This question bothered me for quite some time. I thought, Why didn't I know this!? I grew up in church.
A mentor finally adressed this, saying (in paraphrase) the people who take light into darkness, who START ministries, who are effective in the darkness know ALL about this. The average Christian and the average church do not experience a reaction from the darkness because they aren't threatening to it.
It is also a tricky subject. The Word says that only some have (thought all can have, I believe) the gift of the discernment of spirits. So there remain a great number of people who are simply ignorant of what that even means and have shortened it to mean "the gift of discernment"--taking the "of spirits" because it is unnerving and WEIRD to people. It is just a blind spot.
The works of the devil are also usually just seen as lies invading the truth--which is true. I don't think a person has to know that they are dealing with deceiving spirits. Knowing that they are dealing with lies really is sufficient. In the scriptures, footholds and strongholds of the devil are defined as THOUGHTS that we have exalted above God's Word. LIES THAT WE HAVE CHOSEN OVER TRUTH.
These two ways of depicting "the wiles of the devil" seem to be at 2 extremes: the first seems like a hyped-up horror scene (imagining demons trying to 'get' you?) and the other seems sleepy, like, how could a thought have power?
In my experience the reality is in the middle of the two. I am often drawn to one of the extremes--the one making me feel afraid as if it's a big deal, the other unconcerned as if it's no big deal. But it IS A REAL THING, but something that I should neither be afraid nor unconcerned of. That, to me, is truly learning to understand the enemy. What are you really dealing with?
Here's another way of looking at it: if a person is not committed to truth and is not keeping the Word of God as a focal point--coming into their eyes and ears--they are accepting non-truths as normal and are entertaining strongholds. For that person, a revelation of the discernment of spirits might help them see the power of keeping their minds renewed by the Word.
But ultimately, if a person loves the idea of fighting dark spiritual powers but refuses to renew his mind with the truth of God, keeping his mind and ears and eyes fixed on it continually, he will have no victory.
So neither angle of understanding (thinking of the Deceiver as a liar or a lie) is better. They are both true. It is a liar telling lies. They are 2 things, also one. The liar brings the lie, embodies the lie, has only the purpose of bringing the lie.
Your mind is fighting against lies which try to get you to let go of the truth..... try to get the Word of God uprooted so that it does not take root in your heart. See the parable of the sower, called the master parable, which Jesus says unlocks every other parable.
