Ephesians 6:11 - There IS an enemy, and his name is diabolos...

"Put on the full armor of God toward you all to being enabled to stand against the methods of the devil."

-As it turns out, strength is for battle.  For there is an enemy, an adversary, a liar, a deceiver and a thief - a cunning schemer, this one.  He comes in an albeit vain attempt to steal, kill, and destroy the glory of God, constantly prowling around and probing for ways to frighten and paralyze and devour God’s people (1Peter 5.8).  His name is Diabolos - the slandering one.  And that’s what he do - throwing across lies and half-truths, trying to condemn, discourage, ensnare.  Diabolical.  In modern English, diabolos is ‘devil’, once an angel, but rest assured he is no longer angelic.  He is our ultimate adversary, and we ignore or dismiss his existence and exploits to our great peril.

-He is referred to by this name ‘devil’ only in the New Testament, but he is known by other names (Revelation 12.9).  He is the serpent of old, first appearing on the scene a long time ago in a garden paradise far, far away.  He was fundamentally a deceiver even then, and he is a deceiver still today.  He twists and distorts truth about God and what He wants, about who I am, and about life.  And in perverting the truth he is able to steal and kill and wreak destruction on the glorious creation of God, all the morass of cascading brokenness attendant with rejecting God and His truth.  The goal then for God’s people is to be enabled and equipped by God to stand firm like a stake in the face of whatever methods Diabolos may be allowed to employ against us.  And to be sure, our heavenly Father will not allow him to do anything against which we cannot survive - and triumph! (Job 1.9-12, 1Corinthians 10.13, 2Peter 3.9)

-Towards this end, God has provided each believer with a kind of panoplia (from which we derive our modern English ‘panoply’).  We’re talking about a full set of battle armor designed specifically in this case for successfully engaging in spiritual warfare against this desperate and determined deceiver.  Paul here says put it on, once and for all.  Suit up, people!