Ephesians 4:26-27 26Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27and do not give any place to the devil.
These verses need to be interpreted carefully. Paul is not saying that we should be angry. This is not a command for believers to work on being angry. He is quoting a phrase from Psalm 4:4 from the Septuagint, which is then likely governing how he states his principle. Anger is a natural emotional response we have when we feel threatened in some way. It is a defense mechanism that prepares us for fight or flight. Sometimes our anger is justified, such as when we see injustice or need to protect the innocent. Other times, it comes from selfishness and a perceived threat to our well being. We may not always be able to control the first initial emotional reaction of anger, but what comes after that is where we need to focus.
Scientists have shown that anger uses only half the brain. If we stop and think before acting on our anger, it engages the other parts of the brain. Paul did not have all the scientific evidence we have today about the effects of anger up on the human brain but he, the ancient writer, David, and the Greek translators of Psalm 4 knew enough about human nature to know that anger can lead to sin.
The initial response of anger may not be sinful but the actions that follow can lead to sin. The problem is that we can let our anger simmer and grow throughout the day. It is like a poison that eats away at our joy, and then it affects others around us through our actions. We must resolve our anger as soon as possible. Paul says here to deal with our anger by the end of the day. Do not let it go on to the next day.
Verse 27 could be treated as a separate thought, but it is grammatically related to the end of verse 26 with the particle mēde (“and not”). The pattern in each of the clauses is similar: “do not” verb, “and do not” verb. This implies that unresolved anger gives the devil a place (topos) in a person’s life. The devil can slip in lead a person into more sin. Anger can be a slippery slope that is hard to get off. The new way of Christ should be characterized by forgiveness, love, and compassion, not anger, bitterness, and fits of rage (v. 31).
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