Wiles simply means tricks, strategies, tactics, deceit etc
Wiles are basically tricks or manipulative strategies aimed at deceiving
Wear the full armor of God. Wear God’s armor so that you can fight against the devil’s clever tricks.” Ephesians 6:11 ERV
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6:11 KJV
“Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11 NLT
Put on the full armor of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily-armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil. Ephesians 6:11 AMP
First, it says to wear the armor of God (in full). And it gives a why: Wear it so you can fight against the devil’s clever tricks. Against all of the strategies of the devil. To be able to successfully stand up against the strategies of the devil
Now, here’s what I’ve found amongst Christians, we believe since we are saved we are automatically excluded from the devil’s list. This is untrue
Yes, we’ve been brought to a higher standing. We are seated with Christ
The devil has been defeated. But we must understand that the devil still has little time in the world and he will fight to make sure as many people go down with him.
The devil will fight believers. He will wage war against believers. And if believers do not understand his wiles (first that it exists), they will not successfully stand against it.
In fact, they have no chance against him. Imagine fighting an already defeated man and losing
But there are believers losing daily to the enemy, who has already been defeated on their behalf. Why? Ignorance
What we will be doing tonight is laying out the strategies of the devil (and if time permits us, the full armor of God)
You have to be aware. The person fighting is already on the floor defeated. It’s like allowing someone without hands and legs to beat you up in a fist fight
The scripture we just read, the enemy is not bringing gun to this fight. He is not bringing cutlass or bombs. Only deception, tricks, lies, manipulations
You know people that cannot fight by their strategy. The devil understands the gullibility of men so he uses this well against them.
“For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44
It is consistent with his character to lie! He is the father of lies! If they say the devil is expert at anything, it is lies (add failure to this)
And the great dragon was thrown down, the age-old serpent who is called the devil and Satan, he who continually deceives and seduces the entire inhabited world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “ N ow the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom (dominion, reign) of our God, and the authority of His Christ have come; for the accuser of our [believing] brothers and sisters has been thrown down [at last], he who accuses them and keeps bringing charges [of sinful behavior] against them before our God day and night. And they overcame and conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, for they did not love their life and renounce their faith even when faced with death. Revelation 12:9-11 AMP
I need us to take note of these key words. The devil doesn’t leave you alone after the first time. He keeps coming back
John 10:10 says the thief comes not but to steal , kill and destroy.
This particular thief doesn’t have a gun or physical equipment that destroy.
He has cunny strategies.
A lot of us are focused on village people kind of attacks. Like this is what we think of when we think of the devil but he masters at something else actually: Lies. Deceit!
What are some of the strategies the devil uses?
1. Did God really say?
This one is the oldest trick in the book. From Adam down to Remi, I’m certain the devil has used this one against every believer
Genesis 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
God had commanded Adam and Eve not to eat from a particular tree. They had received an instruction from God
The snake was the most clever of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. The snake spoke to the woman and said, “Woman, did God really tell you that you must not eat from any tree in the garden?” Genesis 3:1 ERV
What did the devil do? He approached them and tried to cast a doubt on God’s word
While Eve could see the serpent directly then, we most likely can’t see him directly. So all that we can see is the tactics, the funny strategies. But know that the enemy is tricky so he doesn’t keep them in plain sight for you except you know him and his ways well
One thing the enemy does a lot is to cast doubt on what God has told you. I’ve been here before.
God tells you I’m doing xyz at this time. You heard Him clearly when He said this and you believed wholeheartedly. Then something starts happening and before you know it , you are wondering if God really said so. You are telling yourself maybe you heard wrongly or its the interpretation
I’ve experienced this a lot of times.
Only one person is responsible for this, the devil! The minute you start wondering “Did God really say?” Know that the devil is fighting and you are not standing against him well
He will twist what God said to you
He will try to make you “unbelieve” what you received
He cannot undo what God does
But the devil can make you change position with his tricks
He puts you in a place where you are not ready to receive what God has said with his lies
Anything that makes you re-examine what God has said to you is not from God and you need to clock immediately that it is battle time. Be alert!
