Friday, March 11, 2022
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger and give no opportunity to the devil. Ephesians 4:26-27
Keeping the Devil Out
Paul has spent the first three chapters of Ephesians talking about the goodness of God, His merciful gifts and all He has done for us. Now he is getting into what exactly living this new life looks like. This new life goes against our human nature. We were born sinners with a sinful nature. Life in the Spirit is exactly opposite of our sinful nature - or our flesh.
One of the things Paul tells us in Chapter 4 is to Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger. Controlling our anger is something many people struggle with. It also destroys families, relationships, marriages, careers, and much more. Anger is destructive when it gets out of control, thus Paul’s advice.
Be angry and do not sin - Being angry is not a sin, in and of itself, but it can open us to sin if we don't handle it in a spiritual way. Paul cautions believers here about this very thing. When anger gets out of control it is sin. Paul know that we will be angry sometimes, but what we do when we are angry is the main point. The “old man” would get angry and act on that anger without blinking an eye. But the “new man” would try to not sin in his anger. I say try because sometimes we do things we do not want to do - because we are human. Paul knew this too - For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Romans 7:15 The new man knows how to let go of his wrath, even though he may fail at times.
Do not let the sun go down on your anger - If you are in an argument with someone, get it resolved. Don’t let it linger because the longer it lingers, the worse the infection that will set in. Anger, when it is not dealt with, festers and grows, and gives the devil an opportunity. Letting anger go unresolved divides us, and Satan wants nothing more than for the family of God to be divided.
And give no opportunity to the devil - The devil’s desire is to divide the family of God, and anger is an open door for him to get into our lives. It only takes a tiny opening for him to worm his way in and spread seeds of discontent and bitterness in our hearts. When we hold on to anger in our heart, we do the devil’s work for him - we give him the perfect opportunity to divide and separate us. When we harbor unresolved anger, we open the door and invite the devil right in.
So what can we do to make sure that our anger does not get out of control and cause division in our lives? Paul gives us the answer a few verses later in this chapter: Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 Just as we have been forgiven by God, we are called to remember this forgiveness and grace, and forgive others. It is His design and will for us that we do not let anger fester and give the devil an opportunity. It is His grace and mercy in our hearts, that allows us to resolve our conflicts with kindness, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as He has forgiven us.
