THEREFORE, LAYING ASIDE FALSEHOOD: Dio apothemenoi (AMPMPN) to pseudos:  (Leviticus 19:11; 1Kings 13:18; Psalms 52:3; 119:29; Proverbs 6:17; 12:19,22; 21:6; Isaiah 9:15; 59:3,4; 63:8; Jeremiah 9:3, 4, 5; Hosea 4:2; John 8:44; Acts 5:3,4; Colossians 3:9; 1Timothy 1:10; 4:2; Titus 1:2,12; Revelation 21:8; 22:15)

John Phillips rightly notes that...

Complete deliverance from the old nature is expressed in a converted disposition—including a transformed tongue, which James said no man can tame. (Phillips, John : Exploring Ephesians - An Expository Commentary)

Therefore (1352) (dio) is a relatively emphatic marker of a result, usually denoting that the inference is self-evident. Synonyms = So then. Consequently. For that reason. On which account.

Paul is transitioning from the principles and precepts of the faith (being renewed in our minds and putting on the new life Eph 4:22, 23, 24) to the personal practice of our faith, providing a "list" of specific "miracles" which should mark the new clothes of every new man in Christ. Paul moves from generalities to specific applications beginning in Eph 4:25 and going through Eph 6:9. As Pastor Steven Cole puts it Paul "goes from preaching to meddling", listing specific sins that characterized the life of the old man and the corresponding godly behavior of the new man.

Beloved, is lying (even so called little "white lies") one of those skeletons that lies "hidden in the darkness" of your heart (1Cor 4:5).

Moule - "Wherefore = From these deep principles come now the more detailed inferences of holy practice, and these fill most of the rest of the Epistle." (Online)

Eadie...

By dio—“wherefore”—he passes to a deduction in the form of an application. (Ed: The things just explained being so, now work them out is the idea). Since the old man and all his lusts are to be abandoned, and the new man assumed who is created in the righteousness and holiness of the truth—aletheia; the vice and habit of falsehood—pseudos—are to be dropt. Col. 3:9. It might be a crime palliated among their neighbours in the world, but it was to have no place in the church, being utterly inconsistent with spiritual renovation. The counsel then is——“speak ye truth every one with his neighbour.” (A Commentary on the Greek Text of the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians - Online - Goto Page 346)

Laying aside falsehood - Lying is the first foul, filthy garment that is to be cast aside for it has no part in the life of the new man in Christ. As new creatures in Christ we are to display the life and loveliness of the Lord Jesus in our everyday lives.

Laying aside (659) (apotithemi [word study] from apo = away from, marker of dissociation, implying a rupture from a former association, separation, departure, cessation, any separation of one thing from another by which the union or fellowship of the two is destroyed  + tithemi = put, place) means literally to put or take something away from its normal location and put it out of the way. It was used literally of runners who participated in the Olympic games who cast off their clothes and running nearly completely naked in the stadium.

In this verse the verb signifies that the saved readers are to take an action (their practice) that is in agreement with their change in identity (their position), from the old man (who practiced lying) to the new man who is called to speak truth (in love). Apotithemi means we as new men in Christ are to discard, strip off or cast away lies and falsehood. Note that we are to lay aside every form of dishonesty, including shading the truth, exaggerating, failure to keep a promise, betrayal of a confidence, etc. There is no such thing as a "little white lie" for those who are positionally holy and blameless. The believer's word is to be totally trustworthy and yes should mean  yes and no should mean no. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus called his hearers to the same high standard declaring...

Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD.' 34 "But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING. 36 "Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no'; and anything beyond these is of evil. (See notes Matthew 5:33-35, 5:36-37)

The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand. Let us therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. (Ro 13:12-note)

But now you also, put them all aside: (aorist imperative = do this now! do it effectively! it is urgent!) anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self (man) with its evil practices, (See note Colossians 3:8; 3:9)

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (He 12:1-note)

Luke gives us a literal use of apotithemi to describe the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem who

They laid aside their outer garments so they could more freely do their wicked work. The Christian lays aside the following attitudes, so he can be free to do the righteous work of the Lord.

Steven Cole observes that...

One of the greatest moral issues that we all struggle with is that of telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. The book, The Day that America Told the Truth, states (p. 45) that 91 percent of us lie regularly (cited by Alistair Begg, “Cedarville Torch, Fall, 1994, p. 15). “Of the people interviewed, 92 percent said the main reason for their lying was to save face, and 98 percent said the reason they told lies was so as not to offend people” (ibid.).

Another survey of 20,000 middle- and high-schoolers indicated that 92 percent admitted to lying to their parents in the previous year, and 73 percent said that they told lies weekly. Despite these admissions, 91 percent of all respondents said they were “satisfied with my own ethics and character” (Reader's Digest [Nov., 1999], pp. 81-82). Their consciences were insensitive to their sin! (cp Ro 1:32-note)

Lest you think, “Well, these surveys were probably taken among pagans,” pollster George Gallup indicts us when he says, “church attendance makes little difference in people’s ethical views and behavior with respect to lying, cheating, pilferage, and not re-porting theft” (cited by Vernon Grounds, “Focal Point” [Summer, 1995], p. 8).

We bend the truth in many ways. There is the half-truth. You sort of tell the truth, but not the whole truth. You tell your employer, “I wasn’t feeling well,” which was sort of true. But, in reality, you were not so ill as to miss work. You just wanted to do something else. Or, there is the white lie, a supposedly “innocent” lie that doesn’t hurt anyone. “Yes, your new hairdo is beautiful!” “Thank you, I just love fruitcake!”

There are the lies that cover for someone or for ourselves: The boss is in the next room, but you say, “He’s not here right now to take your call.” Often, the rationalization for cover-up lies is that the truth would hurt too many people. This was the excuse behind the Watergate scandal that brought down the Nixon administration. It would “hurt the country” if the truth were known!

Or, lies often go undercover as exaggeration. You stretch the story a bit to make yourself look better or to evoke sympathy. One of the easiest lies to fall into is the silent lie. This is where someone assumes something about you, which you know to be untrue. But, their mistaken view makes you look good, so you just let it go by and don’t say anything to correct it. In a similar way, we use evasive lies. We change the subject or don’t directly answer the question.
We also bend the truth by cheating on our income taxes, always with the justification that the government wastes so much money or that the tax system is unfair to the little guy (that’s me!). We cheat on tests with the excuse, “everyone else does it.” Or, we pilfer from our employer with the rationalization that they don’t pay me enough. Or, if the clerk at the store makes a mistake to our advantage, we don’t say anything to make it right. We figure, “They over-charge for everything, anyway!”

Falsehood (5579) (pseudos from pseudomai = to lie) describes an untrue statement, an intentional violation of the truth, a lie or a deception. Falsehood is that which is in the state of being untrue. Pseudos is the content of a false utterance. Pseudos is conscious and intentional falsehood. In a broad sense, pseudos is whatever is not what it seems to be or professes to be (the antithesis of truth).

Ellicott - falsehood in every form is a chief characteristic of the old man.  (Ephesians 4 Commentary Online)

Webster says a lie is an assertion of something known or believed by the speaker to be untrue with intent to deceive. It is an intentionally false statement. Biblically since God is truth unchanged and unchanging, a lie is the very antithesis of Who He is and who we are to now be in Christ. The old adage says "Like father, like son." When we speak truth, we are like our Father, but when we speak falsehoods, we are more like our old father, Satan (Jn 8:44)!

A lie is any statement or act designed to deceive another person. The motivation for most lying is a desire either to hurt the one against whom the lie is directed or to protect oneself, usually out of fear or pride.

The Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology says that...

The sanctity of truth is fundamental in biblical teaching since it is based on the nature and character of God.  Therefore, to despise truth is to despise God, and the Scriptures treat this topic with profound seriousness. In the garden of Eden the serpent denied the truth of God’s pronouncement and encouraged the woman to act in defiance of divine truth (Ge 3:4)... Lying undermines moral standards and is, therefore, often associated with even more glaring sins  (Elwell, W. A., & Elwell, W. A. Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House)

As an aside someone has well said that he most dangerous of all falsehoods is a slightly distorted truth.  A half truth is a whole lie.

There are 10 uses of pseudos in the NT...

John 8:44 "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies.

Romans 1:25 (note) For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (Comment: Literally "the lie" and here stands by metonymy for an idol. See Isaiah 44:20 below.)

Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.

2Thessalonians 2:9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, (Comment: Literally "signs and wonders of a lie". Both bear the stamp of fraud. Here pseudos refers to false, fictitious, pretended miracles calculated to deceive - in this case to deceive people into the acknowledgement of the false claim that the Antichrist is deity.)

2Thessalonians 2:11 And for this reason (because of their willful rejection) God will send upon them a deluding influence (literally a working -- energeia -- of error) so that they might believe what is false, (literally "the lie" in this case deluding men to believe Satan and not God)

1John 2:21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth.

