Part 1: Anger

"Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity." Ephesians 4.26-27 (NASB).

I want to begin this study of the footholds of the devil with the verse people immediately think about when they hear that phrase. The first foothold I want to look at is anger.

We have this verse in Ephesians 4. It tells us first to be angry, but in our anger not to sin. It then says that our anger needs to be dealt with, and that we must deal with it before the sun sets. Be angry, but don't sin, and don't be angry for long, deal with it.

In this verse the word anger appears twice. In English it's the same word, anger, meaning "strong feeling of displeasure and belligerence aroused by a wrong." But the New Testament wasn't written in English. In Greek there are two different words used here. The first word is orgizesthe. This word is any natural impulse, desire or disposition. It was originally the strongest passion or emotion that people had. It later came to signify anger specifically.

Anger is a strong emotion, it can do both good or harm depending on it's source and guidance.

In this case we are told to be angry. We are told to feel this strong emotion. Jesus did in John 2.13-22 when the Temple had been turned into a marketplace. He makes a whip out of cords and drives out the sellers and over turns the money changers tables. This is righteous anger, anger that is good, anger that is angry about the right things. Jesus is not taking revenge for some wrong that has been done against Him, He never does, not even for the cross. Anger is good when it is motivated by righteousness, when it is used to protect the things of God. We have to be careful with taking this too far though, or we could end up with something like the Crusades, and the killing of people in the name of God.

Orgizesthe an active emotion, and it can easily lead to revenge. But in revenge we sin. God says "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay." (Romans 12.19b). Revenge is never good when it is taken by humans. Revenge is never justified for humans. I know this is hard to accept, there are people that I would love to hand out vengeance to for things they have done. I am allowed to be angry about the things that they have done, but it is not my place to take vengeance, that belongs to God. It is my role to hand them over to God, and to trust that He will deal with it in a way that glorifies Him. I must not desire for them to suffer, but for the will of God to be done in their lives. This is difficult at times.

God doesn't say don't be angry, He created us with a wide range of emotions, anger being one of them, but anger for the right reasons, angry at the right things. And in my anger I am not to sin. I am not give in to the desire for vengeance, because it is not mine to take. That belongs to God. Anger that leads to vengeance destroys relationships. It destroys our relationship with God. When I am focused on taking revenge, on getting even, my focus isn't on God. When my anger is focused on righting a wrong through building the Kingdom, for example, being angry about millions of children dieing each year from hunger and preventable diseases, and therefore I sponsor a child to help end the problem, then my anger is righteous. When my anger causes me to stand up for the Kingdom in a way that is Bionically grounded and leads to the Glory of God, like Jesus in the Temple, then my emotion is righteous.

"Be angry, and yet do not sin;" there's the first part. Secondly, "do not let the sun go down on your anger," here we have another word, parorgismoi (long o at the end). In the King James version this word is translated as wrath, which in English is "violent anger; strong, stern or fierce anger; deeply resentful indignation." The Greek word is a stronger form of our first word, it is anger that is provoked to wrath. It is provoked to violence, to vengeance, if it isn't dealt with.

The Bible say, don't let the sun set on anger that is being provoked into something bigger. If it isn't dealt with right way it becomes out of control. The longer we wait to deal with it, the harder it becomes to deal with. If we allow it to take root and grow it begins to rule our lives. It guides the things we say, the way we act, the way we think. It destroys relationships because walls begin to be built and bullets begin to be fired.

Both of these words for anger are emotions that we must be in control of. We must never take revenge for a wrong, we must not allow our anger to be able to take root and fester. Either of these situations gives the devil his foothold. Taking revenge takes my focus off of God, it allows Satan to have an opportunity to damage a relationship, or several relationships for a long time, if not forever. If anger is allowed to stew unchecked, he can move in and begin to build walls. Relationships are destroyed because a situation is not dealt with.

Anger that is not controlled is never good, so how do we control it? Romans 12.9-21,

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

We control our anger by building relationships. If our relationship with God is strong and healthy, He will be our focus. Our desires will be for Him and His Kingdom. My anger will not be over trivial things that do not matter but over things that have eternal significance. When I am wronged, as difficult as it may be, I will be able to hand the situation over to Him. I will be able to receive healing and to offer forgiveness, desiring that the will of God will be done.

