A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. -Ephesians 6:10-11 NIV
Warrior;
I like the NIV because it says, A FINAL WORD! This is the last chapter of this letter to the Ephesus church, he is closing it down. This letter was written about 25 years after Saul met Jesus on the Damascus road and became Paul. It was written during his first Roman Prison stay and about 1-3 years before he was beheaded in 64 AD, but He didn’t know he still had that long to live, he thought his time had come. So, it really is in his mind, A FINAL WORD. Something to leave followers of THE WAY, before his glorification…. In other words, “Before I go I need to remind you of something really, really important”. We are warriors and we are in the fight of the ages, we must KNOW our chief adversary, and we must know his twisted, perverted playbook. As a warrior, we should be prepared for the battles in front of us. I would much rather be prepared for a battle that might not take place, then NOT be prepared for one that does!
Leader, in 2 Corinthians 11:14 we are told to NOT BE SURPRISED, for Satan even disguises himself as an angel of light. That is why we are told to be aware(beware) of the; Strategies, Schemes, Deceit, Artifices- and my favorite- WILES of the DEVIL. He lies to us, wants to trap us, discourage us and snare us. He will do anything he can do with cunning satanic variety to weaken us and destroy us. He goes to work daily to produce discouragement, confusion, division, indifference and imbalance. He is our chief enemy! The Bait of Satan is John Bevere’s foundational work exposing offense as one of Satan’s most destructive and deceptive traps. According to Bevere, offense is the enemy’s “bait”; a subtle snare that pulls believers out of God’s will, fractures relationships, and derails spiritual growth. Most people who fall into offense don’t even realize they’ve taken the bait. The 2 biggest victim statements are: 1- “Life is not fair”, and 2- “life is hard”. Both are clearly stated in the Bible! We must remember somebody is getting the glory, either Yahweh or the Prince of the Power of the Air. God cares how we suffer, how we struggle. Who are you giving the glory too?
Conduit, the Devils Wiles are: 1-He exaggerates the pleasures of sin while minimizing the true nature and outcome of sin. 2- He uses emotions and moods as an opening into our lives and then we allow for him to stay in the form of a stronghold. 3- The devil will use people both in the church and outside of the church, to confuse us and repel us from the Father; see Judaizers. 4- He reminds us of how LIFE isn’t fair and others have more, or have it easier, and then we keep playing that tape over and over and become self-absorbed. He helps us KEEP SCORE and accumulate our POUND OF FLESH. The Good news is he is a defeated foe! The only power Satan has, on a CHILD of GOD, is the power we give him! Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7) “But, as it is written, ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him’” (1 Corinthians 2:9) Paul is quoting Isaiah 64:4 and applying it to the revelation God gives through His Spirit. Who are you quoting?