1John 2:27 And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.

Revelation 14:5 And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless.

Revelation 21:27 and nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Revelation 22:15 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. (Comment: How serious is lying? Look at the company God places it with and the reward it secures!)

There are 34 uses of pseudos in the Septuagint (LXX) (Job 16:8; Ps. 4:2; 5:6; 58:3; 59:12; 62:4; Prov. 9:12; 14:5, 25; 24:2, 22; Isa. 28:15, 17; 30:12; 44:20; Jer. 3:10, 23; 5:2; 9:3; 13:25; 23:14, 32; 37:14; 43:2; Ezek. 33:31; Dan. 8:25; 11:23; Hos. 4:2; 7:3, 13; 11:12; Mic. 2:11; Zech. 5:4; Mal. 3:5) Here is an interesting use of pseudos in the OT...

Isaiah 44:20 He (referring to overt idol worshipers) feeds on ashes (what a picture! Practicing idolatry is like feeding on ashes! It will never satisfy, is ever disgusting and in the end results in death!); a deceived heart has turned him aside (idolatry promises but does not follow through). And he cannot deliver himself (from bondage to idolatry. He is like a drug addict trapped by the drug, in this case a godless idol!), nor say, "Is there not a lie (Lxx = pseudos) (an idol) in my right hand" (Comment: Pseudos in this use refers to an idol or idolatry)

Psalm 5:6 Thou dost destroy those who speak (habitually, as their lifestyle) falsehood (Lxx = pseudos). The LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.

F B Meyer contrasts the Old Man and the New Man...

THE OLD MAN. (Eph 4:22-note) - The old man is the aggregate of habits and methods of life, which marked us before conversion. The phrase describes the impression which we produced as men and women upon our fellows. What we were wont to be, and say, and do. That form of character and life which was ours before the great change operated through faith in Jesus. It is called the old man, as if there were but one, because the habits and tastes, the thoughts and acts of men, before conversion, have much in common. There is not much to choose between them. It is one evil nature; one likeness to fallen Adam; one type of evil, though its forms are slightly modified in different temperaments and by special circumstances. It is under the control of deceitful lusts (Eph 4:22-note). In other words, it is shaped (present tense = continually; passive voice = emphasizes that these lusts continually exerted power on us  in our prior state - old man) by the passionate desires which have their origin in the strong natural tendencies of our being (Ed: flesh). These were given us by God to be the motive-forces of our nature, but not to rule. For when once they are permitted to usurp this position, corruption ensues, and the nature rots piecemeal before their insidious action (2Pe 1:4-note)--as the body of the leper beneath the living death that eats away his flesh. Ah, deceitful lusts! promising liberty (2Pe 2:19-note), and happiness, and joy, but resembling the Syren sisters, whose upper form was fair, but whose lower extremities were foul; whilst whose sweet songs allured the unwary mariner only to ruin. We must not defer this "putting off." The tense (aorist tense) indicates the sudden resolve of the will, inspired and empowered by the Holy Spirit to be no longer under the dominion of these terrible passions. Once and for ever let us divest ourselves of them; as the beggar his rags, or as Lazarus the cerements of death.

THE NEW MAN. (Eph 4:24-note) - This is the aggregate of blessed habits that mark the life of the converted the white robe of purity, the girdle of self-restraint, the silver of humility, the jewels of holy character. All through the Epistles we are bidden to don it. "Put on the armor of light." (Ro 13:12-note) "Put on, as God's elect, a heart of compassion.'' (Col 3:12-note) "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ." (Ro 13:14-note) It is the new man, because the habits and character of the children of God are very similar. There is a family likeness common to all. It is after God, because it is created in His likeness. It is the fashion of God in human nature, perfectly exemplified once in Jesus Christ, and now waiting to be imparted by the Holy Ghost. It is righteous toward man. It is holy toward God. It is true, perfectly transparent and sincere. Put on this holy thing! Created in Jesus, and therefore not to be woven by human effort or spun by outward obedience to rites (Ed: Many of us need to read that last statement again! Legalism is subtle.), but to be simply assumed. Put it on by faith. Do not try to build up Christ-likeness by your repeated endeavors (Ed: Do it by dying to your self-efforts). Just assume it by faith (Ed: But remember that faith is an "action verb" that manifest itself in obedience). Believe it is yours. Reckon that it is so (cf Ro 6:11-note). Go out believing that Christ's likeness is on you, and His beauty clothing you as a beautiful robe; and men shall increasingly realize that it is not you but Christ. The beauty of the Lord will be upon you; and the life of Jesus will be manifest  in your mortal body (2Co 4:10, 11, cf 2Co 2:14), both in life and death. (Ephesians - A Devotional Commentary)

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No Lying - A father was looking at bicycles with one of his children when a deliveryman came into the store. He didn’t see a TV set perched on a stand, and with his cart stacked high with boxes he hit the television and sent it crashing to the floor. As father and son watched, the store manager said, “Don’t worry. We won’t make you pay for it. We’ll just tell the manufacturer it was damaged in shipping, and he’ll give us a new one.” A lie!

The father, a believer in Christ, left the store without making a purchase. He did not want to give his business to a man who would lie without giving it a thought.

It’s pretty tough not to fall into a pattern of lying. But if we give in to the temptation to lie, soon we are doing it so often that we’re not even aware of it anymore. It becomes a way of life. What we don’t realize is that for the few bucks we may save, we’ve sold out on a basic principle of the Bible (Ep 4:25) and compromised our witness for Christ.

The standards of God’s Word are high. We must not lower them for the sake of financial gain or because we fear that it’s the only way our business can survive. Our rule in business and in all of life should be: “No Lying.” -- David C. Egner (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

Tell the truth and tell it right,
A lie will never do;
The Bible says that God is truth—
And He wants truth from you. —JDB

The ability to lie is a liability.

SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE OF YOU WITH HIS NEIGHBOR:  laleite (2PPAM) aletheian hekastos meta tou plesion autou: (Ep 4:15; Proverbs 8:7; 12:17; Zechariah 8:16,19; 2Corinthians 7:14; Colossians 3:9)

Paul is quoting from...

Zechariah 8:16 These are the things which you should do: speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace in your gates.

Speak (2980) (laleo [word study]) is the Greek verb meaning to make a sound and then to utter words.

Paul is not suggesting we speak truth but commanding it by using the present imperative which calls for this to be the believer's habitual way of speaking (i.e., not lying), the action which characterizes his or her life.

Speak truth - Paul had repetitively emphasized truth in this section - He had just explained that "truth was in Jesus" (Ep 4:21-note), that these Gentile believers had put on a new garment, the new self or new man (Ep 4:24-note), having been "created in righteousness and holiness of the truth" and that they were to be "speaking the truth in love" (Ep 4:15-note) which would facilitate growing up in all aspects into Christ the Head of the Body, the source of all Truth.

Truth (225) (aletheia from a = without + lêthô = that which is hidden or concealed, the combination meaning out in open) is the the unconcealed reality lying at the basis of and agreeing with an appearance; the manifested, the veritable essence of matter. Truth is an accurate representation of the facts. It is the property of being in accord with or conformity to fact or reality. It is exact accordance with that which is or has been or shall be.

Aletheia - 109x in 98v - Matt 22:16; Mark 5:33; 12:14, 32; Luke 4:25; 20:21; 22:59; John 1:14, 17; 3:21; 4:23f; 5:33; 8:32, 40, 44ff; 14:6, 17; 15:26; 16:7, 13; 17:17, 19; 18:37f; Acts 4:27; 10:34; 26:25; Rom 1:18, 25; 2:2, 8, 20; 3:7; 9:1; 15:8; 1 Cor 5:8; 13:6; 2 Cor 4:2; 6:7; 7:14; 11:10; 12:6; 13:8; Gal 2:5, 14; 5:7; Eph 1:13; 4:21, 24f; 5:9; 6:14; Phil 1:18; Col 1:5f; 2 Thess 2:10, 12f; 1 Tim 2:4, 7; 3:15; 4:3; 6:5; 2 Tim 2:15, 18, 25; 3:7f; 4:4; Titus 1:1, 14; Heb 10:26; Jas 1:18; 3:14; 5:19; 1 Pet 1:22; 2 Pet 1:12; 2:2; 1 John 1:6, 8; 2:4, 21; 3:18f; 4:6; 5:6; 2 John 1:1ff; 3 John 1:1, 3f, 8, 12. NAS = certainly*(2), most(1), rightly*(1), truly*(2), truth(104).

TDNT explains the origin of this word this way...