Satan wants you to accept what God has not said about you. He cannot change what God has said so he tries to make you believe something else because he knows faith is a key ingredient to receiving
2. Worry and Anxiety
This looks like a normal thing but I found recently that it is a strong tool of the devil. The minute you notice you are getting too worried or anxious about something, know that the devil is at work. Worry and anxiety are huge signs of unbelief.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7
Say this to the devil every time he tries to make you worry about those things. Worry and anxiety puts you in a wilderness position. You get stuck.
You geT stuck first in your mind (belief) then it happens in the physical. The Israelites stayed 40years in the wilderness cos they were stuck first in unbelief. They kept worrying about the seemingly unright things around them.
Stop worrying about the things that do not seem to be right. That is what the enemy wants you to see.
These people had manna falling from heaven daily and somehow they didn’t see it. It’s very possible that things will be happening for you, like heavy moves of God and you won’t see it.
You will be seeing other things to worry about. This also is the devil
One thing that cancels anxiety and worry is thanksgiving. Find something to be thankful for, stay on it and your eyes will be opened to what God is doing and why you should never worry
3. Taking lightly the devil and his tactics
This one is a huge problem and it’s so rampant amongst believers. A lot of people have confused resist the devil with dismiss the devil. The enemy is not just theological myth
Passive neglect of the devil is a tool the enemy himself uses. He wants you to believe he doesn’t exist to you. What happens when you don’t show up to a battle? You lose!
You have an enemy, be alert.
Of course, some Christians overemphasize/amplify the power of the devil, but this should not lead to passive neglect of the devil
These teachings are becoming common. There is a balance. The devil exists. Though defeated, he is still here for a while and his major targets are believers. He is waging a war against us, which is not physical. We must stand against him, from the place of victory (because this is where we fight from)
We do not pretend that the enemy is not fighting against us
The devil stood against Jesus
He stood against God Himself
Do you think he didn’t know Jesus is God?
Do you think he didn’t know Christ was not his match?
Yet he stood
Don’t pretend as if he is not standing against you. Position appropriately. Recognize the devil for what he is exactly and treat accordingly
4. Love for unsound doctrine
If you hate truth, there is a problem.
“When Christ Jesus comes as king, he will be the judge of everyone, whether they are living or dead. So with God and Christ as witnesses, I command you to preach God's message. Do it willingly, even if it isn't the popular thing to do. You must correct people and point out their sins. But also cheer them up, and when you instruct them, always be patient. The time is coming when people won't listen to good teaching. Instead, they will look for teachers who will please them by telling them only what they are itching to hear. They will turn from the truth and eagerly listen to senseless stories. But you must stay calm and be willing to suffer. You must work hard, telling the good news and to do your job well.” 2 Timothy 4:1-5 CEV
The time is coming when people will have itchy ears. They will go to places where they are told what they wish to hear.
“Don’t be unequally yoked”. Pastor is judgmental so let’s change church to where they understand and allow her to grow spiritually/come to Christ.
“Don’t kiss before marriage”. Holier than thou attitude. So we move to where they allow kissing but just a lirru bit of it
The Bible expressly says something but it is feeling like an attack. So the people talking are “sin conscious”. They don’t understand Grace
If everything the Bible clearly states is becoming like an attack and you are now used to going to people that give a soft landing of that word or requote to make it acceptable, there might be an issue o. That’s where the devil starts from.
Sound doctrine sometimes can come off as harsh (mostly cos of the state of the heart)
Imagine the man Christ told to leave his family, “Let the dead bury the dead”. For a willing heart, it’s to jump up in joy and start following o. For someone that doesn’t want to hear the truth:
“Why will Jesus say that? Doesn’t he have family or feelings? Does he not know we are humans?”
Always looking for soft landing or sugar coated truths is a tactic the enemy uses. Know this and stand appropriately
5. Trivializing sin and exaggerating the pleasures of sin
One of the tactic of the enemy is to make sin look normal.
“oh! It’s just a flaw”
“Everyone has weak point”
“Nobody is without sin”
He makes you feel comfortable in sin.
“It’s just kissing/lies/sex. God is not counting sin. He forgives”
It’s not “Just”
Before you know it, that sin becomes to pleasurable . You begin to enjoy and look forward to it then you move to normalizing it as one of your flaws or who you are.
