lan Warner
Don’t Give The Devil a Foothold – Eph 4:27. This call is one that is not taken seriously enough in the Western World. Too many Christians operate as if the devil does not exist or is happy to see them worshiping, Christ. The devil is looking for any opportunity that he can to get his hands on the hearts of those who follow Christ. Not taking this direction serious is ignorant and it leads to destruction.
Ephesians 4:25-27 – “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.”
What Does Don’t Give the Devil a Foothold Mean?
Don’t Give The Devil a Foothold – Eph 4:27. Paul is trying to get the Ephesian church and is struggling with Jew and Gentile unity to find unity in Christ. The great commandment tells us that we need to love our neighbor. A neighbor who is a believer in Christ is a part of the same body of Christ as you. Biblically it’s not a sin to be angry, we see in Exodus for example that God had righteous anger. It means he was angry and did not sin. We can do the same, but the issue with anger is that it can quickly lead to sin.
If you notice you are angry, the verse in Ephesians is commanding you to get away from that anger as quickly as you can. Don’t go to sleep angry because you allow that anger to fester and the devil to take advantage of it. It may cause you to say or do something to your brother that keeps leading you deeper and deeper into sin.
Understanding It Is Easy But How Do You Avoid It?
If you don’t want the devil to have a foothold in your life, one of the best things you can do is be hyper-aware of anger building in your life. If you are not aware of your anger you may go to sleep angry more regularly than you realize. You wake up with ideas for revenge or retaliation simply because you did not deal with your internal turmoil.
When you have anger do something that another person has done, go right to that person, and deal with it. Matthew 18 provides an amazing guide for us on how to conduct ourselves.
If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
If you have an issue with someone, go right to that person as quickly as you can. Don’t allow gossip to destroy by running and telling five other people first. Lord knows I myself have sinned in this way many times and I need the Lord’s forgiveness. When you go right to the person you give them a chance to recognize their sin and repent. So many interpersonal issues come from people avoiding conflict.
As you read this there is a problem someone out there is bothered by something you did and you don’t even know you did it. But they are angry and slandering your name. But if they come to you and talk with you about it, you’re given the chance to say that you were wrong or clear up the issue. If it’s found that the sin is persisting, the Bible tells us what to do.
Don’t Give The Devil a Foothold in Any Area of Your Life
Thinking about this in broader terms, it’s a way to see how we should not give the devil a chance to strike at all. The first way to prevent this is to always be in prayer and in the word every day. When you are in prayer you recognize how much you need the Lord. When you are in the word you are knowing the truth and rejecting things that are not of God.
When you know you have areas where you struggle with sin, you can avoid going to places that open those doors. For example, if you know you struggle with pornography, then maybe not having an Instagram account at all is good. Instagram in itself is not a sin but if it gives the devil a foothold in your life, it needs to be avoided at all costs.
Go through your life and think through every area that you struggle with and what is the gateway to struggling in that area and avoid those things at all costs. When you do this you’re taking the Bible command to watch for the devil seriously. Following Jesus means avoiding the devil’s temptations. It means believing that he wants to do everything he can to get you off track and as far from Jesus as possible.
Why Do We Give The Devil a Foothold
Don’t Give The Devil a Foothold – Eph 4:27. The reason we fall into this trap is that we think we are much stronger in the flesh than we really are. We forget that our power is made perfect in weakness. When we are weak the Spirit is strong because we depend on it to get us through. One of the best things you can do is stop trying to do it all on your own. Stop trying to act like you have it all figured out.
Instead, surrender yourself to the will of your father in heaven. Trust in the Lord in everything you do and he will bless your steps. Don’t lean on your own understanding but trust that the Lord will deliver you from evil. That is how to make sure that the devil never has placed in your life. Never be too proud to admit that you are in need.
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