Etymologically aletheia means “nonconcealment.” It thus denotes what is seen, indicated, expressed, or disclosed, i.e., a thing as it really is, not as it is concealed or falsified. aletheia is “the real state of affairs,” e.g., the truth in law, or real events in history, or true being in philosophy... aletheia is “that which has certainty and force”... aletheia is “that on which one can rely”...aletheia is “the state of affairs as disclosed”... aletheia is “truth of statement” used with speaking (Lk. 4:25) or teaching (Mk. 12:14).... aletheia is “true teaching or faith” (2Cor. 13:8; 4:2; Gal. 5:7; 1Pe 1:22 [note]) (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W.  Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Eerdmans)

Truth then is the correspondence between a reality and a declaration which professes to set it forth. To say it another way, words are true when they correspond with objective reality. Persons and things are true when they correspond with their profession. Hence a truth is a declaration which has corresponding reality, or a reality which is correctly set forth. Since God is Himself the great reality, that which correctly sets forth His nature is pre-eminently the Truth.

Truth is the property of being in accord with fact or reality as defined by God. Whatever God says is Truth. Truth is a person, Christ Jesus.

Eadie...

Christians are to speak the whole truth, without distortion, diminution, or exaggeration. No promise is to be falsified—no mutual understanding violated. The word of a Christian ought to be as his bond, every syllable being but the expression of “truth in the inward parts.” The sacred majesty of truth is ever to characterize and hallow all his communications. It is of course to wilful falsehood that the apostle refers—for a man may be imposed upon himself, and unconsciously deceive others—to what Augustine defines as falsa significatio cum voluntate fallendi. As may be seen from the quotations made by Whitby and other expositors, some of the heathen philosophers were not very scrupulous in adherence to truth, and the vice of falsehood was not branded with the stigma which it merited. And (A Commentary on the Greek Text of the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians - Online - Goto Page 346)

Each one (1538) (hekastos from hékas = separate) every single one. This idea of separation or singling out is expressed still more strongly by heís hékastos.

Neighbor (4139) (plesion from pélas = near, near to) literally means near, quite near, nearby = position quite close to another position. Figuratively, plesion means to be near someone and thus be a neighbor. In context he refers especially to Christian brethren (as he explains - for we are members of one another -- it would be like the left hand speaking falsehood to the right hand!).

Plesion - 17x in 17v - Mt 5:43; 19:19; 22:39; Mk 12:31, 33; Luke 10:27, 29, 36; John 4:5; Acts 7:27; Rom 13:9f; 15:2; Gal 5:14; Eph 4:25; Jas 2:8; 4:12. NAS = near(1), neighbor(16).

John Phillips notes Paul is quoting from a a postexilic prophet (Zech 8:16)...

One of his great burdens was to urge the restored Jewish remnant not to repeat the sins that had made their exile necessary. Throughout chapter 8, Zechariah reiterated the phrase, "Thus saith the Lord of hosts," as the Lord contrasted His former acts of government and His present acts of grace. One of the fundamentals for staying in the land, the Lord said, was to speak the truth. How significant and sad that centuries later the Jewish people ended up hiring false witnesses against the Lord. They paid for this sin when they were exiled again for nearly two thousand years. Paul picked up Zechariah's warning and addressed it to Christian believers. But there are some fundamental differences between the restored Jewish remnant and Christian believers. For instance, we are not in the land; we are in the Lord. Our position is not in Canaan; our position is in Christ. We are not concerned with a place; we are concerned with the person of Christ. Israel could lose its position—and it did; we cannot lose our position in Christ. We have something Israel did not have. Israel had the divine statute, but we have the Holy Spirit! If Israel needed to put away lying, how much more should we. All deceit grieves the Holy Spirit and consequently leaves us bereft of joy, peace, and power. There is something particularly deceitful about lying to a fellow member of the body of Christ, but all lying is destructive. We are to have a transformed tongue, one that speaks the truth in love. (Phillips, John: Exploring Ephesians - An Expository Commentary)

FOR WE ARE MEMBERS OF ONE ANOTHER: hoti esmen (1PPAI) allelon mele:  (Ep 5:30; Romans 12:5; 1Corinthians 10:17; 12:12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)

Eph 5:30 (note) (Christ nourishes and cherishes His body, the Church) because we are members of His body.

Ro 12:4 (note) For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

1Cor 12:12 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.

Ellicott on Members of one another-

The force of the exhortation does not rest on any mere ethical considerations of our obligations to society, or on any analogy that may be derived from the body (Chrysostom), but on the deeper truth that in being members of one another we are members of the body of Christ (Ro. 12:5-note), of Him who was the truth.

Members (3196) (melos [word study]) is literally a limb or member of the body.  Here melos is used metaphorically of "members" ("limbs") of the Church of which Christ is the Head.

Melos - 34x in 24v - Matt 5:29f; Rom 6:13, 19; 7:5, 23; 12:4f; 1 Cor 6:15; 12:12, 14, 18ff, 22, 25ff; Eph 4:25; 5:30; Col 3:5; Jas 3:5f; 4:1. NAS = member(4), members(27), part(1), parts(2).

Paul is speaking of the members of the spiritual body of Christ in this context but by way of application, how important is this practice of speaking truth in a marriage covenant, where the two are one flesh! For covenant partners to lie to the one another is in a sense to lie to one's self! How foolish and deceived we are we when we walk in the darkness of falsehood in our marriages. Darkness is also a dangerous place because the Evil One rules over this realm and when we traffic in his kingdom by lying to one another in our marriage, we give the devil an opportunity, just as we do when we have unresolved anger (Ep 4:27-note)

One another (240) (allelon from állos = another) means just what it says. It is like the sequoia trees of California which tower as high as 300 feet above the ground. You might be surprised to discover that these giant trees have unusually shallow root systems that reach out in all directions to capture the greatest amount of surface moisture. Their intertwining roots also provide support for each other against the storms. That's why they usually grow in clusters. Seldom will you see a redwood standing alone, because high winds would quickly uproot it! That's what "one another" means!

One another - In the Pauline writings  - Rom 1:27; 12:10, 16; 13:8; 14:13, 19; 15:5, 7, 14; 16:16; 1 Cor 6:7; 7:5; 11:33; 12:25; 16:20; 2 Cor 13:12; Gal 5:13, 15, 17, 26; Eph 4:2, 25, 32; 5:19, 21; Phil 2:3; Col 3:9, 13, 16; 1 Thess 3:12; 4:9, 18; 5:11, 13, 15; 2 Thess 1:3; Titus 3:3

John Eadie...
 

Christians are bound up together by reciprocal ties and obligations as members of the one body of which Christ is the one Head—the apostle glancing back to the image of Ep 4:16. Their being members one of another springs from their living union with Christ. Trusting in one God, they should therefore not create distrust of one another; seeking to be saved by one faith, they should not prove faithless to their fellows; and professing to be freed by the truth, they ought not to attempt to enslave their brethren by falsehood. Truthfulness is an essential and primary virtue. Chrysostom, taking the figure in its mere application to the body, draws out a long and striking analogy—“Let not the eye lie to the foot, nor the foot to the eye. If there be a deep pit, and its mouth covered with reeds shall present to the eye the appearance of solid ground, will not the eye use the foot to ascertain whether it is hollow underneath, or whether it is firm and resists? Will the foot tell a lie, and not the truth as it is? And what again if the eye were to spy a serpent or a wild beast, will it lie to the foot?” etc. (Ibid - Online Goto page 347)

Wayne Barber explains that the new garment displays a transformed tongue noting that..

Paul moves on and begins to show us, with the fourth point, what the new garment looks like.

"Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another."

The first characteristic of this garment is we are going to have a transformed tongue. The Bible tells us that what the mouth speaks identifies what is on the inside of the heart. James 3:8 says

"no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison."

If you ever see somebody in control of their tongue, they must be under the control of the Holy Spirit of God.

The first thing Paul says about the characteristics of the garment is, speak truth and stop speaking falsehood. Let’s identify here why it is a characteristic of this new garment.

If you go back to John 8:44, the same word truth is used to identify its source. Remember Ephesians 2 says we were once dead in our trespasses and in our sins. Of course, then we were of our father the devil.

"You mean to tell me that lost people have a father who is called the devil?"

That is exactly right. If you don’t know Christ, may I just encourage you to realize that you are already in that downward spiral, in that trap of being deceived by the devil himself. This comes right out of the devil himself. People who lie find their roots in the devil himself. Look at John 8:44:

"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar, and the father of lies."

When you find a person who does not tell the truth, who lies in any area of his life, you find a person who is no longer being controlled by the Spirit of God. He has now subjected himself under the influence of the devil who is the father of all lies.

If you will look in Colossians 3:9 it documents that we were once like that. It was part of the fabric of the old man. It certainly isn’t a fabric of the new man. Colossians 3:9 says,

"Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices."

We know the root of a lying tongue is the devil and we also know that it is seen and manifested in the old man, the old garment. When I take off the garment of Christ, when I put on those wrong clothes, immediately I am going to see lies and deceit come out of my mouth.

