonians 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

The HE who now letteth, the one who holds back and restrains full blown iniquity in the world is the church, the body of Christ. And when he is taken out of the way that Wicked will be revealed. Meanwhile the Devil works at it and tries to neutralize even a saved, sealed believer.

That's what the whole armour of God is all about.

Ephesians 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

What we, as bible believers are to withstand are the WILES of the devil, the cunning craftiness of men who are deceivers because they are deceived. The word DONE in the verse is the same as WORK OUT in Philippians:

Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

You OWN the salvation because you have trusted Christ and are sealed to the day of redemption.

Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

It is God's will that you not be deceived by false religion. Hence the whole armour of God.

Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

Now when he says "having your loins girt about with truth" it's like the loins of your mind. As a matter of fact, Peter says "gird up the loins of your mind and be sober." And the word sober is like "sanity." Notice Paul's testimony before Festus:

Acts 26:24 And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.

Acts 26:25 But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.

In other words sanity or soundness of mind. Now notice here:

2 Timothy 2:24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,

2 Timothy 2:25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

2 Timothy 2:26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

In chapter three of 2 Timothy Paul warns of perilous times and of men who would come:

2 Timothy 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

2 Timothy 3:6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

2 Timothy 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

The truth has to do with the rightly divided word of truth:

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

And the word of truth is a reference to the gospel of your salvation as in Ephesians 1:13. The gospel of your salvation is not another gospel that men come and try to preach to you. It is not the gospel of the kingdom of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It is not about asking Jesus into your heart where he rules and reigns in the kingdom which supposedly is within you.

The gospel of YOUR salvation is the simplicity that Paul talked about in 2 Cornthians. That Christ died for our sins. He was delivered for our offenses and was raised for our justification. By grace are ye saved through faith. And that not of yourselves. In other words your salvation is by the grace of God and the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. And when you trust Jesus Christ, believing the testimony given through the Apostle Paul, you are COMPLETE in him. Nothing else needed and nothing else added.

2 Timothy 2:16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.

2 Timothy 2:17 And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;

2 Timothy 2:18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.

So to have your loins gird about with truth is the truth, the form of sound words committed to Paul for the body of Christ.

There is no religion and no religious works involved in that. Men come and preach another Jesus and another gospel with another spirit. But they are not preaching the gospel that Paul preached.

The rightly divided word of truth is the first thing you need in the whole armour of God and for a breastplate...righteousness. And he is not talking about religious righteousness or the righteousness of the law. Notice:

Romans 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

Notice in Philippians:

Philippians 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

Philippians 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

Philippians 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Now notice the shoes you need to put on:

Ephesians 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

That peace is twofold. First of all there is peace with God:

Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Romans 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

So we have peace with God by what Jesus Christ did in our behalf when he died for our sins. But there is also the peace OF God.

Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

That's why every letter Paul writes begins with the words, "grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." That goes beyond the fact that you are saved by grace and beyond the fact that you have peace with God. It has to do with your grace life. It has to do with the peace OF God which keeps your heart and mind through Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

The shield of faith is referring to the faith of Christ. If it was just your faith then things might come along that would shake your faith. Your salvation is not based on your faith but on HIS. It was his faith that accomplished your salvation. Jesus Christ was faithful because of you. He endured to the end instead of you. You simply trust in Christ. You trust in God and his faithfulness. Your faith is simplicity. It's not hard. You simply trusted in the cross of Jesus Christ. The fiery darts of the devil cannot pierce that truth.

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Ephesians 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

The helmet covers your head and the idea here is the knowledge of the truth. Paul said I know WHOM I have believed. He didn't say IN WHOM, but he said WHOM I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

And you and I can say the same thing. I KNOW whom I have believed because Christ spoke through Paul and Paul wrote down the words of Christ for us today. That's what he means here:

Ephesians 4:17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

Ephesians 4:18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

Ephesians 4:19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

Ephesians 4:20 But ye have not so learned Christ;

Ephesians 4:21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

Now Jesus never went to Ephesus to teach. Paul means that the words he wrote are the words of the risen, ascended and glorified Lord Jesus Christ. So instead of walking like other Gentiles walk, in religion, he says:

Ephesians 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

Ephesians 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

Ephesians 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

So the helmet of salvation, that which covers the head, is this knowledge of who you are and what God has made you in Jesus Christ. And then he says...and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.

Your bible is worthless to you unless you are going to believe it. The issue is not to read it and understand it so that you can decide whether or not to believe it, but simply to take it at face value and believe that it means what it says, as it says it, where it says it.

The Ephesians, for instance, were already saved. Paul didn't write the Ephesian letter so that they could read it, understand it, and then get saved. It was written to people who were already saved.

Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. The world, by wisdom, cannot know God. God decided, by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe. So as a saved, bible believer, the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, is to be studied as a workman. 2 Timothy 2:15 implies that somewhere in the future there is a judgment. It is for saved people. Only the workmen, only the saved people are going to appear at the judgment seat of Christ. And the issue is approved or ashamed.

With the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, you are able to refute the false claims of lost religious men and you are also able to show them the truth. The rightly divided word of truth. And the last item of armour:

Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Paul was a praying man. He mentions prayer something like 43 times. He prays for others and he asks for prayer from others. He says to pray about everything. Big things and little things. He says to be careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication let your requests be made know unto God. But here his final request is for prayer:

Ephesians 6:19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

And of course the mystery OF the gospel pertains to the very salvation of Gentiles like the Ephesians and like you and I who in time past had no hope and were without God in the world.

So being equipped with the whole armour of God, having done all, Paul says to stand. And with that armour we can withstand the wiles, the deceit, the devices, the snares and so on of the devil and of false religion.