Ephesians 4:27 Do Not Give the Devil an Opportunity

I vividly remember sitting on the steps of Sally's steps crying. I was so angry. She looked me in the eyes and said "Ashlee, do not give the devil an opportunity." I really wasn't sure what that meant. I knew that verse was in the Bible, but that was about all I knew about it. 
This week we will study what it means to give the devil and opportunity. Let's start by reading Ephesians 4:17-31. Remember when we look at studying what something means (Interpretation) we want to stay in context. 

Now let's look at some key words. Look up "give" and "opportunity" using Blue Letter Bible. Write down everything you learn about these words in your journal. 

Now let's do some cross references. Remember that cross references are looking at other places in Scripture to gain more understanding of what we are studying. 

Look up these verses and write down what you learn about the devil:

• John 8:44
• Acts 10:38
• Matthew 4:1
• 2 Timothy 2:26
• Luke 4:13
• John 13:2
• 1 Timothy 3:7
• 1 John 3:8
• Genesis 3:1-7
• Job 1:6-12
• Matthew 4:1-11
• Ephesians 6:10-18
• James 4:7
• 1 Peter 5:8

Now, stop and think about what you learned this week about giving the devil an opportunity. What does it mean to give him an opportunity in your life? What specific ways have you given him an opportunity in your life? Write down your thoughts and be ready to share. 

Ephesians 4:26 - Anger

This week we are going to focus on Ephesians 4:26. Start your time of study by praying and asking the Lord to open your eyes, heart, and mind to His Truth. Read Ephesians 4:17-32. What is the context or main theme of this passage? When we break our study down verse by verse we always want to remember what the context of the passage is. If you are struggling to know the context focus on verses 22-24. Write down in your journal what the main idea is in these verses.

Now let's look specifically at verse 26. Verse 26 is one of many instructions in the last part of Ephesians 4. What is the instruction in this verse? What is the benefit, warning, or exhortation connected to this verse? Write your answers down in your journal. 

Now let's dive in deeper. Using Blue Letter Bible, look up the definitions for angry and anger. You do this by clicking the tools tab to the left of the verse, then click on the strong's number next to the words angry and anger. Write down what you learn about these words. I encourage you to also look at the root word for angry (click on the number in the box at the top right that says root word). I always also try to look at what the Vine's dictionary says about the word, just click View Entry in the dictionary aid box. 

We have looked at what the words mean in the Greek. Now let's develop a wider context of these verses. How do we do that? By looking at cross references. Cross references help us see other places in Scripture that we can learn about that topic or idea. Look up each verse below and write down what you learn about anger. Write down in your journal what you learn about anger or being angry:

• Numbers 32:9-13
• Judges 2:11-14
• Exodus 34:6-7
• Psalm 145:8
• Proverbs 14:29
• Proverbs 22:24
• Ecclesiastes 7:9
• Gal 5:19-20
• Ephesians 2:3 (wrath is the same word for anger)
• Ephesians 4:31
• Colossians 3:8
• James 1:19-20
• Romans 12:18-19
• Matthew 5:21-24
• Matthew 18:15-17

So what did you see in Scripture about anger or being angry? What did you learn about not letting the sun go down on your anger? Can you connect any dots from these verses? Write it down in your journal. Now what about you personally? Write down what the Lord is showing you through His Word. How do these verses change the way you think, believe, or live your life? I encourage you to be ready to share at Bible Study.