Look in 1John 2:27:

"And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him."

Folks, listen, there is no lie, there is no deceit in truth. There is no deceit in the written truth, the living truth. There is no lie in that. Where do lies come from? They come from the pit of hell. What is it representative of? The Old Man, the way we used to live. It was a characteristic of man to just simply lie. But when you come into the truth, there can be no lie in your life.

Look at 1Pe 2:22-note. Jesus lives in us in the person of His Spirit. We find the word again, and it speaks directly of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a prophecy of Him which was fulfilled in Him. In the Lord Jesus there was no deceit. Peter says,

"WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH." (note)

That tells me two things. First of all, the truthfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ and His inability to lie, but secondly the truthfulness of His Word, for in what He spoke there was no lie.

LIES ALWAYS
PROTECT THE FLESH

Folks, you can’t lie when Christ is in your heart because lying is something that is a nature of Adam and the nature of the devil himself. He is the father of it. It came in through Adam. When God came to Adam he called out,

"Adam, where are you? What have you done?"

Adam replied,

"It is her fault."

I mean, it is immediate. I don’t know why Paul started with this as the first characteristic of the garment. I think it is because all lying and all deceit protect the flesh rather than confess the flesh. It is so easy to tell a lie, isn’t it? Just tell a partial truth. You can’t do it when Jesus Christ is in your life.

You see, lies always protect the flesh. The flesh is filled up with lustful deceit and doesn’t want to be exposed. So when you come and bow down before Christ and begin to put that brand new garment on, it won’t let you lie. If you do, immediately you know you have grieved the Holy Spirit of God. Isn’t it amazing, he starts right there?

I want you to see something in Ephesians 6. Ephesians 4 and 6 are saying the same thing!

In Ephesians 4, Christ's life is your garment. In Ephesians 6 Christ is your armor. It is the same thing.

The whole book of Ephesians is like a fabric that is so woven together. You can’t disassociate chapter 6 from chapters 3 and 4. It all blends together. It says over in chapter 6 concerning the armor,

"having girded your loins with truth."

How many times have you heard that preached that that is the Word of God? There is no definite article there. God is trying to say,

"A person who is wearing the garment of Christ is transparent and open and honest and does not lie about anything, especially with his lips. He doesn’t speak deceit."

First of all then, we have a transformed tongue. (Ephesians 4:22-27: A Brand New Way of Life -  3)

><> ><> ><>

No Lie (based on "Do not lie (present imperative) to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds. — Col 3:9 - note")

BE ANGRY, AND YET DO NOT SIN: orgizesthe (2PPPM) kai me amartanete (2PPAM) :  (Ep 4:31,32; Ex 11:8; 32:21,22; Nu 20:10, 11, 12, 13,24; 25:7, 8, 9, 10, 11; Neh 5:6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13; Ps 4:4; 37:8; 106:30, 31, 32, 33; Pr 14:29; 19:11; 25:23; Eccl 7:9; Mt 5:22; Mk 3:5; 10:14; Ro 12:19, 20, 21; Jas 1:19)

Proverbs 29:11 A fool always loses his temper ("uttereth all his mind" = KJV), but a wise man holds it back.

Comment: Note how one can identify a "fool". Sometimes (most of the time!) is is better to not give others "a piece of our mind" (cp KJV rendering)! How quick the fallen flesh flashes and lashes out when provoked! Many a person has said too much and lived to regret it. Shimei and Nabal (Nabal means fool! - 1Sa 25:3,25, 26, 34, 37) are prime Biblical examples of such a fool.

Dr Phillips makes an interesting observation...

We should note carefully how Ephesians 4:26 is positioned in the text. Its neighbor is the tongue (Ep 4:25) because it is all too easy for us to say wrong things when we are angry. Its other neighbor is the devil (Ep 4:27), because Satan is swift to take advantage of powerful emotions. (Phillips, John: Exploring Ephesians: An Expository Commentary) 

Paul is quoting verbatim from the Septuagint (LXX) of Psalm 4:4, for the literal Hebrew reads "Tremble and do not sin" where the verb for tremble denotes tremor of grief, awe or anger.

Psalms 4:4 Tremble, (qal imperative = command; Heb = ragaz; Lxx = orgizo) and do not sin (miss the way, err, swerve from the truth = fall short of God’s standard); Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

Comment: The Hebrew word for tremble is ragaz, which most often describes a physical motion, shaking or quivering, as can be seen with a violent emotion such as anger or fear (Ex 15:14, Dt 2:25, Is 64:2, Joel 2:1, Mic 7:17). Have you ever been so angry that you began to shake (tremble, quiver)? The Septuagint (from which Paul quotes verbatim) as well as the context of Eph 4:26 supports the idea that "trembling" is a picture of one "shaking (quivering) with anger". In context David seems to be alluding to a righteous indignation directed against the sons of men who love what is worthless (empty, vain, "nothingness", same word in Hab 2:13 "nothing") and seek falsehood (see Ps 4:3). The NIV (Ps 4:4NIV) and NKJV (Ps 4:4NKJV) both translate the Hebrew in a way that show the translators favored that David meant to convey a warning regarding anger.

Spurgeon comments on Psalm 4:4...

Tremble and sin not. How many reverse this counsel and sin but tremble not. O that men would take the advice of this verse and commune with their own hearts. Surely a want of thought must be one reason why men are so mad as to despite Christ and hate their own mercies. O that for once their passions would be quiet and let them be still, that so in solemn silence they might review the past, and meditate upon their inevitable doom. Surely a thinking man might have enough sense to discover the vanity of sin and the worthlessness of the world. Stay, rash sinner, stay, ere thou take the last leap. Go to thy bed and think upon thy ways. Ask counsel of thy pillow, and let the quietude of night instruct thee! Throw not away thy soul for nought! Let reason speak! Let the clamorous world be still awhile, and let thy poor soul plead with thee to bethink thyself before thou seal its fate, and ruin it for ever!

Selah. O sinner! pause while I question thee awhile in the words of a sacred poet, --

"Sinner, is thy heart at rest?
Is thy bosom void of fear?
Art thou not by guilt oppressed?
Speaks not conscience in thine ear?

Can this world afford thee bliss?
Can it chase away thy gloom?
Flattering, false, and vain it is;
Tremble at the worldling's doom!

Think, O sinner, on thy end,
See the judgment day appear,
Thither must thy spirit wend,
There thy righteous sentence hear.

Wretched, ruined, helpless soul,
To a Saviour's blood apply;
He alone can make thee whole,
Fly to Jesus, sinner, fly!"

Be still. Advice -- good, practical, but hard to follow. Times when seasonable. Graces needed to enable one to be still. Results of quietness. Persons who most need the advice. Instances of its practice, here is much material for a sermon.

Steven Cole reminds us to...

Keep in mind that Paul is telling us specific ways in which we need to put off the old way of life and put on the new. One characteristic of the world is that worldly people do not get angry about the right things. They see sins that destroy people, shrug their shoulders and say, “Whatever!” Or, even worse, they laugh at these sins as they are portrayed on the evil sitcoms on TV. In this apathy toward sin, they are very un-godlike. God hates sin and He displays His righteous wrath against it (Ro 1:18-note). Since sin destroys people, God would be neither righteous nor loving if He did not hate sin with a holy passion. And, if we want to be godly people, we must learn to hate sin. First of all we must hate and be angry at sin in ourselves. We must take the log out of our own eye first! (Mt 7:3, 4, 5-note) But, also, we must be angry at the sin and injustice that we see in the world. But, in our righteous anger, we must be careful, lest we fall into sin.

When you are righteously angry, deal with it promptly, carefully, and biblically, so that the devil does not gain an opportunity in your life. All of the sins that Paul deals with in this section (Ep 4:25-5:2) disrupt the unity of the body (which is the theme of Eph 4:1-16). The positive actions and attitudes that we are to put on in place of these sinful behaviors all contribute to the unity of the body. Our motive in seeking to preserve the unity of the body should be to glorify our Lord, who gave Himself for the church. (Ephesians 4:26-27 How to Be Both Good and Mad - See the full sermon for how to apply Paul's command to be righteously angry)

Moule writing on be angry and do not sin...

Another inference from co-membership in the Lord. Anger, as the mere expression of wounded personality is sinful for it means that self is in command. Anger, as the pure expression of repugnance to wrong in loyalty to God is sinless, where there is true occasion for it. The Apostle practically says, let anger, when you feel it, be never for the former motive, always from the latter. (The Epistle to the Ephesians Online)

John Eadie...

