Standing against Satan’s wiles means standing against his schemes and maneuvers designed to achieve his objectives. These can include deceptive and seductive tactics intended to disarm us and trick us into following him. It is important to recognize these tactics and stay vigilant against them in order to resist his influence and stay true to our beliefs.
Emphasis on “the whole armour”. The focus continues to remain on completeness above all. Leaving no point unguarded or vulnerable.
It is called the armor of God, because he both prepares and bestows it. We have no armour of our own that will be armour that is able to withstand a truly trying time. Nothing will stand us in stead but the armor of God. This armor is prepared for us. The reason why the Christian should be completely armed is so that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil–that we may be able to hold out, and to overcome, notwithstanding all the devil’s assaults, both of force and fraud, all the deceits he puts upon us, all the snares he lays for us, and all his ploys and schemes against us. This the apostle enlarges upon here, and shows:
Romans 13 Paul says that The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore take off the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light...
PUT ON the Lord Jesus Christ…
What our danger is, and what need we have to put on this whole armour, considering what sort of enemies we have to deal with–the devil and all the powers of darkness:
The combat for which we are to be prepared is not against ordinary human enemies, but against the several ranks of devils, who have a government which they exercise in this world.
This is a subtle enemy, an enemy who uses wiles and strategy, as Ephesians 6:11. He has a thousand ways of beguiling unstable minds: hence he is called a serpent for subtlety, an old serpent, highly skilled in the art of tempting.
He is a powerful enemy: Principalities, and powers, and rulers.
They are spiritual enemies: Spiritual wickedness in high places, or wicked spirits, as some translate it.
The devil is a spirit, a wicked spirit & our risk is greater because they are unseen, they assault us when we are not aware of them. Because they are wicked spirits, they provoke spiritual wickednesses, pride, envy, malice, etc in all people, with their aim directed at God’s people.
They are in high places, or in heavenly places, so the word is, taking heaven (as one says) for the whole expanse, they are spread out of the air between the earth and the stars, the air being the place from which the devils assault us.
As Scoffield stated: “It might read more properly, “We wrestle about heavenly places or heavenly things ” so some of the ancients interpret it.
Our enemies strive to prevent our ascent to Heaven, to deprive us. They assault us in the things that belong to our souls, and labour to deface the heavenly image in our hearts and therefore we have to be on guard against them. We need faith in our God to battle, because we have spiritual enemies to grapple with.
So, our wrestling is not against flesh, flesh is shallow & material, obviously weak. We dont dwell on what’s already wasting away for too long because He reminds us that we are going to die in our flesh & what a beautiful thing that is because the death of the flesh is Life.
John 1:13: We were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man,but of God.
🔗 Scriptures Outlining the prominence of our flesh to God.🔗
We who know Him, whom He made able to distinguish & recognize Him distinctly, clearly come to See that the flesh is no profit, None. Flesh is dying, rotting, already dead.
In Him we seek the imperishable, KNOWING it is our future, if I didn’t know I was in the Truth, I would NOT Keep on this road.
SCRIPTURE Says we wrestle, we dont kick with anger & force, we dont beat the crap out of Lucifer in self-righteous Pride & we dont destroy or eradicate Lucifer & his angels either.
God said the BATTLE IS NOT OURS, IT BELONGS TO THE LORD. We grapple, we know GODS GOT THIS.
