Ephesians 4:25–27 (NASB 95)
25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another. 26 BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not give the devil an opportunity.
Examine / Explain
In taking off our old self, we must include putting off falsehood or lying. Jesus is the truth and life. As we are in Christ we must speak the truth in life with those around us and we are held accountable to our brothers in Christ. We were created with emotions, including anger. But we must be angry correctly. Allowing days for anger to build or lying to not be corrected gives the devil a foothold in your heart. Give the devil no opportunity to control your life.
What’s the application?
Intimacy, support, and community. We must live life in a group of believers who we trust and listen to. If we don’t, we have the propensity to lie to ourselves which will give the devil opportunities to isolate us and we go down roads of more and more sin. After lying to ourselves we will lie to those around us. It could be for self-protection as we would not want others to learn about our sin. It could also be that we chose to be malicious and bring others down with us. Misery loves company, right? And then there is the anger. After lying to ourselves, and everyone else we become angry in attempting to live the lie. Our inner man doesn’t align with the outer and we get angry because of it. Then it comes out on ourselves and everyone else. The smallest most insignificant thing will trigger us while we continue to live the lies. Days turn into weeks. Weeks into years. Years into decades. Time wasted. Because we allowed Satan to have a grip on our hearts because we couldn’t let someone know what was going on inside of us. Where are we lying to ourselves right now? Where is our anger? I’ve heard these verses before. For some reason, I’ve never put them together. I knew lying was bad and I’ve heard not to let the sun go down on my anger. But, I hadn’t fully grasped the opportunity we give in doing it and the process we go through to get to that point. I also found it interesting that the Greek for falsehood also could be used as a false religion. If we think about it, convincing ourselves through lying gives us counterfeit beliefs or a false religion. So what do we believe? That vulnerability is a superpower and we must live out James 5:16 or that we continue to live life in a shell of the old man.
What’s my response?
Dad, I’m thankful that You have given me people and relationships so that I can live life to the fullest. I pray that I use these relationships to their fullest capacity. That we live life together. That we come to each other when we start questioning what we believe about ourselves and You. That they are not the measuring stick to which I should be judged but that we hold each other to the measure of Jesus. And we do it through Your word, study, and examination. I pray that all men find a healthy biblical safe community so that they can
Invest in their one
Have their three
Be a part of twelve
Reaching the seventy-two
Amen
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