It is objected to this view by Olshausen and others, that anger is forbidden in the Ep 4:31. But the anger there reprobated is associated with dark malevolence, and regarded as the offspring of it. Anger is not wholly forbidden, as Olshausen imagines it is. It is an instinctive principle—a species of thorny hedge encircling our birthright. But in the indulgence of it, men are very apt to sin, and therefore they are cautioned against it. If a mere trifle put them into a storm of fury—if they are so excitable as to fall into frequent fits of ungovernable passion, and lose control of speech or action—if urged by an irascible temper they are ever resenting fancied affronts and injuries, then do they sin. Mt 5:21, 22. But specially do they sin, and herein lies the danger, if they indulge anger for an improper length of time...—“let not the sun go down upon your indignation.” Similar phraseology occurs in Deut. 24:15. (A Commentary on the Greek Text of the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians - Online - Goto page 348)

John Phillips notes that be angry...

is a positive command. There is nothing wrong with being angry for a righteous cause. Anger can be wholesome. There are times when we should be angry. Anger can be kindled by the fire of Hell or by the fire from the altar of God. Anger kindled by the old man is always sinful, destructive, and devilish. Anger kindled by the Holy Spirit at the sight of some injustice, some great depravity, or some monstrous iniquity, is intended to give those who are engaging in the sinful activity reason to fear. The person who cannot get angry at the seduction of an innocent girl, at the corrupting of a child, at those who practice and propagate perversion and pornography, must either be spineless or wholly without moral conviction. (Phillips, John: Exploring Ephesians: An Expository Commentary) 

Henry Ward Beecher...

A man that does not know how to be angry does not know how to be good. Now and then a man should be shaken to the core with indignation over things evil.

Be angry - It is notable that the NIV translation (as does Phillip's paraphrase - see above) misses the fact that Paul is giving a command, instead rendering it "In your anger, do not sin" (Eph 4:26NIV), which is another reason I always recommend doing your most serious studying in the more literal translations (NAS, ESV, KJV, NKJV, Young's Literal [the most literal and always worth consulting but not conducive to smooth reading]).

Remember that anger is only one letter short of danger! As someone has well said "Don't fly into a rage unless you are prepared for a rough landing."

One thing that improves the longer it is kept is your temper (Anonymous).

Contrast Paul's instructions in Eph 4:31 (note) that clearly deal with unrighteous anger...

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

Be angry (3710) (orgizo from orge [word study] = wrath) describes a brooding, simmering anger that is nurtured and not allowed to die. It is seen in the holding of a grudge, in the smoldering bitterness that refuses to forgive. It is the anger that cherishes resentment and does not want reconciliation.

TDNT...

(Root word orge) denotes “upsurging” (of sap of vigor), comes to be used for “impulsive nature.” This is a tragic element in drama, since it inclines people to decisive acts. A demonic excess of will combines with fate to bring disaster. A second and resultant meaning is “anger” as the most striking manifestation of impulsive passion. Unlike thumos, a complementary term, orge is especially oriented to revenge or punishment. Thus it is applied to rulers who must avenge injustice. There then develops the sense of “punishment.” Apart from this legitimate form, however, orge is recognized to be an evil, or the source of other evils.

It is interesting that in the NT orgizo is used only of human and satanic anger whereas in the OT uses (Lxx) it is used frequently of Jehovah (do a "mini-study" on the Psalms below).

Note that Paul uses the present imperative commanding us to manifest a righteous anger as our lifestyle. This command should bring us to our knees for not one of us is able to carry it out in our own strength. The moment we think we can, God allows some person or some circumstance to come into our life that tests us (God is not tempting but testing, testing to show us what is in our hearts just as He did Israel - read Dt 8:1, 2, 3)

Thayer...

from Sophocles, Euripides, and Thucydides down; to provoke, arouse to anger; passive to be provoked to anger, be angry, be wroth

Orgizo - 8x in 8v - Mt 5:22; 18:34; 22:7; Lk 14:21; 15:28; Eph 4:26; Rev 11:18; 12:17. NAS = angry(4), enraged(3), moved with anger(1).

Matthew 5:22-note "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.

Matthew 18:34 "And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.

Comment: Mt 18:21, 21, 23-33, 34, 35, is one of the most important Biblical teachings on forgiveness, for Jesus knows that an unforgiving spirit will lock a person in a jail cell of their own making and they will remain in bondage and torment until they cancel the debt (= sins as shown by comparing Luke 11:4) and release (totally, unconditionally, completely, supernaturally) those who have offended them. (See related resources appended to notes on Exposition of "Forgiveness" in Ephesians 4:32)

Matthew 22:7 "But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire.

Luke 14:21 "And the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, 'Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.'

Luke 15:28 "But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him.

Ephesians 4:26 BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN (see the 2 verses below for anger of men and Satan); do not let the sun go down on your anger,

Revelation 11:18-note "And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth."

Comment: Warren Wiersbe makes a very astute observation: "In Rev 11:18, we have a “table of contents” for the remainder of the Book of Revelation. These events did not take place the instant the angel blew his trumpet; he simply signaled the beginning of the process, and now these events would take place as planned.

“The nations were angry.” What do the nations have to be angry about? Certainly the Lord has been good and gracious to them. He has provided their needs (Acts 14:15, 16, 17; 17:24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31), assigned their territories, and graciously postponed His judgment to give men opportunity to be saved. Even more, He sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world. Today, God offers forgiveness to the nations! What more could He do for them?

Then, why are the nations angry? Because they want to have their own way. “Why do the heathen [the nations] rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against His anointed [Christ], saying, ‘Let us break Their bands asunder, and cast away Their cords from us’ ” (Ps 2:1, 2, 3). They want to worship and serve the creature instead of the Creator (Ro 1:25-note). Like adolescent children, the nations want to cast off all restraint; and God will permit them to do so. The result will be another “Babylon” (Rev 17,18), man’s last attempt to build his Utopia, a “heaven on earth. In Rev 11:2-note, the nations ruthlessly take over Jerusalem. In Rev 11:9-note, they rejoice at the death of the two witnesses. But now they are angry; their arrogance and joy did not last very long. This belligerent attitude finally will cause the nations to unite to fight God at the great battle of Armageddon.” (Wiersbe, W: Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor or Logos)

Revelation 12:17-note So the dragon was enraged with the woman (Metaphorical allusion to Israel in the time of the Great Tribulation), and went off to make war (Note: Here we see one of the sequelae/associations of the inner attitude of anger - make war! Husbands and wives be careful what comes out of your mouth, that it not be angry in tone or intent!) with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

Orgizo - 61x in the Septuagint (LXX): Ge 31:36; 40:2; 41:10; 45:24; Ex 15:14; 22:24; 32:19, 22; Num 22:22; 25:3; 31:14; 32:10, 13; Deut 6:15; 7:4; 29:27; 31:17; Jdg 2:14, 20; 3:8; 6:39; 9:30; 10:7; 14:19; 1 Kgs 11:9; 2 Kgs 13:3; 19:28; 2 Chr 16:10; 29:8; 35:19; Neh 4:1; Esth 1:12; Job 32:2f; Ps 2:12; 4:4; 18:7; 60:1; 74:1; 79:5; 80:4; 85:5; 99:1; 103:9; 106:40; 112:10; 124:3; Prov 29:9; Eccl 5:6; Isa 12:1; 28:28; 57:6, 16; 64:5, 9; Lam 5:22; Dan 11:11, 30; Hab 3:8; Zech 1:2, 15. Take a moment and study the uses in Psalms, 10/13 of which refer to God's anger (exceptions = Ps 4:4, 99:1, 112:10, 124:3) Here are few examples of OT uses...

Psalm 2:12-note Do homage (Piel imperative > Heb = Kiss the son) to the Son, that He not become angry (Hebrew = anaph [0599] [study the OT uses - Dt 1:37, 4:21, 9:8, 20; 1Ki 8:46; 11:9; 2Ki 17:18; 2Chr 6:36; Ezra 9:14; Ps 2:12; 60:1; 79:5; 85:5; Isa 12:1],  anaph = to breath through the nose which comes from the heavy breathing and snorting we have all seen when one is angry. This verb is only of God’s anger with His people; Lxx = orgizo), and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!
 

Psalm 18:7-note Then the earth shook and quaked; And the foundations of the mountains were trembling And were shaken, because He was angry (He = charah = to burn or be kindled with anger!; Lxx = orgizo).

Isaiah 64:9 Do not be angry (Heb = qasap; Lxx = orgizo - In the Greek this is a present imperative) beyond measure, O LORD, Nor remember iniquity forever; Behold, look now, all of us are Your people.

Zechariah 1:2 "The LORD was very angry (Heb = qasap; Lxx = orgizo) with your fathers.

Zechariah 1:15 "But I am very angry (Heb = qasap; Lxx = orgizo) with the nations who are at ease; for while I was only a little angry, they furthered the disaster."

Aristotle said,

Anybody can become angry—that is easy; but to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way—that is not easy.

Warren Wiersbe writes that...

