Anger Gives The Devil Access Series

Anger Gives the Devil Access

(Rev. Barry Johnson and Rev. Rodney Johnson)

NOTE: New Light Faith Ministries and Barry Johnson Ministries, founded by Rodney V. Johnson and Barry O. Johnson, respectively, are partnering to offer Bible studies for Christians who are seeking to grow in their relationship with Jesus. This is a Bible study lesson, not a sermon. The Bible studies teach foundational truth that are designed to challenge, encourage and, most importantly, flame the fire of hunger in the Christian who wants to learn more about who they have become in Christ Jesus. The Bible studies you find on this site contains the written version of the lesson. However, these lessons also include a video and an audio file of the study, a PDF version of the lesson and a sheet for note taking. If you would like any of the additional resources for these studies, please email us at newlightfaithministries@gmail.com or bjteachingltr@gmail.com for more information or contact us at the email provided on both of our Sermon Central pages. Please visit our YouTube Channel (Barry Johnson Ministries; New Light Faith Ministries, Inc.) to watch or listen to these lessons as well as other available sermons. Be blessed.

Introduction

Hello everyone! This month’s Bible study is titled “Anger Gives the Devil Access.” Anger is a weapon the devil uses against us to hinder our walk with God while at the same time enhancing our availability to him. Before we get started, let’s open with a word of prayer.

Isaiah 54:17 tells us the following, and I will be reading from the Amplified Bible, “No weapon that is formed against you will succeed; and every tongue that rises against you in judgment you will condemn. This [peace, righteousness, security, and triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from Me,’ says the LORD.” (Isaiah 54:17, Amplified Bible) In this lesson, our focus will be on anger, but there are weapons being formed against us each day for the sole purpose of subtilty opening “the anger door,” the most destructive weapon that we carry within us. What you will hear in this lesson is how our enemy seeks to cause anger, an emotion that every person has, to explode within us with the express purpose of ruining our witness for Jesus and diminishing our authority in the kingdom of God. Today we will be examining this “weapon” to gain an understanding on how to manage it.

Paul wrote to the Church in Ephesus and again I will be reading from the Amplified Bible, “(26) BE ANGRY [at sin – at immorality, at injustice, at ungodly behavior], YET DO NOT SIN; do not let your anger [cause you shame, nor allow it to] last until the sun goes down. (27) And do not give the devil an opportunity [to lead you into sin by holding a grudge, or nurturing anger, or harboring resentment, or cultivating bitterness]….(31) Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor [perpetual animosity, resentment, strife, fault-finding] and slander be put away from you, along with every kind of malice [all spitefulness, verbal abuse, malevolence.] (32) Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:26-27, 31-32, Amplified Bible) We can take away from these verses that there are appropriate times to get angry, but it is what we do when angry that can cause us problems. This is why Paul wrote in verse twenty-six, “(26) BE ANGRY [at sin – at immorality, at injustice, at ungodly behavior], YET DO NOT SIN; do not let your anger [cause you shame, nor allow it to] last until the sun goes down.”

As we think about the title of this lesson, the one point we want you to understand and remember is that God has promised us that no weapon formed against us will succeed (Isaiah 54:17). That does not mean that the weapons will not hurt or cause us pain. But it does mean that the result will be that they will not succeed in their purpose – unless we help them. Paul told the church in Rome, “And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.” (Romans 8:28, Amplified Bible)

This is why the Bible tells us to be angry and yet do not sin nor allow the anger to fester and grow by holding a grudge and/or harboring resentment. To begin our study, we want you to pause and answer the following questions. Do not rush but think about your answers and keep them close as you continue the lesson. We suggest that you document your responses.