I build and strengthen my relationships with others, I love people. I let my love be genuine, I bless those who persecute me, I wish them well, not harm, and this can be difficult, but we are told to live at peace with all men as much as it depends on us. I don't take revenge, I don't focus on evil, but on good. I serve my enemy and take care of him if he has a need. I overcome evil with good. I show love, I live for the glory of God.

We overcome anger through relationships. Satan wants us to be alone, alone we are weak, alone we are defeateable. But together we can not be overcome. Together we form an impenetrable wall, my mind thinks of a Spartan phalanx, all the warriors stand side by side with their shields overlapping, protecting everyone. Relationships protect they don't destroy. Relationships are crucial, and anger destroys them.

Don't allow the devil to destroy your relationship with God or with those closest to you by giving him the foothold of anger.

Peace be with you.

Footholds of the Devil

"and do not give the devil an opportunity." Ephesians 4.27 in the New American Standard Bible. The New International Version says, "and do not give the devil a foothold." While the King James Version says, "Neither give place to the devil." To really get at the meaning of this word, to get the correct translation, we have to go back to the original text.

The word in Greek is topon which is a form of the word topos meaning, "place, opportunity, position, room, space, dwelling, or seat." Every translation of the Bible has this word correctly translated, we are told not to allow Satan into our lives. We can't give him an opportunity to enter our lives, we can't give him a chance to get a grip.

As I look at the different translations of this word I think about what they mean. Place, room, space, and dwelling are very similar. At my parent's house I had a room. It was my space to unpack, to live. At college I had a dorm room, a dwelling place where I could set up and work on projects. We aren't supposed to let Satan have this space in our lives. When we let the devil have a place in our hearts he is able to unpack his equipment, he can work on projects and begin his work at destroying our relationships.

When I think of the word position, my mind immediately goes to a battle, and a place of strategic advantage, like a hill top, or a cliff face looking over a beach as enemy troops attack. Position is a strong hold that is easy to defend and difficult to attack. When we let the devil in, he immediately goes to the hill top and sets up his base. Once he's there it is difficult to get him out because he has a well defended position. From there he can pick his targets and take them out at will.

Seat is a word that is close to my heart. A seat is at a table, you occupy one as you have a meal. The best times to build relationships are at meals, because everyone has to eat. Everyone will come into the kitchen, not everyone will get to your living room. A seat requires an invitation, you invite someone to join you at the table for a meal. At the table you sit and talk as you enjoy a meal. You share stories and deepen relationships. If we allow Satan into our lives we've invited him to the table. He's a dinner guest who monopolizes the conversation and ruins the evening.

Don't allow Satan to have an opportunity to unpack in a room. Don't allow him to have the opportunity to climb the hill and set up his base. Don't allow him to have the opportunity to ruin relationships by taking over a meal. When we allow him into our lives we've given him all of these opportunities, and once he's there he begins his work of destroying our relationships.

As I look at this I think about the different ways we give Satan a foothold. In Ephesians it says that Anger can become a foothold. It's the only place the word is used, but it's not the only foothold. Philippians tells us not to be anxious, Anxiety or worry, is another foothold. There is Fear, the Bible tells us to "Fear not" dozens of times, because fear is a foothold of the devil. Pride is another one, along with Greed. In talking to my wife she mentioned Ignorance, and I thought of Apathy. All of these give Satan on invitation to the table, and all of them lead to broken relationships with others and with God.

Over the next few weeks I want to look at each one, and the scriptures that talk about how they destroy our relationships and therefore our lives. As we look at these, it is my hope that we can remove them form our lives. Some of them have positive qualities that we need, but Satan tries to corrupt them so that he can work. Others are fully negative and have no place in our lives and we need to do away with them.

God created us for relationships, and if we allow Satan to have a foothold he will begin to destroy them. So let's look at these so that we can remove the footholds, and keep Satan out.

Peace be with you