Written by Paul J Bucknell on September, 08, 2022

 Ephesians 4:26-27 Be Angry But Don’t Sin with Bible Study Questions

THE BIBLE TEACHING COMMENTARY

“²⁶ Be angry, and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷ and do not give the devil an opportunity.” (Eph 4:26-27)

The teaching on anger is the second sinful trait in the apostle’s list after the discussion on lying (25), which demonstrates the power of God’s amazing grace found in the three Christian life foundational teachings in verses 22-24. Christians no longer need to live under the “old man’s” sway. God’s grace helps Christians overcome sinful entanglements. Paul confesses the commonplace problem with anger, showing people’s vulnerability and giving penetrating insights into anger, but also addresses how to handle anger given that we have a new nature.

Let’s examine these terse, insightful verses from three perspectives, following the earlier teachings: Anger’s prohibition (26a), its proper handling (26b), and its roots (4:27).

1) The Prohibition of Sinful Anger (Eph 4:26a)

“Be angry, and do not sin” (Eph. 4:26 NASB).

The first part of verse 26, quoted from Psalm 4:4, introduces two seemingly contrary instructions. There are strong reactions to this verse. Some insist anger is a legitimate emotion (“What’s wrong with anger?”), finding Paul wrongly identifies anger with sin. Others protest that it’s impossible to control anger saying, “I tried, but I can’t.” Below I will defend this interpretative translation of verse 26: “Carry out your righteous anger, but be careful not to be selfishly angry.”

“Be angry” — Righteous Anger (Eph 4:26a)

He first states it’s okay to be angry and express our pent-up emotion, “Be angry.” The apostle allows for this God-given human feeling. God has outfitted us with a response mechanism that mobilizes us to take extreme reactions against injustice. Human beings, reflecting God’s image, hate injustice. Boldness, stirred up from anger, dares to confront injustice promptly, though one might suffer outward consequences.

Where does this term, righteous anger, come from? Probably this verse. Paul affirms a good form of anger, righteous anger, but quickly exposes how our sinful nature despoils it. James, for example, categorically states, “For the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God” (James 1:20). Paul, however, points out a place for righteous anger.

Let me provide two examples. In both cases, the word anger is not used but understood through their strong and bold actions. Perhaps John the Baptist lost his head due to angrily exposing Herod’s evil and unjust dealings when divorcing his wife for another (Mat 14:1-7). Jesus, in His zeal for righteousness angrily swept the traders out of the temple area. (John 2:13-17). The word anger is not used, but the strong actions depict it. Righteous anger is not self-centered or protective but focused on justice, the carrying out of short, deliberate activities on behalf of others to eliminate injustice.

The Net Bible, along with Wallace, considers the above interpretation “unlikely on a grammatical, lexical, and historical level,” and instead finds it pointing to the exclusive context of church discipline. This ‘church discipline’ interpretation does not fit the broader context of overcoming these five kinds of sin.

“Do not sin!” (Eph 4:26a)

Paul quickly turns against anger to warn of its possible abuse. He tersely warns, “Do not sin!” When does anger become sinful? He doesn’t clarify how anger is bad, assuming we all know, but he has already identified its source in the sinful old self (4:22).

Defending anger as a legitimate emotion misses the point. Paul’s association of anger with sin focuses on how the sinful nature can spring up and express itself through our words, feelings, and actions.

Most of us have experienced other people’s sinful anger. We might have done wrong, but their angry response is unjust–overkill. Angry emotions are powerful and hurt others, whether with strangers or our spouses (Eph 5:25). Many of us have suffered at the hands of another person’s rants and rages. Angry people express their anger. Even if a person is right, they cannot justify angrily hurting others.

Some react against Paul’s words, asserting that all anger is bad and should not leave room for any anger for they have been hurt. Paul addresses this group in verses 31-32 when speaking on bitterness.

In summary, Paul calls us to discern the good and bad sides of anger. Some anger is legitimate, but many times it is not. We need to follow Paul’s instructions carefully in 4:26b-27 where he provides insight on how anger arises and how to deal with it.

Three Christian Life Principles Dealing with Anger (Eph 4:22-24, 26-27)

2) Properly Handle Anger (Eph 4:26b)

“Do not let the sun go down on your anger” (Eph 4:26b).

Paul’s advice might sound strange, but these few words give us three significant points. In summary, we must resolve anger daily because of the evil one’s diabolical purposes.

