Ephesians 4:26-27: Putting Away Anger

Anger divides! Take one look at our culture today and notice how anger is drawing battle lines, polarizing and tribalizing groups against each other. We see the sides in the culture wars as the left are pitted against the right. Critical theory has divided society up into minority groupings who now interpret all activity towards them in terms of microagressions. They play into a narrative of victimhood and oppression which must now be met with violent revolution. Cancel culture, trolling, and the mudslinging arena of social media are maelstroms of anger. This anger is nothing new, sinners have always been able to gladly and willingly fall into mob anger, prejudice, dissension and the willing destruction of others. What we see today is exacerbated by an educational tidal wave of leftist Neo-Marxist ideology, and media platforms who are sympathetic. The particular symptoms and issues may be different, but the root cause of sin causing anger is still the same. The same root of pride, self-righteousness, perceived slights, exaggerated responses, intimidation tactics, group think, newspeak, self-deceiving hearts, and a devil fanning the flame are always the same. Anger divides! Paul has been addressing the matter of putting off our old ways. The first thing he did was address the matter of our speech talking about how we are to put away all lying and speak truth with one another. Now Paul addresses the matter of the heart as he deals with anger, Eph. 4:26-27, ‘Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil.’ We will divide our look into these verses under three headings that follow the three negatives in the text, don’t sin, don’t wait, don’t give opportunity.

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