Anger is an emotional arousal caused by something that displeases us. In itself, anger is not a sin, because even God can be angry (Dt 9:8, 20; Ps 2:12). The Bible often speaks of anger “being kindled” (Ge 30:2; Dt 6:15), as though anger can be compared to fire. It is difficult for us to practice a truly holy anger or righteous indignation because our emotions are tainted by sin, and we do not have the same knowledge that God has in all matters. God sees everything clearly and knows everything completely, and we do not. The NT principle seems to be that the believer should be angry at sin but loving toward people. The fire of anger, if not quenched by loving forgiveness, will spread and defile and destroy the work of God. According to Jesus, anger is the first step toward murder (Mt 5:21-26), because anger gives the devil a foothold in our lives, and Satan is a murderer (Jn 8:44). Satan hates God and God’s people, and when he finds a believer with the sparks of anger in his heart, he fans those sparks, adds fuel to the fire, and does a great deal of damage to God’s people and God’s church (Ed: Cf the effects of the closely related sin of unforgiveness - 2Cor 2:10, 11). Both lying and anger “give peace to the devil” (Ep 4:27). (Wiersbe, W: Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor)

Aristotle said...

“Anyone can become angry. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way—this is not easy.”

Solomon has a good solution

A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. (Pr 15:1).

Spurgeon said that...

Anger is one of the holy feet of the soul when it goes in the right direction....To be angry against sin is high and holy thing.

Do (not) sin (264) (hamartano) means to miss the mark (and so not share in the prize) err, esp sin, offend, sin, trespass. It is to act contrary to the will and law of God. Here the present imperative with the negative is a command for them to stop a process which is already in progress. The idea is "Be righteously angry but don't miss the mark. Keep your anger under (Spirit) control (Gal 5:23-note on Spirit enabled 'self control')"

EXAMPLE OF
MOSES'
"RIGHTEOUS ANGER"

Moses is an example of "righteous anger" gone awry and a study of this episode in his life serves to instruct believers today regarding how steep a precipice we stand on when we claim "righteous anger". Understandably, Moses felt anger over the unjust treatment of his Hebrew brethren, but what he did with that anger got him into trouble. Why? Because he allowed his emotions (aka, flesh) to control him with the result that he committed a crime of passion (murder - cf Jesus' association of anger with murder Mt 5:21, 22-note). Although he was right about the injustice (cp "righteous anger"), his reaction was wrong. His hot-blooded volatility revealed how unprepared he was for the task God had planned for him and as result God trained him with 40 years of "desert duty",  so that he would realize that rescuing his own people in his own way would ultimately fail. Moses needed to learn what we all need to learn over and over - that to accomplish God's work in God's way, we must rely on God's power (His Spirit). Spurgeon was right when he said, “Anger is momentary insanity" as demonstrated by Moses' actions.

John Trapp reminds us of the fine line between righteous and unrighteous anger observing that...

It is not a sin to be angry, but hard not to sin when we are angry.

See the example of Cain (Ge 4:4, 5, 6, 7) and the result his failure to "master" his anger (Ge 4:8)! When one studies those passages one truth that comes out is that anger at God was simply a symptom of Cain's more basic problem of unbelief (cp Heb 11:4-note, 1Jn 3:11, 12)

Matthew Henry commented that...

When anger was in Cain's heart, murder was not far off... (adding that) When passion is on the throne reason is out of doors.

Thomas Adams adds that...

He that is inebriated with a passion is unfit for an action.

Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured or as Matthew Henry said "Anger is a sin that is its own punishment".

Matthew Henry...

If we would be angry and not sin, we must be angry at nothing but sin; and we should be more jealous for the glory of God than for any interest or reputation of our own.

I like William Cowper's poem on what we should rightly hate...

Hate Sin
Holy Lord God! I love Thy truth,
Nor dare Thy least commandment slight;
Yet pierced by sin, the serpent's tooth,
I mourn the anguish of the bite.

But though the poison lurks within,
Hope bids me still with patience wait;
Till death shall set me free from sin,
Free from the only thing I hate.

Had I a throne above the rest,
Where angels and archangels dwell,
One sin, unslain, within my breast,
Would make that heaven as dark as hell.

The prisoner sent to breathe fresh air,
And blest with liberty again,
Would mourn were he condemn'd to wear
One link of all his former chain.

But, oh! no foe invades the bliss,
When glory crowns the Christian's head;
One view of Jesus as He is
Will strike all sin for ever dead.

DO NOT LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON YOUR ANGER:  o helios me epidueto (2PPAM) epi [to] parorgismo humon:   (Deuteronomy 24:15)

John Trapp rightly warned that...

Anger may rush into a wise man's bosom, but should not rest there.

Go down (1931) (epiduo from epí = upon + dúo = to sink) means to go down,  to sink down or to set fully. Again Paul uses the present imperative with the negative which functions as a command for the believers to stop a process which is already in progress - "Stop letting the sun go down on your anger!"

Sun (2246) (helios from hele =  shining, the splendor of the sun) is the heavenly body the sun.

Plutarch tells us that the disciples of Pythagoras had a rule of their society, that if, during the day, anger had made them speak insultingly to each other, before the sun set they shook hands and kissed each other and were reconciled.

There was a Jewish Rabbi whose prayer it was that he might never go to sleep with any bitter thought against a brother man within his mind. Paul's advice is sound, because the longer we postpone mending a quarrel, the less likely we are ever to mend it.

In short the day of anger is to be the day of reconciliation!

Anger (3950) (parorgismos from parorgízo = make angry, provoke to violent or bitter anger) is  that which is provoked to wrath or rage. Parorgismos is not momentary outward, boiling over rage or inward, seething resentment, but rather a deep seated, determined and settled conviction. It describes that irritation, exasperation or anger to which one is provoked.  It can refer to an angry mood (we all know what this is like!) or a violent irritation which is expressed by either hiding oneself from others or by flaming looks ("if looks could kill", he "stared daggers at me"), harmful/hurtful words or inconsiderate actions. Note how damaging these various aspects of anger can be to interpersonal relations (especially in marriages and in parent/child relationships!).

As seen in this passage, its New Testament use can represent an emotion good or bad, depending on motive and purpose.

Parorgismos and
Orge contrasted

Parorgismos = severe or violent anger which arises from direct provocation, an aroused anger or seething exasperation. Such behavior is contrary to the Spirit and Word of God.

Orge = anger in general and though it is used of sinful anger it is also used of righteous indignation as here and in (Mk 3:5).

Dr Phillips notes...

parorgismos, communicates the idea of provocation. If you have to be angry—if the cause is righteous, the provocation severe—then let the storm burst but make sure the expression of your anger is not promiscuous or prolonged. Let calm follow the storm and be sure that your fellowship with God is not broken. Do not let the day end without quieting your spirit and making sure you have not grieved the Holy Spirit. You must not nurse anger. A converted disposition includes a transformed temper. (Phillips, John: Exploring Ephesians: An Expository Commentary) 

John Eadie...

Parorgismos is a term peculiar to biblical Greek, is a fit of indignation or exasperation; para—referring to the cause or occasion; while the orge, to be put away from Christians, is the habitual indulgence of anger. 1Ki 15:30; 2Ki 23:26; Neh. 9:18. Parorgismos is not in this clause absolutely forbidden, as Trench wrongly supposes (Synonyms p. 141), but it is to cease by sunset.

The day of anger
should be the day of reconciliation.

It is to be but a brief emotion, slowly excited and very soon dismissed. If it be allowed to lie in the mind, it degenerates into enmity, hatred, or revenge, all of which are positively and in all circumstances sinful. To harbor ill-will; to feed a grudge, and keep it rankling in the bosom; or to wait a fitting opportunity for successful retaliation, is inconsistent with Christian discipleship—“Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” .... The Pythagorean disciple was to be placated, and to shake hands with his foe.... (A Commentary on the Greek Text of the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians - Online - Goto page 349)

Are you one who always wants to get the last word? Well here's the answer you may not have been waiting to hear - An apology is a good way to have the last word!

We have a controlled temper. "Wait a minute. Are you telling me I can have a temper and it still be under control?" Yes. Look at what he says here in verse 26:

"Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger."

We think anger in itself is sin. No. It is what you do with anger. I am grateful for all the ones who have worked for the Pro-life cause. Hey, folks, we need to get mad. But what you do with that anger? James 1:20 (note) says

"the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God."

In other words, this anger is not really just you getting mad. It is the Lord Jesus in you. He was not a mild person all the time. He drove the moneychangers out of the Temple. This Man Who came to this earth, the God-Man Who was so virtuous, stood in a perfect balance between the extremes. He got angry, but He knew what to be angry at. He knew the target of His anger. He knew exactly how to express that anger. He never sinned at all.

