Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Can He Fool You?
Art of War is one of the oldest books in the world. It was written many centuries ago by a warrior named Sun Tzu. It has been used in recent times by business leaders to teach tactics and strategies for business. Sun Tzu’s book reminds me of the old adage that truth is the first casualty of war. For instance, Sun Tzu says that if you are near your enemy, then make him think you are far off; if you are far away, then make him think you are close at hand; if you are few in number, then make him think you are many; if you are many, then make him think you are few. All these are strategies that have been used successfully throughout the centuries.
Ephesians 6 talks about about the war in which you and I are engaged today as believers. Verses 10-11 say, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” We are to put on God’s armor so we can withstand Satan’s deceptions and trickery.
As I read these verses, two thoughts come to mind. The first is that the devil need not fight you if he can fool you. Verse 11 says that we are to “stand against the wiles of the devil.” Repeatedly in this passage the Bible tells us we are to stand. We are to stand in the truth. This is a battle where the devil would like to fool us. The devil can take you without firing a shot if he can fool you.
The second thought to consider is that the battle is for the mind. Truth may be the first casualty of war, but when it comes to the devil, truth is the war. All the concepts being illustrated by the armor of God—truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation, and the Word of God—are all internal; they point back to the mind. The devil is fighting for mastery of our minds every day through the things that influence our thinking. We need to filter all the things that come into our mind through the Word of God.
Since the battle is for the mind, it is easy for us to be deceived into thinking we are being submissive when we are actually being manipulative. It is easy to think that we are spiritual because we are merely pious outwardly. And it is easy to think we are pure when we are unguarded in heart. The battle for the mind rages every day, and we need God’s strength to battle the devil with truth from His Word by the Spirit of God.