God orchestrates the grand downfall of a distant enemy, pulling the strings of history to lead a massive army to its final defeat. He directs the enemy's movements by awakening a spirit of rebellion within him. By allowing the enemy to be guided entirely by his own evil inclination, God sets the stage for a catastrophic war [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ].
The exact nature of this divine manipulation is understood in a few different ways. The primary approach among commentators suggests a process of deep deception and temptation. Much like the serpent tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden, God will entice and confuse the enemy, luring him into the military campaign [רש״י, מצודת ציון, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ, ורד ק בשם תרגום יונתן]. Alternatively, the focus is on the devastating outcome, pointing to complete destruction or a harsh decree where only a mere one-sixth of the vast army will survive the conflict [רד״ק, צאינה וראינה].
Another perspective connects the enemy's fate to a series of six divine judgments. God will unleash six natural punishments against the invading forces: pestilence, blood, torrential rain, hailstones preserved since the days of Moses, fire, and brimstone [רד״ק, מלבי״ם, צאינה וראינה, צוארי שלל, חומת אנך]. Some add that the enemy will suffer six specific physical disasters on the battlefield, such as the shattering of his weapons and his fallen soldiers being left as food for wild birds and beasts [צוארי שלל, חומת אנך]. The conflict itself may also shatter into a chaotic war between six different camps fighting one another [מלבי״ם].
Drawn from the far edges of the earth and the distant north, the enemy will march at the head of a massive coalition of nations, embarking on a sweeping campaign of conquest. God will bring him directly upon the mountains of Israel with the illusion of certain victory [מנחת שי]. The enemy will arrive fully expecting to conquer and inherit the land, completely unaware that he has been led there only to meet his absolute doom [ביאור שטיינזלץ, צאינה וראינה].