” ‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” (Ephesians 4:26)
Okay, we get it. Although anger is not a sin by itself, it makes it a whole lot easier to sin. After all, add a “d” to “anger” and you get “look out!” But how are we supposed to let it go before the day ends? How are we supposed to stop the sun from setting?
First, you’ve got to believe it’s possible, or Paul wouldn’t tell us to do it. With God’s help, you absolutely do have the power to stop being angry for today, at the very least.
Paul quotes here from Psalm 4:4, where David says we should go lie down, think hard, and shut up to keep out of sin until we can ditch the anger. That’s good wisdom.
Notice also that anger pushes you to the front lines of spiritual battle. Anger nurtured somehow gives Satan a place to stand in our heads. Anger protected and unreleased gives him access to our hearts.
We’ve got to let it go.
Think: On a scale from 1 to 10, how hard is it for you to stop feeling angry once it hits? What could you do to make it less likely that you will sin when you’re feeling angry?
Pray: Ask God to help you not to sin when you’re angry and to learn to let go of your anger quickly. Ask Him to protect you from the devil’s attempts to use your anger against you.
Do: Read and think about memorizing Psalm 4:4.