Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.

Paul continues his discussion of the things we are to put off and put on.

In verse 26, he interjects a comment about anger. We’re told to be angry and yet do not sin. To me, that means that there is a kind of anger that is not sinful. Jesus obviously displayed some anger in some circumstances where offenses were being committed against God and His glory. Most of our anger results from offenses to our glory and that kind of anger is usually not justified because it arises from selfishness and pride.

He goes on to say that we should not let the sun go down on our anger. We need to confess our anger and make things right with our family or friends before sundown. We have a tendency to hold grudges and doing so not only is sinful, but also does damage to ourselves and our relationships.

He finishes the sentence in verse 27 where he tells us to give no opportunity to the devil. Being sinfully angry and holding on to grudges for stretches of time gives the devil an opportunity to attack. Elsewhere, the Bible says that we are not ignorant of his devices. We need to be wise in our understanding of the devil’s methods so that we are not tripped up by them. Anger is one area where he seems to have his way at times.