Don’t go to bed angry
Ephesians 4:26-27(MSG) 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. Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.
Ephesians 4:26(ESV) says: Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
To refuse to surrender our anger is to welcome the devil in our hearts and relationships. It allows him to take new ground, and to extend his stay in any given situation.
Psalm 37:8(NLT) Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper—it only leads to harm.
Proverbs 29:22(NLT) An angry person starts fights; a hot-tempered person commits all kinds of sin.
James 1:19-20(AMP) Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving]; for the [resentful, deep-seated] anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God [that standard of behavior which He requires from us].
Proverbs 16:32(AMP) He who is slow to anger is better and more honorable than the mighty [soldier], And he who rules and controls his own spirit, than he who captures a city.
Paul mentions that we are allowed to be angry but should not sin. The longer we hold onto anger, the more tempted we may be to use that anger for ungodly reasons. Anger could lead us to have continued conflict, say hurtful words, or perform other hurtful actions that we cannot take back.
Satan wants to establish a foothold in our lives to take over more and more of our lives. Once he gets deep enough into an area of sin, he turns the foothold into a stronghold, and that makes it harder for you to take back control of your life.
We are not supposed to give the devil any opportunity to influence our lives. He should not have any place in our lives because he is an enemy of God and wants to destroy God’s people.
1 Peter 5:8(ESV) Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
The longer we remain angry, the more opportunities we are giving the devil to sow hatred and discontentment. We must dispose of our anger as quickly as possible, so that we do not give any place to the devil.
We should follow Paul’s advice, Ephesians 4:31(NLT) Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.
In conclusion, the Scriptures teach us the importance of managing anger. We should not allow anger to persist, as it can lead to sin and provide the devil with an opportunity to sow discord and destruction. Instead, we should strive to let go of anger, seeking resolution and forgiveness, and embracing self-control. By doing so, we protect our hearts, relationships, and spiritual well-being.
Remember: Don’t go to bed angry.