Wiles. Ephesians 6:11. “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Spiritual warfare is unavoidable in a Christian's life because the god of this world doesn’t give up on people or places easily. There are spiritual principles we can apply to the conflicts we face. We need to be able to identify who our enemy is and remember he uses many ways to seek to deceive and defeat God’s people. We have the choice to “Be strong in the Lord,” knowing our Lord has won the victory for us. As individuals, we must take action to protect ourselves. He cannot defeat us as long as we recognize who we are, and we can achieve personal victory through the power of His might.
The devil is a master of artful deception, originating from his depraved mind, so much so that he never stops trying to recapture the slave who knows the great freedom that God freely gave when Jesus' cross work was completed and our souls he saved. He is persuasive and subtle, not overt or brave. It is his desire and focused attention to bring early death to the faithful who know the Father, who gave His only begotten Son so that each of them might have eternal life. Wiles are trickery that the devil uses now and has used before, so people will lose their souls. When guile is used, each person is challenged to choose: will they arm themselves with what has been proven, or will they think the danger is not that serious or close because it makes no noise? Snares of the devil have sometimes caught those who believed they were safe but found out they were wrong at life’s final close.
The full armor of God can protect us from all kinds of evil and temptation. When we wear the armor of God, we can be victorious through our Lord Jesus Christ and be transformed into His image. The struggles of a Christian living in this ungodly world require effort and wisdom in making choices. Even when the opposition to holy living and rejection of socially accepted behavior is strong, we need to remember that the real enemy is behind people. We should avoid being argumentative and lashing out at those who oppose us because we are Christians, and instead, demonstrate grace, peace, and love toward others.
The armor is here to face the foe, even though all the tests before us are challenging. The armor is complete, and you can trust every part He provides when times get tough. The warrior must stand without fear when each piece is in place, confronting each enemy thrust. The armor will work; it comes from above. God has provided it for each of us to prove personally. Wiles will come as long as we are here on earth in these flesh bodies. Every soldier of the cross must wear this armor of God because the work of persuasion by the devil will continue to press on us year after year. Stand firm and confident with the armor God has given you to wear. For all who care for God's kingdom and know they belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, you will find others beside you to share in spiritual warfare. They know He is the One who, on Calvary, won the battle for us.