Devil’s schemes

What are the devil’s schemes (Ephesians 6:11)?

Ephesians 6:11 tells believers to “put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (ESV). Spiritual warfare is a reality, and we must be prepared for it. Our principal adversary is Satan, who devises “schemes” to thwart God’s purpose for our lives.

Ephesians 6:11 is part of a larger section (Ephesians 6:10–20) in which Paul outlines the spiritual armor necessary to withstand the devil and his minions. The Greek word for “schemes” in verse 11 is methodeias, the source of our English word method. It means “cunning, deceitful, and crafty tactics.” Thus, Satan and his plans are cunning, deceitful, and crafty. He is “a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Once we understand who Satan is and what he does, we can better resist him and defend ourselves against his wickedness.

The devil’s schemes, as suggested in the word methodeias, are fundamentally characterized by deception and craftiness. Scripture provides several insights into Satan’s methods:

• Deception: Perhaps the most fundamental scheme of Satan is deception. From his initial appearance in the Garden of Eden, where he deceives Eve by manipulating God’s words (Genesis 3:1–5), to his being “the one deceiving the whole world” (Revelation 12:9, NLT), deception is Satan’s primary tactic. Paul describes Satan as one who “masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). Satan is adept at making himself appear good when he is nothing but evil.
• Accusation: Revelation 12:10 describes Satan as “the accuser of our brothers . . . who accuses them day and night before our God” (ESV). He accused Job (Job 1:9–11), he accused Joshua (Zechariah 3:1), and he accuses us. This devil’s scheme involves bringing charges against believers to discourage and destabilize their faith, exploiting weak consciences and past sins.
• Temptation: A temptation is an enticement to sin. In the Gospels, Satan tempts Jesus in an attempt to derail Jesus’ divine mission (Matthew 4:1–11). He likewise tempts believers today by setting enticements before us, appealing to “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16). We must always be on guard against the devil’s schemes to lead us into sin.
• Division: In 2 Corinthians 2:10–11, Paul urges believers to forgive one another “so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs” (ESV). To create division within God’s family is one of the devil’s schemes. Satan plants seeds of unforgiveness, anger, bitterness, and resentment and fosters their growth. If we allow these seeds to grow in our hearts, then we allow Satan to disrupt the harmony and concord God desires for His people. To combat the devil’s scheme, we must “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3).

Our battle against the devil’s schemes is bigger than our personal, internal struggles. The battle includes the ongoing cosmic conflict between God and the forces of evil (see Ephesians 6:12). This is why we need the armor of God and divine protection from “the Commander of the army of the Lord” (Joshua 5:14, NKJV).

Paul’s call to “put on the whole armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11) implies that resistance to the devil’s schemes is not achieved through human strength but through divine power. We receive strength from the Lord by putting on truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the Word of God, and prayer (Ephesians 6:14–18). Each element of this armor is designed to protect us from the devil’s schemes: truth counters deception, righteousness guards against satanic accusations, the gospel of peace overcomes division, faith shields against doubt, salvation and the Word of God affirm our identity as children of God, and prayer keeps us aligned with the will of God.