So we are to be angry, but not sin with the anger. Go back to Eph 4:2-note. Here is a good example of it. It is all in relationships. Obviously it means that provocation has taken place. Somebody has provoked you. Look at what he says:

"with all humility and gentleness, with patience." (note)

Those three words show you that somebody is standing in the balance (walking worthy of their calling). They are upset. Nobody likes provocation. But they are letting their righteous anger rise up to where they know that they are not going to hate the sinner. They are going to hate the sin and still love the sinner. They are willing to trust God through the whole thing. The word "gentleness" simply means an inward calm so tamed by the Holy Spirit of God that when it happens, you know God is in control. Now that is a person who knows how to be angry, but not to sin with the anger. It is not really him being angry. It is the Lord Jesus rising up in him. There is such a thing as a righteous anger, and I believe that is what he is talking bout. But there is no sin with that righteous anger.

The word "sin" means missing the mark. We don’t miss the mark with righteous anger within us.

Paul goes on to say in Ephesians 4:26,

"do not let the sun go down on your anger."

Personally, in my own heart, Paul is telling to me,

"When the sun goes down, make sure your spirit is quiet. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger."

You know, my wife and I have done this over the years. We have tried never to go to bed without solving whatever difference we have. We have tried our best to make sure that we have dealt with what has angered us. We try to disassociate it from unrighteous anger and righteous anger to make sure we don’t sin with our anger. We have not always done it, but it has been a helpful thing in our marriage.

You have a controlled temper when you have on the new garment of Christ. Not only do you have a transformed tongue, but you have a controlled temper....

...What is in the new garment? Honesty, no lying. You don’t protect the flesh. You confess it. Not only that, you have a controlled temper. Then when you do that you have frustrated the tempter. He can’t get into the body of Christ. He can’t begin to tempt you to where you fall again. You start walking and living like you ought to walk and like you ought to live.

Put on the new garment. Put on the new clothes and you will have a transformed tongue. What you say to people will edify and not tear down. You will have a controlled temper. You will be angry, but it will be God’s anger in you and you won’t miss the mark with your anger. Thirdly, you will definitely frustrate the tempter because he doesn’t know how to handle you when Jesus is Jesus in your life. (Ephesians 4:22-27: A Brand New Way of Life -  3)

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Lamesa, Texan Don Nut says he and his wife have been married fifty years. He says that the secret is that they never went to bed without settling any differences between them. But Don concedes there have been times when he went ten days without sleep. -- Associated Press

Pastor Steven Cole...
 

A 27-year-old man pleaded guilty to assault after he was arrested for accosting a 59-year-old woman in St. Paul, Minnesota. They were waiting for a bus when he began yelling at her, “Why don’t you show me some respect?” When she took out a cell phone to call police, he hit her in the face. When a 63-year-old man intervened, the angry young man hit him with a folder, which fell on the ground as he fled. Police tracked the man down after finding his name in the folder, along with his homework from an anger management class, where he was headed when he lost his temper and hit the woman (Flag Live [March 6-12, 2008])! Well, I guess we can be glad that he’s working on the problem!

Anger is a huge problem, not only in the world, but also in the evangelical church. During my years in the ministry, I’ve seen many Christian marriages break up because of abusive anger. I’ve even heard of pastors who use anger to intimidate and control their families and to dominate others in the church. I have seen fathers and mothers who are abusively angry towards their children, usually

AND DO NOT GIVE THE DEVIL AN OPPORTUNITY: mede didote (2PPAM) topon to diabolo: (Ep 4:11,16; Acts 5:3; 2Corinthians 2:10,11; James 4:7; 1Peter 5:8)

Phillips...

Note where Ephesians 4:27 finds its home in the text. Its immediate neighbors are temper (Ep 4:26) and theft (Ep 4:28). The devil lurks between anger and dishonesty, waiting to exploit them to ruin our testimonies and dishonor the Lord's name.  (Ibid)

The Puritan writer Thomas Manton said that...

Nothing makes room for Satan more than wrath.

Spurgeon speaking of unrighteous anger said that...

Anger is temporary insanity....I have no more right as a Christian to allow a bad temper to dwell in me than I have to allow the devil himself to dwell there.

Give (1325) (didomi) grant someone the opportunity or occasion to do something. The present imperative with the negative represents a command for the believers to stop a process which is already in progress - "Stop giving the devil a foothold [in your heart and life]!"

John Eadie...

“Also give no place to the devil” is the true reading, upon preponderant authority, and closely connects this clause with the preceding exhortation, not certainly logically or as a developed thought, but numerically as an allied injunction. Ho diabolos ("the devil") is plainly the Evil One, not viewed simply in his being, but in some special element of his character...

To “give place to,” is to yield room for...Lk 14:9; Ro 12:19-note... The idea indicated by the connection is, that anger nursed in the heart affords opportunity to Satan. Satan has sympathy with a spiteful and malignant spirit, it is so like his own! Envy, cunning, and malice are the pre-eminent feelings of the devil, and if wrath gain the empire of the heart, it lays it open to him, and to those fiendish passions which are identified with his presence and operations. Christians are not, by the indulgence of angry feeling, to give place to him; for if he have any place, how soon may he have all place! (Ed: Eadie is not inferring that Christians can be demonically possessed, but that they can be demonically oppressed!) Give him “place” but in a point, and he may speedily cover the whole platform of the soul. (A Commentary on the Greek Text of the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians - Online - Goto page 350)

Devil (1228) (diabolos [word study] from diaballo = accuse from dia  = through + ballo = throw) primarily refers to a slanderer, talebearer or false accuser. It is used here and elsewhere in the NT as a proper name of the Devil. He "throws false accusations between" the effect being to divide! His name speaks of his evil deeds. The NT translates diabolos 3 times as "malicious gossips" (NAS).

Diabolo - 37x in 35v - Matt 4:1, 5, 8, 11; 13:39; 25:41; Luke 4:2f, 6, 13; 8:12; John 6:70; 8:44; 13:2; Acts 10:38; 13:10; Eph 4:27; 6:11; 1 Tim 3:6f, 11; 2 Tim 2:26; 3:3; Titus 2:3; Heb 2:14; Jas 4:7; 1 Pet 5:8; 1 John 3:8, 10; Jude 1:9; Rev 2:10; 12:9, 12; 20:2, 10. NAS - devil(34), malicious gossips(3).

The related verb diabállo conveys the basic sense of  “to separate from,” “to be set in opposition,” “to be hated” (passive), “to accuse,” “to repudiate,” “to give false information.” The only NT instance is in Luke 16:1

Now He was also saying to the disciples, "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and this steward was reported to (diabállo; KJV, NKJV, NIV = "accused", NLT first version = "soon a rumor went around") him as squandering (vivid word picture = diaskorpizo = literally to scatter or disperse as grain was thrown into the air in winnowing) his possessions."

Opportunity (5117) (topos) was used in Greek to refer to a territory, land, a defined place, an area (“District,” “town,” “dwelling-place”). In short topos can refer to an area of any size depending on the context. As used figuratively here topos refers to a  place, opportunity or occasion.

Topos - 94x in 89v - Matt 12:43; 14:13, 15, 35; 24:7, 15; 26:52; 27:33; 28:6; Mark 1:35, 45; 6:11, 31f, 35; 13:8; 15:22; 16:6; Luke 2:7; 4:17, 37, 42; 6:17; 9:12; 10:1, 32; 11:1, 24; 14:9f, 22; 16:28; 19:5; 21:11; 22:40; 23:33; John 4:20; 5:13; 6:10, 23; 10:40; 11:6, 30, 48; 14:2f; 18:2; 19:13, 17, 20, 41; 20:7; Acts 1:25; 4:31; 6:13f; 7:7, 33, 49; 12:17; 16:3; 21:28; 25:16; 27:2, 8, 29, 41; 28:7; Rom 9:26; 12:19; 15:23; 1 Cor 1:2; 14:16; 2 Cor 2:14; Eph 4:27; 1 Thess 1:8; 1 Tim 2:8; Heb 8:7; 11:8; 12:17; 2 Pet 1:19; Rev 2:5; 6:14; 12:6, 8, 14; 16:16; 18:17; 20:11.

NAS renders topos as = areas(1), locality(1), occasion(1), opportunity(2), parts(1), passenger*(1), place(75), places(6), reef(1), regions(1), room(3).

Stop giving the devil a foothold or base for his nefarious, destructive, corrupting operations!

Dwight Pentecost...

When a mountain climber scales a mountain, he does not need a four-lane highway to allow him to get to the top. If you have watched a climber in a movie you can see that he or she can use the smallest foothold and inch-by-inch has victory over the mountain. In your life, Satan does not need a huge opening, and you are not safe if there is the slightest foothold for him to begin inching his way to your defeat. (Pentecost, Your Adversary the Devil, p. 99-100) (Bolding and color added for emphasis)

Don't make a "spot" for the devil to come sit in your life or between you and another individual, especially between you and your mate! He and his minions specialize in driving wedges between husbands and wives (cf Ge 3:1, 12, 13, 16, 17) and anger (and its related rotten fruit unforgiveness) is one of his primary methods (methodeia [word study]) by which he wreaks havoc!

