A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON PAUL’S LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS 

STAND FIRM AGAINST SATAN  

Ephesians 4:26-27 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”   

Peter’s words in 1 Peter 5:8-9 are important to review as you meditate with me upon today’s devotional verses. There Peter wrote, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith. . .”  

Some would say that “anger” is simply emotions run amuck. Anger is far more than that for a Christian. Anger is part of the battle between your old sinful nature and the new life you have been granted in Christ Jesus your Lord and Savior. Satan will do everything imaginable to use your anger to lead you into a host of sins. Anger is the effort of your old sinful nature trying to dominate you to strike out at someone instead of “loving your neighbor as you love yourself.” Anger is the opposite of Jesus on the cross pleading with Yahweh to forgive His enemies.   

Thomas Winger in his commentary on Ephesians writes, “If the cause of anger (which leads to sin) is not dealt with (my emphasis), then the devil is given more room to maneuver. He (the devil) uses anger to snare people (you) and lead them into other sins” or as Peter wrote, through using your anger Satan is attempting to devour you.   

Peter says, “stand firm” and Paul in Ephesians 4 says, “don’t give the devil a foothold.” Through your baptism you have been re-created in the image of God. You have been called by the gospel to repent of your sins and forgive your brother or sister their’s. Winger writes, “. . .consider your behavior toward your fellow members of Christ’s body in such a way that you are prepared to be reconciled before nightfall and to beg the Lord for forgiveness each night.”  

Your life as a Christian is to daily return to your baptism through repentance and forgiveness remembering that your heavenly Father is ready to forgive you all your sins. (Colossians 3:13ff) You have been called to a life of reconciliation and forgiveness. As God forgives you forgive your neighbor. 

Prayer: Holy Spirit, draw me daily to my baptism and its power to drown the old Adam within me that I live the new life I have through Jesus. In His holy name. Amen. 

Renew me, O eternal Light, And let my heart and soul be bright,
Illumined with the light of grace That issues from Your holy face. 

Remove the pow’r of sin from me And cleanse all my impurity
That I may have the strength and will Temptations of the flesh to still. 

Create in me a new heart, Lord, That gladly I obey Your Word.
Let what You will be my desire, And with new life my soul inspire. 

Grant that I only You may love And seek those things which are above
Till I behold You face to face, O Light eternal, through Your grace.  (LSB 704)