This is a tactic of the devil. Be aware
Never act on immediate pleasures. Stop to think immediately you are tempted, this helps.
Every time I’m tempted to do something wrongly, I notice I’m in a hurry to. I don’t want to think about it at that moment. I start thinking and regretting when the deed is done.
The reason the enemy wants that process rushed is because he knows if you think, you won’t go ahead. You are stronger than you actually think. So always pause before you do. It frustrates the devil
6. Emotions
“I’m a very emotional person”
Erhm... good o but please be careful that this is not your drive. You cannot be led by the spirit and your emotions at the same time. It’s pick 1
The enemy targets our emotions as an opening. He crawls in immediately.
Feel your emotions
Feel completely, but please don’t be led by how you feel
“I get angry easily”. It is an opening for the devil
7. Logic
I know those of us that are not very emotional people are already feeling exempted from the tactics of the devil. The person you are dealing with is cunning. Most people that are not 100% in touch with their emotions are usually logical.
Logic is very good o. But logic is also very dangerous.
The devil likes it when you think you can think well. You have plenty common sense.
He wants you to feel this way about yourself and assert it.
If you go to churches and people are making trouble, look well and you will find that it is us “logical people”. The devil wants you to think you think better than other believers or people around you. You have more common sense than everybody.
It’s a lie.
While God gave us this “common sense”, God wants us to be led by the spirit instead.
8. Refusing the diagnosis of God
“Write this to the angel of the church in Sardis: “Here is a message from the one who has the seven spirits and the seven stars. “I know what you do. People say that you are alive, but really you are dead. Wake up! Make yourselves stronger before what little strength you have left is completely gone. I find that what you do is not good enough for my God. So don’t forget what you have received and heard. Obey it. Change your hearts and lives! You must wake up, or I will come to you and surprise you like a thief. You will not know when I will come. “But you have a few people in your group there in Sardis who have kept themselves clean. They will walk with me. They will wear white clothes, because they are worthy. Everyone who wins the victory will be dressed in white clothes like them. I will not remove their names from the book of life. I will say that they belong to me before my Father and before his angels. Everyone who hears this should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. Revelation 3:1-6 ERV
We will focus on verse 1
You have a name that you are alive but you are dead
We say that Jesus is the great physician. We come to Him for healing but one thing most of us miss is that this physician also diagnoses. Because He knows you well, He knows exactly who you are on the inside.
The devil likes us to live a lie. The devil wants the church in Sardis to believe the “alive reputation” when they were actually dead
A lot of Christians refuse the diagnosis of Christ (it comes as conviction most times)
When the Spirit brings something that you do to your notice or send people to tell you, be ready to accept.
Don’t be in a hurry to defend your self to God. He sees you completely. Take the diagnosis, accept it and use the prescribed medications
Even earthly doctors give diagnosis and prescribe medications
How much more God? When God tells you what is wrong with you, a solution follows. Don’t let pride hold you back. The enemy is counting on this. Even the church in Sardis had a way out
9. Twisting scripture
The enemy wants us to twist scripture to suit us. When the devil wanted to tempt Jesus, he brought scripture and twisted it subtly just a little. When the enemy wants to twist God’s word, he is not as obvious as we expect. Be alert in the spirit
10. Disobedience
This is a tactic of the enemy.
On the other end of obedience is a huge price we always have to pay. When God says do xyz, He is not talking for talking sake, there is something He is trying to shield you from. There is always something sacrificed on the altar of disobedience, something costly. The devil wants us to lose that something so he is looking forward to us disobeying. He entices us with by the fruit of disobedience
Be alert!
There are so many other tactics in the devil’s play book, we will probably never finish if we sit on his lying ass.
But I want us to know one thing, the devil is a liar. The Bible says he is the father of lies.
There is only one thing that cancels lie and it is Truth. Jesus Christ is Truth
Let the teaching of Christ live inside you richly. Use all wisdom to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16 ERV
Let the teaching of Christ dwell in you richly
The enemy is banking on lying and twisting the truth. There is only one counter, the truth Christ says
Let it dwell inside of you Richly
Confess daily if you have to. Make it your truth
May God help us all to stand against the wiles of the devil
Amen
