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

In the area of warfare, I have come to realize that many either are
ignorant or else completely disregard what the Word of God says about the
wiles of the devil. Could it be that we have become so used to him that
we no longer regard him as an enemy? Many, I’m afraid, think of the devil
as a comic book character who runs around in a little red suit, bears a
pitchfork, and is called "Hot Stuff." This is truly a falsehood. The
enemy of the cross of Christ should never be taken lightly, for he is a
very real and dangerous foe.

In Ephesians 6:12, we learn that the battle is not with flesh and blood,
for it is a spiritual warfare, one that has an enemy who has vast control
of the night and of the world that lies in darkness. The phrase
"spiritual wickedness in high places" literally refers to a religion with
Satan as its head. It is highly spiritual in content, but brings nothing
but death to those who follow it. It is wickedness in the form of a
devilish cult that seeks to exalt man above God or to bring God down to
man’s level. It is important that we know this only to the extent whereby
we are not deceived. As any good soldier knows, one thing that brings
victory in battle is to know the plans of the enemy so that one may
anticipate his actions and respond in a way that will thwart his attacks.
Let us always keep in mind that the battle belongs to the Lord and He
will determine the outcome, but let us also not be slothful in that
battle. Clearly, we do not want to forget man’s role in the warfare, and
the need to lay hold of that which will enable us to stand.
        
Let us now look at some verses that speak of the foe that we face. In so
doing, maybe some of our preconceived ideas will be laid aside and we
will learn to stand and be effective in the battle.

Revelation 20:7-8, speak of Satan as the great deceiver who shall go
forth and deceive the nations after the thousand-years reign of Christ.
Man shall have no excuse, showing just how deceitful Satan is, for during
the thousand years up until that time there shall be peace, and those
upon the earth shall prosper under our Lord’s reign.

In Isaiah 14:12-14 & Ezekiel 28:13-17, we see the name and position of
Satan before he had fallen, as well as the attitude and nature which he
manifested as he sought to exalt himself above God. These passages could
not be speaking of a mere human, for these verses speak of the very same
nature that was manifested by Satan at the fall. The common theme or
thread all the way through is of the exaltation of self above God. "You
shall be as gods (or as God), knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3). Satan
is not an atheist.

In I Peter 5:8, we learn that our adversary the devil walketh about as a
roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. This does away with the concept
that Satan is only concerned with the masses since here he is seeking the
individual who has strayed from the flock. This can be anyone who has
become prideful or begins to act apart from the will of God. He is also
compared to a roaring lion who has no care for the life of his victim.
The believer cannot be touched as to his life, but that life can be
hindered greatly.

In II Corinthians 11:13-14 we learn that Satan is an imitator of God and
can even shine forth as an angel of light. He can also do great signs and
wonders. Today, many are being programmed by Hollywood and this modern
age of fantasy to accept without question these things that appear highly
spiritual. Even the very elect could be deceived if the days were not
shortened, and I believe that we are getting closer to that time.

In considering all of Satan’s attributes and the battle that he wages
against the saints, we must never forget that there is no way of standing
apart from God and the Holy Spirit. There were some who tried in Acts
19:11-16. They were exorcist who were attempting to imitate the apostle
Paul, when he was going about casting out demons in the name of Jesus.
When these false ones attempted this, the spirit cried out, "Jesus I
know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" The power of God was not with
them, and their feeble strength was not enough, so that they were forced
to flee. We may never be called upon to cast out a demon, but we would
surely want to be on God’s side if faced with such a thing.

We find, in Ephesians 6:13, Paul repeating himself, and when a person
repeats himself we should take heed. Again, he expresses the importance
of having on the whole armor of God, not just one piece, but all of it,
to wear it like clothing and to be transformed by the wearing of it. The
importance of this should not be missed.

Let us also beware, lest we get so taken up with studying the attributes
of Satan that we lose sight of the Lord our God who is all powerful. I
know of several modern day professing-Christian writers who are so
intellectually involved with the powers of darkness that they rarely
speak of the attributes of God. Battling against evil is an area in which
the flesh glories but does very little good for the one who is truly
seeking God for his every need. Recognizing this is one of the main keys
to victory in the battle that comes when you place your faith in Christ.
        
Now let us press on to the armor itself and by the grace and mercy of God
embrace it and put it on for the battle. May we stand in the power and
might of God.      Amen!

M. H. G.

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