“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.” Ephesians 4:26-27
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:31-32
I remember someone wrote Ephesians 4:27 on a card we got with a gift for our wedding as a reminder to try and resolve conflict with each other before letting the day end. And that’s OK.
However, as we’ve been discussing this week – sometimes it MAY be a good idea to suck it up, prayerfully consider what you might say with love and grace and then talk about it over coffee in the morning.
Paul doesn’t say, “Never get angry.” Instead, he assumes we will—but commands us to deal with it correctly. “In your anger, do not sin.” Unresolved anger is a foothold for relationship erosion. It starts quietly, then spreads—affecting how we think, speak, relate, and pray.
In verse 31, the call intensifies: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander…” This isn’t a suggestion to tone it down—it’s an urgent command to GET RID OF IT. But how? Verse 32 gives the answer: “Be kind and compassionate… forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
The truth of Jesus isn’t just the reason to let go of anger—He gives us the power to do it through His Holy Spirit. We forgive because we are forgiven. We show mercy because we’ve received it.
To prayerfully consider: Have you let anger linger past the sunset—maybe for days, or years? What might it look like to “put it away” today? Is there someone who needs not just your silence, but your grace?
