When I asked Jesus to come into my life in July of 1973, I experienced a deep joy and peace. I felt as though a burden had been lifted from me. But I soon learned that I had also inherited His enemy.

I discovered the Christian walk includes both abundant life and abundant warfare. I had peace deep within, but at the same time, a battle. The Prince of Darkness, whom I had once followed, now hated my new Friend, so he turned his attention to me.

In Ephesians 6, Paul takes us to the battlefield. “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (vv. 10-11).

The truth is, as a Christian, you’re a target. Satan is out to destroy your life, to neutralize your influence, and to make you ineffective. Therefore, none of us can be spiritual pacifists. The Christian life is not a playground; it’s a battleground.

Jesus makes it clear the Devil is real—he’s a deeply malevolent and intelligent spiritual being. He’s studied human nature for a long time and knows how to craft temptations that are tailor-made to each of us.

So, what are “the wiles of the devil” (v. 11)? The Greek word is methodia: methods, schemes, plots, plans, etc. It implies someone who carefully studies another in order to determine the right method of attack or an animal studying its prey. Scripture tells us Satan is a “roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Satan’s tactics vary, but he generally has two main lines of attack. One is an outward, frontal assault; the other is far more subtle from within.

One is persecution: a full-scale attack to intimidate and wear the believer down. The other is infiltration. If the outward assault through trials and temptations fails, he may seek to influence believers by using unbelievers in churches to distract or sway them.

Paul said that Satan transforms himself as an angel of light, so it’s no surprise that demons also disguise themselves as ministers of light (see 2 Corinthians 11:14-15). This is why we must test everything against God’s Word to discern what’s true (see Acts 17:11).

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:12). There’s something going on behind the scenes: principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness of this age.

There is, however, good news, too. While the bad news is that a third of the angels fell with Satan, the good news is two-thirds did not—which means Satan’s forces are outnumbered. The faithful angels are on our side, serving as “ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14).

In 2 Kings 6, when the Syrians besieged the city, Elisha told his servant, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:16-17). And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes to see the angelic hosts surrounding them.

Perspective matters. Truth matters. Knowing your Bible matters.

And when fear begins to rise, our prayer should be, “Lord, open my eyes that I might see what’s really going on.” For, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

“He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

Skip Heitzig is an author, the host of the nationwide radio program “Connect with Skip Heitzig,” the senior pastor of Calvary Church in Albuquerque, and serves on several boards, including Samaritan’s Purse.