(1) Constructive (i.e., righteous) anger is not what you hold onto, making it long-term (Micah 7:18). Hold onto anger inevitably turns sour like old milk. It morphs, no longer being righteous anger. Paul confidently says not to hold onto anger beyond nighttime. So, no matter what conclusions we have about our anger from the first part of the verse, we must release the spirit of anger before we go to bed, literally sunset.

(2) Holding ourselves rigorously to time constraints helps contain bouts of anger and forces us to distinguish between righteous and unrighteous anger properly. Unrighteous anger persists—like a boiling pot that keeps bubbling over, making noisy spills. Verse 27 reminds us that anger becomes the devil’s tool!

(3) Anger heightens our emotions for a purpose. If your anger leads you to do God’s will, then quickly take action, following its lead and energy. But if you don’t or can’t, you must dismiss its earlier inclinations, like releasing the pressure on a pressure cooker by taking it off the heat.

3) Discern Anger’s Roots (Eph 4:27)

“And do not give the devil an opportunity” (Eph. 4:26-27).

The devil plants anger into a person’s heart and makes it grow overnight, watering it with seeds of bitterness to irk individuals into launching evil plans. Its evil nature is self-evident.

The devil loves to gain an opportunity through our anger, causing others much dismay. This is the first of two times the word ‘devil’ is used in Ephesians (also 6:11). We need not assume the devil, limited to one place at a time, gets involved personally, but he strategically sends his demons to spawn angry brawls, suspicious accusations, heated arguments, etc. The devil is Satan, the infamous tempter from ancient days who still devilishly seeks opportunities to use people to implement his evil schemes.

“And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him” (Rev 12:9).

Paul has alluded to rulers and powers before and significantly warns us about how the evil one schemes against Christians. Paul instructs the elders to be “gentle” instead (1 Tim 3:3; 6:11). Twice in this passage, he mentions how Satan devilishly seeks opportunities among leaders. Elders must confront, but be gentle; direct but dismiss lingering angry nighttime plans.

The devil knows how anger works, first by inciting mistrust and distorting a person’s viewpoint. He then fosters accusations and increasingly disturbs one’s emotions until anger seizes its opportunity to promote painful and broken relationships. May such anger remain far from God’s people; we must diligently guard ourselves because of the devil’s schemes.

It’s sad to count the number of churches that tolerate angry clashes. It’s critical to put aside anger and choose forgiveness, gentleness, and helpfulness. Many have witnessed angry manipulation, but God has given us a much better way. Sinful anger can and should be overcome by a gracious and loving spirit.

Three principles of Anger

In conclusion, let’s see how anger fits into the three principles found in verses 22-24.

1) “Lay aside the old self” (22) is seen in the command, “Do not sin.” Don’t give into the old impulsive thoughts that spring to mind. Say a prayer, “Lord, I’m very angry with that brother, but it’s wrong of me to think this way.” We can rightly handle sinful angry expressions through confession and the following two points.

2) “Be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (23) shapes our willingness to discern whether anger is sinfully motivated. We recognize that the devil is seeking opportunities among us. Be willing to put off anger and examine one’s soul and circumstances in the sight of God.

3) “Put on the new self” (24) includes several actions, including expressing one’s righteous anger and not letting anger remain overnight. This provides a daily ‘clearing house’ to set anger aside, eradicating the devil’s opportunity. Besides the admonition in verse 26, we also have cautions in verse 31. Verse 32 provides all the kind and good expressions that should fill our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 4:27 — Don’t Play the Devil’s Game

Bible Study Questions on Ephesians 4:26-27

Be Angry but Don’t Sin

“²⁶ Be angry, and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷ and do not give the devil an opportunity.” (Eph 4:26-27)

What are God’s people instructed to do and not to do in verse 26?
Paul says first to “be angry” (4:26). Isn’t all anger sin? How do you reconcile these two messages?
What are the special instructions at the tail end of verse 26? What does this practically mean?
How do we get rid of anger before we go to sleep (lit. nighttime)? Please be specific.
In verse 27, Paul suggests that not getting rid of your anger at night gives the devil special access to our hearts and lives. How might that happen? Do you have any habits of checking your spirit before going to sleep? Explain.
How does Jesus reveal and condemn anger’s source in the Sermon on the Mount (Mat 5:21-25)? Explain.