Don't You Let Him In! – Ephesians 4:26-27

26   Go ahead and be angry.  You do well to be angry - but don't use your anger as fuel for revenge.  And don't stay angry. Don't go to bed angry.

27  Don't give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life. 

     – Ephesians 4:26-27

Don't You Let Him In!

We all get angry – it's just in our nature, and sometimes that anger is justified, but holding on to that anger is a dangerous endeavor and we should all be very careful not to give in to its seductive powers.  The Bible tells us that giving in to our anger will give the devil a foothold. It will let him find a way in to our lives.  We just can't let that happen!

Another way to think of the devil is as a "penetrator" who wants to find a way into any area of our lives so he can take up residence.  Like some kind of evil tapeworm, he finds a way in and feeds and sucks all of the good out of our lives – if we let him.  The problem is that we are all susceptible to this parasite when we hold on to things which first, give him a way in, and second, gives him the food he needs to grow.  He can be a destructive force in the lives of every one of us, and he can cause division, separation, animosity, and even hatred. He can destroy a church through the unrepented anger of just one member of the congregation – THAT's how dangerous holding on to anger is!  It gives the devil permission to set up a base-camp and begin his destructive objectives.

We give the enemy a way in to our lives when we: 

• Refuse to let go of our anger
• Refuse to acknowledge our errors
• Refuse to forgive others
• Refuse to stop judging others 
• Refuse to admit we were wrong
• Refuse to say, "I'm sorry" when we're wrong

All of those scenarios are things we take ownership of when we are focused on our own selfish desires instead of the desires of our Lord Jesus.  There is no love in refusing to refuse our pride and our prejudices.  There is no love in holding on to anger, there is only future pain, loneliness, and turmoil, which we bring on ourselves.

Instead of allowing your anger to take control of your life, stop and tell yourself, Okay, this isn't as big of a deal as I'm making it out to be. The devil is trying to find a place in my mind to get me to start mentally accusing that person, and I'm not going to let him do it.  Instead of dwelling on all the faults of that person, look in the mirror yourself!   Consider how many times you've let down other people; how many mistakes you've made in your relationships; the times you should have been held accountable but instead were shown unbelievable mercy. That long look in the mirror should bring you back down to earth – back into the realization that you have no right to hold on to your anger, and that a little grace and mercy might just bring blessings to everyone involved.

Ask the Holy Spirit to take that selfish anger out of your heart!  Ask Him to cause the love of Christ, that is already in you, to flow toward that other person or group of people. Pray for an opportunity to strengthen your relationships so that all the entry places to your life remain bonded in the blood of Christ. Stop the devil from worming his way into your life and coming between you and the people that our Lord has graciously placed in your life – you need them, and they need you more than you know!

Prayer

Father, please forgive my pride and the anger that results when I don't get my way.  I don't want to let the enemy have a way into my life and I certainly don't want to harm anyone with my selfish ways.  I know how much damage and pain I have caused in the past and I am so thankful that You continue to be patient with me as I learn how to love.  I pray that I can continue to be mindful of my motives, my actions, my words, and my thoughts – that they honor You and the life that I have in You.

Have a blessed day my Brothers!

– Richard