Ephesians 4:27
“and do not give the devil an opportunity.”
This is a very curious comment. Who wants to give the devil an opportunity? I think most would want to stay clear of him. Particulary if they understood what his aim was and what his power was capable of. It’s like we are leaving an open door for him.
What does the devil want? Jesus said this in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;” These are end goals. He starts out by luring us away from God. He makes God and his ways seem prudish and boring. Billy Joel said in his song Only The Good Die Young, “the sinners are much more fun”. I’ve heard people jokingly say they would rather be in hell with their friends. These are both misconceptions which are huge success’ for the devil’s marketing campaign.
To set some things straight, in God’s presence (and in heaven) will be all the positive emotions/actions, etc. Here’s a list: love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self control (Galations 5). All the things that bring us joy are rooted in God: adventure, excitement, comradere, creativity, stimulation, healthy competition, productivity, and more. Heaven will be Magic Mountain to the 10th power. 1 Corinthians 2:9 says, “but as it is written, Things which eye saw not, and ear heard not, And which entered not into the heart of man, Whatsoever things God prepared for them that love him.” We can’t even dream up the cool things God has planned.
Let’s go back to the devil. Galations 5:19-21 contains the deeds of the flesh. We could also say that these are all the result of the devil’s work. “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” The devil is not a good guy. His aims are everything negative.
So, we don’t want to give the devil an opportunity. In the context of the passage, the topic is “be angry, but don’t sin.” Anger is like a virus. A virus can be used for research to create an antidote. However, they normally get people sick. Anger can motivate to resolve unhealthy relationships or poor actions. But it can easily spill over and create bitterness, overly strong reactions, gossip and more. These bad actions are the opportunities the devil uses.
What are other things that are opportunites the devil uses? The list is endless. Almost anything can be abused. It is interesting that anger is highlighted. I would say that it’s such a strong emotion that it’s difficult to control. It so easily goes negative. Anger is in all of us. Many things can lead to anger: frustration, irritations, selfishness, and on. Anger can appear calm. We all think of the rage-aholic. But it’s in everyone. The list of the deeds of the flesh can result from out of control anger: “enmities, strife, jealousy, disputes, dissentions, factions, …”
Lord, help us to use anger properly. Help us to see the areas in us where anger is out of control. Help us not to give the devil an opportunity.