Second, let’s look at the Devil’s schemes. Sinclair Ferguson writes, “As in all warfare, the two essential elements in victory are knowing your enemy and knowing your resources.” I believe that many believers don’t know their enemy and they don’t know their own resources in Christ. You won’t know how to fight if you don’t know who you are fighting and what you have to fight them with. God has given us the battle plan for the Christian life in Ephesians by revealing our wealth and walk in Christ. Now, as we see in this passage, God further reveals not just our divine supply for our stand against the enemy, but He tells us the Devil’s schemes against us. God has given us not just our battle plan, but our enemies. We have his profile and plan. We know that he is powerful, and that we are no match for him on our own; yet we also know that his power is limited unlike the limitless power and might of Christ. Eph. 6:11b-12 give us the Devil’s schemes saying, “that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” We have been given the responsibility to put on the whole armor so that we can stand against the “wiles of the devil.” Without the whole armor we can’t stand, nor can we truly walk in our wealth in Christ. Without the whole armor of God, the Christian life can’t be lived, or at least won’t be lived in the victory that Christ has given. The “wiles” of the devil are his schemes, his battleplans, his treachery and trickery. Don’t forget that Satan himself transforms himself into an “angel of light” (2 Cor. 11).
He has several schemes in his battle plan against believers that we will cover. One, his battle plan is one of deception. This has been his tactic since the Garden of Eden when he asked Eve, “Did God really say?” (Gen. 3). Satan is always seeking to deceive. He was the first to be deceived and seeks that all would fall under his deceptive rule. Deception has been warned against from Paul already in Eph. 4:14. The Devil tempts through deception by misinterpreting or misusing God’s Word (See Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness in Luke 4:1-15). Satan’s work is always to counteract or be a counterfeit to God’s work. Therefore, God is truth, His Word is truth, and we are to speak and live by the truth; Satan will seek to sow seeds of deception. If he can deceive you about your wealth in Christ, then he can damage your walk in Christ. Two, the Devil’s schemes are works of division. God wants you to live in your union to and with Christ which in turn means that we would live in the union that we have with the Church, our spouse, children etc. Therefore, the Devil would seek to bring division in your fellowship with Christ through disobedience (Eph. 4:25-32), distractions (Eph. 5:11-18), and discouragement (Eph. 3:10-14). If we can have division in our fellowship with Christ (vertical relationship), then our fellowship with the Church and all other relationships (horizontal relationships) will suffer. All throughout Ephesians we have seen our union with Christ and His Church. We have expounded on the fact that we are to walk in maturity and unity as His Body and Bride. If we allow the Devil to deceive and divide us, then we will remain immature rendering us ineffective in the spiritual battle. If we allow the Devil to deceive and divide us, then we will not walk in unity with one another (Church, spouse, children etc.) as we are designed to.
Notice too, that his schemes employ soldiers. The Devil has an army of fallen angels at his disposal. In his fall, one third of the innumerable angelic hosts fell with him (Isa. 14; Rev. 9, 12). In the angelic and demonic realm, there is structure, assignments, or spheres of influence. Our warfare as believers is not with “flesh and blood” but with an unseen enemy in an unseen realm that manifests in the personal realities of life. Behind every evil structure or system in the world, rest assured that there is demonic influence behind it. Satan is called the “prince and power of the air” (Eph. 2:1-3) and the “god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4). He seeks to deceive the nations (as he will after the Millennial Kingdom in Rev. 20) and divide through his schemes through the influence of his demonic soldiers who seek to do his bidding. C.S. Lewis writes about this in his classic book, Screwtape Letters. In this, Lewis gives an imaginative insight into the spiritual battles around us, the hierarchy of the demonic world, and the Devil’s schemes. If you study world history, you can clearly see the influence of the Devil’s schemes and soldiers. I believe with all my heart that there have been many leaders of empires and nations who have been demonically influenced or possessed (Examples: Nero, Napoleon, Karl Marx, Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Pol Pot, etc.). Politicians that make policies that go against God’s Word are under demonic deception. Anyone who promotes the things that God hates are under demonic influence. The Devil is crafty and consistent in his schemes. We know (and I believe that he knows) that he is an eternally defeated foe, but he still seeks victory in this present conflict. He will continue his insurgency in the world as he seeks to deceive and divide believers up so that they will be easier prey. Understand this, you may not be a match for him, but Christ has given and is Himself all that you need to stand against the enemy.
