The Wiles of the Devil
I awakened early this morning and a scripture came to mind from Eph. Ch.6. Now I was brought up on the King James Version and these scriptures that come to mind usually come in the KJV language so this verse found in Eph. 6:11 says, “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil,” and it goes on to tell us what that armor is. I immediately wondered ( not the first time in my life) what exactly are the “wiles” of the devil?
Beware of his “wiles” Of course we all know what “wiles” are …don’t we? I thought to myself “self why not look at some newer translations and get the modern twist on what a wile is?” So I went to the New King James…it says “wiles”
Not much help there Let’s try the internet ….it has everything on it. So I went into a website called BibleGateway.com and I found all the versions (and perversions; Perry?) The Niv calls “wiles”…schemes. Schemes…that makes sense. In fact a lot of the newer translations say “schemes”
I particularly like the Wycliffe New Testament version.
Ephesians 6:11 (Wycliffe New Testament)
Wycliffe New Testament (WYC)
2001 by Terrence P. Noble,
11 Clothe you with the armour of God, that ye be able to stand against the ambushings [the ambushings, or assailings,] of the devil
And that is just what he does. Now to ambush someone, you have to catch him off guard; when he is not looking. I also liked this rendering from “The Message which includes verse 10 also.
Ephesians 6:11 (The Message)
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson
A Fight to the Finish
10-12And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.
I don’t think I need to explain this and it answers so well my question and it drives the point home that this is not a skirmish, it’s a fight to the finish….every day, all day.
I really needed to be reminded this morning I have a battle raging against me and so do you and it is a spiritual battle against our souls; the battle field is the mind and that’s where Satan’s attacks are strongest. That is the front lines.
13-18Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.
I’m going to press harder toward the mark. How about you?
" But for the grace of God"
I awakened early this morning and a scripture came to mind from Eph. Ch.6. Now I was brought up on the King James Version and these scriptures that come to mind usually come in the KJV language so this verse found in Eph. 6:11 says, “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil,” and it goes on to tell us what that armor is. I immediately wondered ( not the first time in my life) what exactly are the “wiles” of the devil?
Beware of his “wiles” Of course we all know what “wiles” are …don’t we? I thought to myself “self why not look at some newer translations and get the modern twist on what a wile is?” So I went to the New King James…it says “wiles”
Not much help there Let’s try the internet ….it has everything on it. So I went into a website called BibleGateway.com and I found all the versions (and perversions; Perry?) The Niv calls “wiles”…schemes. Schemes…that makes sense. In fact a lot of the newer translations say “schemes”
I particularly like the Wycliffe New Testament version.
Ephesians 6:11 (Wycliffe New Testament)
Wycliffe New Testament (WYC)
2001 by Terrence P. Noble,
11 Clothe you with the armour of God, that ye be able to stand against the ambushings [the ambushings, or assailings,] of the devil
And that is just what he does. Now to ambush someone, you have to catch him off guard; when he is not looking. I also liked this rendering from “The Message which includes verse 10 also.
Ephesians 6:11 (The Message)
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson
A Fight to the Finish
10-12And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.
I don’t think I need to explain this and it answers so well my question and it drives the point home that this is not a skirmish, it’s a fight to the finish….every day, all day.
I really needed to be reminded this morning I have a battle raging against me and so do you and it is a spiritual battle against our souls; the battle field is the mind and that’s where Satan’s attacks are strongest. That is the front lines.
13-18Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.
I’m going to press harder toward the mark. How about you?
" But for the grace of God"
posted by Randall | 6:09 a.m.
2 Comments:
How easy it would be for us if the devil just left us alone. How would we grow in Christ and learn to call upon His name? We are apt to go through trials and temptations. Thats how we get close and grow with God. I thank Him for His precious blood that covers us from darkness!!
Thanks you so much for this as I needed to hear it. It seems every time I talked to someone to day it was like a battle as all I could see was the negative and reading this has remined me that I am Gods and HE is in controlled and will help us in the hard places so we can grow in HIM. Blessings to you both.
B & G
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