DO NOT EMPLOY THE ENEMY

06/18/2024

“Be angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:26-27).

You are God's influence on the earth; you are His message of grace and righteousness. You communicate the victory that is only possible in Christ Jesus. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 2:14, “But I thank God, who always leads us in victory because of Christ. Wherever we go, God uses us to make clear what it means to know Christ. It's like a fragrance that fills the air.” In 2 Corinthians 3:3, he said, “Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.” In the Message Translation, it reads: “...Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it—not with ink, but with God’s living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives—and we publish it.”

Look at you! Look at this perfect picture of you in the Word! Does this picture depict hopelessness and confusion? A thousand times, NO! You are a message published by God for the whole world to see. He wants to win the world through you; He wants the world to encounter His power through you. And so, you must embrace who you are and resign from feelings of hopelessness! Feelings of feeling less than others or of inadequacy are strategies of the enemy to keep you off the field. These feelings only produce anger, bitterness, frustration, and all kinds of evil works, which will, in turn, allow the enemy the advantage in the field.

In our opening text, Apostle Paul said, “Be angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.” The expression neither give place to the devil, means don't give him a certificate of occupancy. In other words, don't employ him with anger and unforgiveness. Satan never wins in an arena of joy and peace. This is why you must keep your anger clear of bitterness, spite, malevolence, and all such evil feelings, because, the wrath of a man does not work the righteousness of God. The anointing will never produce the glory of God through a person who harbors evil thoughts and feelings.

So, why not keep the enemy in his failing position by maintaining a joyful spirit? Be quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Lord forgave you. What others say or do to you should not count; their words cannot change the reality of who you are. So, rather than entertain unforgiveness, choose to live above the negativity; be the light of the World!

Remember, whenever you dwell in anger towards another, you appoint satan into a governmental position to dictate your experiences, and the result is usually nothing short of, drama! drama! drama! So, do not employ the enemy with you anger; he will contaminate the message.

Faith Filled Confession:

I am God's published message of Grace and Righteousness. I choose to display the beauty and perfection of all that Heaven represents.

One-Year Bible Reading Plan: Nehemiah 4-6; Acts 2:14-47