Third, we must take a determined stand. Eph. 6:13 says, “13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Your enemy won’t last forever. The battle won’t last forever. There is coming a day when Christ will put down every enemy fully and finally. He will usher His Bride into the new heavens and new earth for us to enjoy Him forever. The Bible is clear about that eternal day, but in this present day we must make a determined stand. Satan is determined in his attacks against you. Christ is determined that you would persevere and His work in you be complete (Philippians 1:6). Take heart and take hope. The war is won though the daily battles ensue. The only way to take a determined stand is to determine where you stand with God and then determine that you will stand not in your strength, but in the divine supply of infinite grace that is in Christ. We will not be able to “withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” if we first don’t “take unto you the whole armor of God.” We must understand that we are living in evil days. The evil day is here. It has been here, and it seems to grow more evil with every passing minute. Evil is around us and amongst us. We can see evil in our hearts, homes, churches and communities. The world around us is inundated with evil. Only someone who is still spiritually blinded in unbelief would deny such (Eph. 4:17-19). What is needed in these evil days is for each believer and the Church of Christ as a whole to determine to take a stand. The determined stand of faith of the believer and Church must be like Joshua determined to take a stand for God (Joshua 23-24). To take a determined stand for Christ, we must first determine to stand in Christ. As we determine by faith to stand in Christ we will be strengthened to walk in our wealth in Christ as we stand against the enemy in this spiritual war that we are in. We are not an army on our own, but we are an army that stands together in Christ, by Christ, and for Christ. God desires that you would stand in Christ so that when the battle is over you are still standing, not in your strength or victory, but Christ’s strength and victory. You and I can’t say that we are “have done all, to stand” if we aren’t even in the fight. Don’t stick your head in the sand. Don’t remain ignorant or indifferent to the war that is happening all around you. By faith, determine to stand determined in Christ.
Who you belong to determines who your enemy is in the great spiritual battle around us. If you still belong to the Devil (Eph. 2:1-3), then rest, knowing that he will leave you alone. He already has you, so his work is just to keep you deceived of your need of Christ to set you free from the Devil’s grip. If you belong to Christ, then stand, knowing that Christ is your supply and strength to take a determined stand against the enemy. Those who belong to Christ may be in the heat of battle, but they can rest knowing that the victory is sure (Rom. 8:37; 1 Cor. 15:57-58). Hear these masterful words of Martin Luther in his hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.”
It says, “1A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper he, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing. For still our ancient foe does seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal. 2Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing, were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing. You ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he; Lord Sabaoth his name, from age to age the same; and he must win the battle. 3And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God has willed his truth to triumph through us. The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo! his doom is sure; one little word shall fell him.4That Word above all earthly powers no thanks to them abideth; the Spirit and the gifts are ours through him who with us sideth. Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; the body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still; his kingdom is forever!”
Who do you belong to and what is your battle plan? Are you taking a stand against the enemy? You and I can never walk in our wealth in Christ without first learning to stand in Christ and stand against our eternal enemy. If you are without Christ, repent and believe the Gospel, lest you remain in the grips of the Devil. Satan and your sin are terrible masters that will only abuse you. Be deceived no longer. Look to Christ in faith and live. If you are in Christ, are you battled? Weary? Heavy laden? Come to Christ and be strengthened! By faith, put on the armor and stand in the infinite resources of grace that is in Christ. Be filled with the Spirit and determine in your heart to stand against your enemy for your sake, your family’s sake, the Church’s sake, and for Christ’s sake.
Grow with me as we study the believer’s wealth and walk in Christ.
Grow deeper.
Grow higher.
Grow wider.
Grow With Pastor Joe 
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