Have you ever seen a pop-up on a screen that says something like, “Congratulations! You won a free tablet! Click here to claim your prize!“? It looks exciting. But it’s a trick! There’s no free tablet. Someone is just trying to fool you into clicking.

Ephesians 6:11 uses an interesting word: wiles. The “wiles of the devil” are his tricks, schemes, and sneaky plans. The devil doesn’t announce, “Hi, I’m here to trick you!” He’s sneaky. He tries to make wrong things look fun and right things look boring.

Jesus called the devil “a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44). Lying is his specialty. He might whisper things like, “Nobody will ever find out,” or “One little lie won’t hurt,” or “God could never love someone like you.” Those are all lies!

But here’s the good news: the devil is not as powerful as God. He’s not even close! And God has given you everything you need to stand strong against his tricks. Ephesians 6 calls it “the whole armor of God.” It includes truth, faith, and the Word of God, which is called “the sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17). When you know what God says, you can spot the devil’s lies a mile away.

Take Action: Be a lie detector! Fold a piece of paper in half the long way to make two columns. At the top of the left side, write “Lie.” At the top of the right side, write “Truth.” Under “Lie,” write a few things the devil might whisper, like “You’re not good enough” or “God doesn’t care about you.” Then read these verses and use them to write God’s truth on the right side: Psalm 139:14, Romans 8:38-39, Hebrews 13:5, and 1 John 1:9. Keep your paper handy for the next time you hear one of those lies!