“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11, NKJV

During my New Year period of consecration, I got a revelation that blew me away.

“Son, did you know that Satan has only one weapon in his arsenal? The only weapon that he can deploy against you is wiles.”

That statement hit me like a thunderbolt from the sky. After my many years of laboring in ‘spiritual warfare,’ such an idea had never crossed my mind.

I believe that if we all had that revelation, our perspectives [and practices] in ‘spiritual warfare’ would change dramatically.

Our meditation today comes from Ephesians 6:11-18, a portion of Scripture where the apostle Paul highlights seven pieces – both defensive and offensive – of the “whole armour of God.”

But whereas the apostle mentions “principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places,” he indicates that the only weapon they can wield against the Christian is “wiles.”

The Merrian-Webster Dictionary defines ‘a wile’ as a trick or stratagem intended to ensnare or deceive; also a beguiling trick.

The Greek word for ‘wile’ is ‘methodeia,’ which denotes a ‘craft,’ ‘deceit’ or ‘cunning device’ or ‘subtle scheme.’

In military science, the first thing that the seasoned general must master in order to win a war is the enemy’s strategy.

Otherwise it would be a great wastage of resources to dispatch F-16 war planes to deal with a group of hit- and-run guerrillas.

Wiles of the devil are the subtle and cunning schemes used by the enemy to beguile you so that you fail to tap into the resources of the kingdom of God arising from the finished work of Christ.

The Bible has several examples of situations where the devil used wiles to overcome the people of God.

In Genesis 3:1, the Bible says the ‘serpent was more subtle [crafty] than all the other animals.’ Somehow, he tricked Eve and eventually Adam into disobeying God’s commands.

He subtly asked Eve; “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

“No; it’s not true; you shall not die if you eat of that tree.”

Unfortunately, Eve fell for the wile and that is how sin came into the world.

“So that Satan might not outwit us; for we are not unaware of his schemes.”

2 COR, 2:11

Causing the believer to question God’s Word is still the most potent ‘wile’ in the enemy’s quiver today.

If the enemy can lure you into doubting or misunderstanding God’s promises, he has finished you.

Secondly, the enemy uses wiles to challenge your identity.

In Luke 4:11-13, we get a deep spiritual insight into several of the devil’s wiles.

Twice, Satan began his temptations of Jesus with the words; “If you are the Son of God.”

Of course at Jesus’ baptism 40 days earlier, a Voice from heaven had publicly declared that, “You’re my Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

But subtle as ever, the enemy chose a time when Jesus was physically weak and hungry to attack His identity.

Satan still does the same today; he hits you during a crisis or in the midst of a spiritual struggle and then poses the challenge; “Are you really sure that you are really a child of God and a servant of God? When you’re going through all this?”

Another sinister wile of the devil involves his ability to offer subtle compromises to the believer, such as worshipping him instead of God almighty.

The apostles repeatedly exposed the wiles and schemes of the devil to the Church.

Paul admonished the believers in the demon-infested city of Ephesus to combat the wiles of the devil by staying clothed in the full armor of God.

2 Corinthians 2:11 says; “So that Satan might not outwit us; for we are not unaware of his schemes.”

Blessed is the Christian who is well conversant with the enemy’s schemes and devices.

May God expose the wiles of the ‘deceiver of the brethren.’ Amen!