How Anger and Bitterness Give Satan a Foothold in our Lives

Daily Devotional – Friday, August 5, 2022
…nor give place to the devil.
Ephesians 4:27 (NKJV)

The nomad is resting in his tent after a tiresome day. The camel lies outside. As the desert cold begins to bite, the animal cries to its owner, “Please allow me to place my head inside the tent.”

The herder considers the request for a moment. It is only the head, he tells himself. As the nights gets chillier, though, the freezing animal requests to bring the shoulders into the tent. The nomad obliges.

Put Away all Bitterness and Anger

Before the poor man realizes it, the camel’s whole body is in the tiny tent. He is now exposed to the punishing cold. The wind blows away the tent. The herder regrets allowing the camel’s head into the tent in the first place.

In Ephesians 4, Paul urges Christians to put off the old man of sin and put on the new man of righteousness. Here is an excerpt:

“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” (Verses 31-32).

Nor Give Place to the Devil

In the middle of this long admonition to Christians to live according to their calling, Paul writes, “…nor give place to the devil.” (Ephesians 4:27). Like the naïve nomad, we can easily give room to the devil in our lives by allowing vices to rule over us.

The Amplified Bible renders this verse, “And do not give the devil an opportunity [to lead you into sin by holding a grudge, or nurturing anger, or harboring resentment, or cultivating bitterness].”

Satan loves the so-called lesser sins like anger. He uses them to gradually entrench himself in our lives and eventually separate us from God. “Do not give the devil a foothold.” (NIV).

Prayer
Holy Spirit, imbue my life that the devil may not have a foothold in it.