What Are the Wiles of the Devil and How Do We Stand against Them?

Paul warns believers in Ephesians 6:11 (KJV) to “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” 

The apostle Paul was no alarmist. He was a seasoned preacher/teacher who had traveled widely and faced much danger and opposition. He summarizes these trials in 2 Corinthians 2:24-28 ESV:

“Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea;  on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.”

With his vast experience of tribulation, we would be wise to note when Paul issues a stern warning to avail ourselves of the protection God provides against the enemy. Satan is no match for God, but the devil is certainly stronger than we are alone and a formidable force of evil. 

Jesus warned us that Satan is a deceiver. He told the Jews in John 8:44 ESV, “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” 

To the Corinthians, Paul references Satan’s “designs,” by which he means his thoughts or ideas against us (2 Corinthians 2:11) and his “disguises” (2 Corinthians 2:14). He warned Timothy twice about the devil’s “snares” (1 Timothy 3:7 and 2 Timothy 2:26). Peter, James, and the author of Hebrews all issue warnings to believers about the devil, with Peter calling him our “adversary” (1 Peter 5:8). God doesn’t waste words. If His Word tells us to be on guard against the wiles of the devil, we need to pay attention.

It's notable that the writers of the New Testament lived under significant persecution, even threat of death from fellow humans, and yet the enemies about which they most warn are the devil and false teachers who deceive as the devil deceives.

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While we don’t often use the word “wiles” anymore in everyday conversation, its meaning can easily be discerned from the various ways it’s translated. The ESV uses the word “schemes” for wiles. Other translations use “the schemes and the strategies and the deceits” (AMP), “tricks” (CEB), or “deceptive tactics” (CJB). 

In other words, Satan doesn’t play fair. He devises clever, secret, or “wily” plans to cause harm to Christians, tempt them away from obedience, sabotage their purpose, and shipwreck their faith. Jesus said in John 10 that He is the good shepherd and His sheep know His voice. “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand” (John 10:28-29 ESV). By this, we can be assured that once we receive salvation from Jesus, Satan cannot steal us away, but he can certainly steal our joy, render us ineffective in our faith, and otherwise wreak havoc.

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C. S. Lewis cautioned believers against both disbelieving in demons, Satan, and spiritual warfare and developing an unhealthy interest in them, seeing them under every bush. The Christian’s primary focus should be on growing in Jesus Christ by reading and studying the Bible, worshiping and developing relationships with mature believers, learning from sound teachers, praying, giving, and serving. Healthy spiritual practices grounded in God’s Word are a sure foundation for an effective and joyful life as a Christian. 

Temptation is certainly one of the devil’s wiles. We know he successfully tempted Adam and Eve, but was unsuccessful when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness. However, James tells us that each person is tempted when “he is lured and enticed by his own desire” (James 1:14). So, the devil’s wiles are not behind every temptation, but certainly are behind some.

James goes on to explain the process for resisting the devil. In James 4:7-8, James tells us to submit ourselves to the Lord. Resist Satan, knowing that then he will run from us. Then, draw near to God who will draw near to us. When Jesus resisted the devil’s temptations in the desert, He obeyed and trusted His Father, responded to Satan with God’s Word, and the devil left him.

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While we aren’t to become overly focused on the enemy, we should recognize there is an element of spiritual warfare that is present in the Christian life. Again, we have nothing to fear from this as God has provided His Holy Spirit to guide and equip us, His Word to instruct and inspire us, and other believers to stand with us.

Paul writes in Ephesians 6 that we are to “put on” or “take up” the full armor of God. Regarding Ephesians 6:11 Matthew Henry writes this in his commentary: “We have to do with a subtle enemy, an enemy who uses wiles and stratagems, as v. 11. He has a thousand ways of beguiling unstable souls: hence he is called a serpent for subtlety, an old serpent, experienced in the art and trade of tempting.” Pastor Warren Wiersbe talked about putting on the full armor of God daily during his morning time of Bible reading and prayer.

The armor consists first of the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness. There is no room for deception or falsehood in the Christian’s life. We are to be authentic in the way we interact with the world and allow no lies or deceit to creep into our minds. Living in truth is a type of spiritual armor. Likewise, we are to trust in the righteousness given us through Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross. We have His righteousness; this is not a righteousness of our own. This righteousness is a breastplate over the “vital organs” of our souls.

On our feet, we’re to wear the “readiness given by the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15). Because of the good news of Jesus, we stand ready to return home to Him, ready to serve and obey on earth, and ready to tell others the reason for our hope in Christ. 

Our faith is our shield “with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16). Mature faith in Christ counters Satan’s wiles at the point of attack so they have no time to embed in our thoughts and produce fears, doubts, and double-mindedness.

We have a helmet of salvation, a mind equipped with the knowledge that we are now citizens of Heaven, children of the Almighty God, and so we battle without fear. Finally, we are to take “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:17-18). Read, study, believe, and obey God’s Word, then pray in all things. In this way, we will stand against all the schemes of the enemy.

Yes, the devil has his wiles. He is a formidable force in the kingdom of this world and we must understand that those who do not know Jesus Christ are often subject to his schemes. The Christian, however, those of us who follow Jesus Christ, while at risk of some of these wiles, have been equipped to defend against them. We will not fear. We will submit to God, resist the devil, and draw near to our Lord. We will, daily, put on the full armor of God, and because of Jesus, we will stand strong. 

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