Ephesians 6:11 says, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” This verse comes in the context of Paul urging believers to be strong in the Lord and put on His full armor to stand against spiritual forces of evil. The “wiles of the devil” refer to the schemes, strategies, traps, and tricks that Satan uses to tempt, deceive, accuse, and destroy people.
Based on the broader context of Scripture, here are some of the key “wiles of the devil” that believers need to be aware of and protected from:
1. Deception and false teaching
One of the main ways Satan works is through deceiving people into believing lies and false teaching. Scripture warns that Satan masquerades as an angel of light and his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). He is the father of lies (John 8:44) and prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Some of his lies include denying the deity of Christ, distorting the gospel, and denying the authority of Scripture.
Relevant verses:
2 Corinthians 11:3 – But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 – For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
1 Timothy 4:1 – Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.
2. Temptation to sin
Another wile of the devil is temptation towards pride, immorality, idolatry, and other sins. Satan tempted Eve in the garden and prompted Cain to murder Abel (Genesis 3:1-7; 4:7). Even Jesus was tempted by the devil to sin during His earthly ministry (Matthew 4:1-11). Satan continues to tempt believers today to lie, lust, cheat, envy, gossip, and more in order to dishonor God and destroy relationships.
Relevant verses:
1 Thessalonians 3:5 – For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.
1 Corinthians 7:5 – Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
3. Accusation and condemnation
The devil is called “the accuser of our brothers” in Revelation 12:10. He loves to constantly bring up believers’ past sins and failures, making them feel defeated in their walk with God. He convinces believers that God is angry with them and could never forgive them. But the Bible says there is “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).
Relevant verses:
Revelation 12:10 – And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.
1 Peter 5:8-9 – Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith.
4. Affliction, hardship, and persecution
Though God is always sovereign, He allows Satan to bring affliction at times to test believers’ faith and righteousness. This is illustrated in the life of Job, where God permitted Satan to test Job with tremendous suffering. Paul also mentions a “messenger from Satan” that tormented him (2 Corinthians 12:7). Persecution of believers, while ultimately caused by the hatred of wicked men, is inflamed by Satan to discourage and defeat Christians.
Relevant verses:
1 Peter 5:8-9 – Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
Revelation 2:10 – Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
5. Hindering ministry and evangelism
Satan actively works to hinder effective ministry and evangelism that leads people to salvation. This may include placing obstacles to distract and prevent ministry work, sowing seeds of discord among ministry team members, stirring up opposition from unbelievers, and more. Paul mentions struggling against “principalities and powers” – referring to the demonic realm – in his ministry efforts (Ephesians 6:12).
Relevant verses:
1 Thessalonians 2:18 – because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us.
Mark 4:15 – And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.
2 Corinthians 4:4 – In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
6. Promoting pride and self-exaltation
Pride was at the root of Satan’s own downfall, as he desired to exalt himself above God (Isaiah 14:12-14). He tempts believers with the same sinful pride and self-exaltation. He wants us to take credit for accomplishments rather than give God glory. He stirs up arrogance, selfish ambition, and vanity over our appearance, intellect, talents, and more. Humility is the best defense against this scheme.
Relevant verses:
1 Timothy 3:6 – He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.
1 Peter 5:5-6 – Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you.
7. Promoting anxiety, fear, and worry
Though our warfare is spiritual, Satan can also attack our minds and emotions, tempting us to anxiety, excessive fear, and worrying thoughts. He wants our minds to be filled with dread about the future rather than trust in God’s purposes and provision. We can resist this by fixing our thoughts on God’s truth and rejecting lies and exaggerations the devil casts into our minds.
Relevant verses:
1 Peter 5:7 – casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
2 Timothy 1:7 – for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
8. Confusion, deception, and lies
Satan is called “the father of lies” (John 8:44). He will whisper lies, half-truths, and false ideas into people’s minds to confuse them and lead them astray. This is why we must know God’s Word well – to counteract with truth. Satan will even quote Scripture, but he twists and takes it out of context, as he did when tempting Jesus (Matthew 4:5-7). We must be vigilant to not be deceived.
Relevant verses:
2 Corinthians 11:3 – But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:14-15 – And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
9. Promoting false religion, cults, and unbiblical worldviews
Though Satan primarily works within the sphere of organized religion, he also promotes completely unbiblical worldviews and cults that deny Christ. This includes belief systems like Islam, Hinduism, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Scientology, and more. Even within professing Christianity, Satan uses distortions like the prosperity gospel and progressive Christianity to undermine God’s truth.
Relevant verses:
2 Corinthians 11:4 – For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.
2 John 1:7 – For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.
10. Foster divisions, factions, and quarrels among believers
Satan loves nothing more than to sow seeds of discord, bitterness, and resentment among believers. He wants our focus to be on minor disagreements rather than unity in Christ. The early church struggled with this, and Satan still uses petty arguments over secondary doctrines to divide congregations today. As believers, we must be vigilant in maintaining the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3).
Relevant verses:
1 Corinthians 3:3 – For you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?
Romans 16:17 – I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.
In summary, Satan uses many wiles and schemes to tempt, deceive, divide, and destroy. But God has given believers His full armor – truth, righteousness, faith, the gospel, salvation, the Word of God, and prayer (Ephesians 6:13-18) – to stand firm against the devil’s attacks. By humbly submitting to God and resisting the devil, we can avoid being devoured and find victory in spiritual warfare through Christ.
