Ephesians 6:11

Ephesians 6:11

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

a. NLT: Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.

b. NIV: Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

c. YLT: Put on the whole armour of God, for your being able to stand against the wiles of the devil,

d. Amplified Bible Classic:  Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil.

e. Worrell Translation: Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil.

f. Wuest Translation: Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God to the end that you will be able to hold your ground against.  

1. “Put on the whole armour of God…”

a. put on [Strong: 1746 enduo en-doo'-o from 1722 and 1416 (in the sense of sinking into a garment); to invest with clothing (literally or figuratively):--array, clothe (with), endue, have (put) on.]

b. the [Strong: 3588 ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.]

c. whole armour [Strong: 3833 panoplia pan-op-lee'-ah from a compound of 3956 and 3696; full armor ("panoply"):--all (whole) armour.]

d. of God [Strong: 2316 theos theh'-os of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with 3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very:--X exceeding, God, god(-ly, -ward).]

1). Paul actually says these very words twice, in this verse and two verses later. In Jewish thought when something is repeated it is very important, hence we can say the whole armour of God is necessary, not just part, part will not do. We as believers in Christ must access all that God has provided for us in this great Covenant if we want to be successful in overcoming the devil.   

2. “…that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

a. that [Strong: 4314 pros pros a strengthened form of 4253; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. toward (with the genitive case, the side of, i.e. pertaining to; with the dative case, by the side of, i.e. near to; usually with the accusative case, the place, time, occasion, or respect, which is the destination of the relation, i.e. whither or for which it is predicated):--about, according to , against, among, at, because of, before, between, (where-)by, for, X at thy house, in, for intent, nigh unto, of, which pertain to, that, to (the end that), X together, to (you) -ward, unto, with(-in). In the comparative case, it denotes essentially the same applications, namely, motion towards, accession to, or nearness at.]

1). Notice that the ability to “stand aginst the wiles of the devil”, are conditional, and condition is putting on the “whole armour of God”

b. ye [Strong: 5209 humas hoo-mas' accusative case of 5210; you (as the objective of a verb or preposition):--ye, you (+ -ward), your (+ own).]

c. may be able [Strong: 1410 dunamai doo'-nam-ahee of uncertain affinity; to be able or possible:--be able, can (do, + -not), could, may, might, be possible, be of power.]

d. to stand [Strong: 2476 histemi his'-tay-mee a prolonged form of a primary stao stah'-o (of the same meaning, and used for it in certain tenses); to stand (transitively or intransitively), used in various applications (literally or figuratively):--abide, appoint, bring, continue, covenant, establish, hold up, lay, present, set (up), stanch, stand (by, forth, still, up).]

e. against [Strong: 4314 pros pros a strengthened form of 4253; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. toward (with the genitive case, the side of, i.e. pertaining to; with the dative case, by the side of, i.e. near to; usually with the accusative case, the place, time, occasion, or respect, which is the destination of the relation, i.e. whither or for which it is predicated):--about, according to , against, among, at, because of, before, between, (where-)by, for, X at thy house, in, for intent, nigh unto, of, which pertain to, that, to (the end that), X together, to (you) -ward, unto, with(-in). In the comparative case, it denotes essentially the same applications, namely, motion towards, accession to, or nearness at.]

f. the [Strong: 3588 ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.]

g. wiles [Strong: 3180 methodeia meth-od-i'-ah from a compound of 3326 and 3593 (compare "method"); travelling over, i.e. travesty (trickery):--wile, lie in wait.] [Thayer: cunning arts, deceit, craft, trickery.] [Zodhiates: Method, the following or pursuing of an orderly and technical procedure in the handling of a subject. In the NT, connected with evil doing, a device, artifice, art, craft or wile.]

h. of the [Strong: 3588 ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.]

i. devil [Strong: 1228 diabolos dee-ab'-ol-os from 1225; a traducer; specially, Satan (compare 7854):--false accuser, devil, slanderer.]

1). Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians that we should not be ignorant of the devils devices.

a). 2 Corinthians 2:10, 11 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;

2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

2). The clear message in this is the devil will take advantage of our ignorance of the Scripture. Even the Old Covenant gave the same warning.

a). Isaiah 5:13 Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.

b). Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

3). Some of the other verses that mention the armour of God also stress the need for us to put it on in order for us to be victorious.

a). Romans 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

b). 2 Corinthians 6:7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

c). 1 Thessalonians 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.