UNFORGIVENESS:
FERTILE GROUND INTO WHICH THE
 DEVIL CAN SOW SINISTER SEED!

In what other ways does Satan gain an advantage over God's children? Probably one of the most significant "opportunities" believers provide for our enemy to "gain ground" in our personal and family life and in the church is in the area of retained unforgiveness (which includes attitudes of resentment, holding grudges, bitterness, anger, etc). Unforgiveness in its various forms is the number one problem encountered in every church in which the revival oriented ministry, Life Action Ministries has ministered over the last several decades.

Paul in his second letter to the church at Corinth exhorts the body to forgive and receive back into fellowship the repentant sinner (2Co 2:6, 7, 8, 9) who was "excommunicated" (because of incest [1Co 5:1, 2]; "delivered" over to Satan [1Co 5:5]) from the fellowship. Paul writes...

But whom you forgive (charizomai [word study] [used in Lk 7:42, 43 = "canceled the debts"] = grace based [Spirit enabled] giving = graciously forgive = they don't merit, earn or deserve the forgiveness, but we give out of a new heart [Ezek 36:26, 27, 2Co 5:17] that forgives like God in Christ has forgiven us [Ep 4:32-see notes on forgiveness]) anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven (charizomai), if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, in order that no advantage be taken of us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes (Gk = noema [NB: This noun is PLURAL > Satan has >1 plot for believers!] = what results from directing one's mind, and so in context = Satan's devices, designs, contrivances, evil purposes). (2Co 2:10, 11)

Phillips comments on 2Cor 2:11: I was in a small church recently, in a little country town, which had come through a period of shock and dismay. The pastor had been caught in an immoral relationship with one of the women of the church. The situation had been dealt with and the pastor dismissed. A year or two had passed and a new pastor had been installed. He confessed to me that it was tough going. Although the affair was over it was still all over town. It was the kind of place where everybody knows everybody and most people are kin. The new pastor soon discovered that the church had been branded in the local community. Door to door visitation was virtually impossible. Everybody sneered at the first mention of the church's name. "Oh that church! We all know what goes on in that church." Satan had gained an advantage. We remember the sad words of the prophet Nathan to David when David's sin had found him out: "Thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme" (2Sa 12:14). The word for "devices" here is noema, meaning "that which is thought out." Satan is a cunning player on the chessboard of life. He thinks out his moves. He brings to bear, on our varying situations, the keenest created mind in the universe. He knows how to exploit our circumstances. Our only safe course is to stay close to Christ and to be obedient to Him. (Amen!) (Phillips, John: Exploring 2Corinthians: An Expository Commentary) (Bolding and color added for emphasis)

Related Resources:

List of links (on and off site) to studies related to forgiveness/unforgiveness

Multiple illustrations and quotes related to forgiveness/unforgiveness

Lehman Strauss...

Satan works through that heart which cherishes anger. It is a part of his scheme to get Christians to act in malice against other believers. Elsewhere Paul said that we were to forgive one another "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us" (2Co 2:10, 11). Oh, that we Christians might learn the strategy of Satan in his evil work among the saints of God! The devil has no place in the life of a Christian, so let us beware lest we give him something to lay hold of. (Lehman Strauss Commentary - Devotional Studies on Paul's Letters to the Galatians and Ephesians)

It is interesting that topos is used in another passage on anger...

Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room (topos) for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord. (Ro 12:19-note)

Comment: Divine wrath - leave room for Him to work. He is just. His delay is not denial of the guilt of the offending party. Do not get in God's way, as you will do if you choose to try to take vengeance into your own hands so that you might get "your pound of flesh"!

Dwight Pentecost has an insightful comment writing...

Sin is not necessarily the result of a premeditated plan. Sin often comes to a believer because the believer was not serious minded, recognizing the nature of the conflict, and vigilant. He gave Satan an opportunity and Satan took the opportunity and used it to defeat the child of God in his Christian life.

The Apostle recognizes this danger in Ephesians 4:27 when he gives the command, “Neither give place to the devil.” In 2 Corinthians 2:10, 11 Paul says,

“But whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, in order that no advantage be taken of us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes.”

The word advantage means a toe hold (Ed note: Actually it is the word "opportunity" in Eph 4:27 which means "toe hold" but the principle still stands!). One scaling a mountain does not need a road to get to the top. A skilled mountain climber can make his way on the ice fields and up sheer granite walls if he can get or make as much as a toe hold. He doesn’t take a bulldozer and bulldoze a road to the top. Give him a toehold and he can ascend the highest mountain. We somehow have felt that unless we provide Satan a four-lane paved super-highway he can’t attack us or overcome us or defeat us. Peter didn’t believe that; nor did Paul. Paul was afraid that Satan would get an advantage by getting a toe hold. In a military maneuver all that is needed is a beachhead. From that beachhead the army can launch a successful attack.

Satan is looking for a beachhead and if he can establish a toehold or a beachhead in your life, he can destroy you. Satan can establish a beachhead by causing you to doubt. If you begin to doubt the authority of the Word of God, you have given Satan a beachhead upon which he can launch a campaign that will overthrow your faith. You don’t have to throw the Bible away; just harbor a single doubt about the truth that is revealed in the book and you have given Satan a beachhead to destroy your faith. He doesn’t have to get you to deny the holiness and the righteousness of God to pervert your conduct. All he has to do is get you to turn the least bit from the path of perfect obedience to God and he, from that beachhead, can destroy a life.

The apostles recognized this danger; they recognized there is never a moment, day or night, day in and day out, when your footsteps are not being pursued by an adversary who is watching every move that you make. The first time you provide him with a beachhead he will establish himself on that beachhead and he will begin his work from it. But he cannot do it unless you provide him the opportunity. He cannot overpower the defenses of the Holy Spirit nor can Satan penetrate the armor that has been provided through the Word of God as the Apostle outlines it in Ephesians. You must give him the beachhead; you must give him the opportunity. (Pentecost, J. D. Your Adversary, the Devil. Originally published: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel 1997) (Bolding added)

Phillips...

The author of the bad behavior described in Ephesians 4:17, 18, 19,22,25 is unmasked in Ep 4:27. It is the devil. The mother of all sin is lust, and the father of sin is the devil. James said that when lust has conceived, it brings forth death (James 1:15). Sin did not begin on earth; it began in Heaven. Sin did not begin in the human heart but in the soul of Lucifer, the highest anointed cherub in glory. Sin was already hoary with antiquity before the fallen Lucifer introduced it into this planet.

Satan does not like people. He hates us with a hatred that beggars description. His sole interest in Adam's race is to deceive us, degrade us, distress us, and then destroy us. Since man was made in the image and likeness of God, the more Satan can deface that image, distort it, and turn it into a mere caricature, the more his distorted soul is satisfied. He constantly opposes us, even more so when we have been born again and the image of God has been restored in us.

Regenerated believers are no longer the devil's dupes; they are his deadly enemies. He fears as well as hates us. From the moment of our salvation right down to the gates of death, he keeps up the pressure of his opposition. But we must not give in. Paul said, "Neither give place to the devil." It is not that the devil is afraid of us personally. Rather, he is desperately afraid of the Holy Spirit who indwells us. Satan never knows when we will enter into all that is available to us—when we will become filled with the Spirit and triumphantly wage battle in his realm. Paul expected that we will live triumphant lives. We are not to give place, ground, or opportunity to the devil. (Ibid)

When you start putting on the new garment, you are going to frustrate the devil. Do you want to frustrate him? I do. As a matter of fact, I love to irritate him. If you want to irritate him, put on the new garment and walk the brand new life. Let Jesus be Jesus in your life, and you are going to frustrate him.

Look at what Paul says in Ep 4:27:

"and do not give the devil an opportunity."

Now let me explain that a little bit. There are people who say because he uses the word "opportunity," which is translated "place" 72 times in the Scriptures, then that word has to mean "place" here. That means that somehow a Christian can let the demons of hell get inside their life. Now that is being taught whether you believe that or not. Some of you may say, "Amen, preach the truth!" A lot of people say a demon can get inside of a Christian. This is one of the verses they use. They want to translate it "don’t give a place," as if you are going to open up a room and let him in.

The New American Standard translators did us justice by translating it "opportunity." That turns your mind from the devil getting inside to where you become a pawn in his hands in order to bring division rather than to build up. If you can find anywhere in the Word where that word is used in any other way other than "place," you don’t have a case. You cannot force the fact that it means "place" in this context.

Let me show you two other places where it is used and could not mean "place" in those contexts. It is the same Greek word, though. Look in Acts 25:16:

"And I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man before the accused meets his accusers face to face, and has an opportunity to make his defense against the charges."

That’s the same word. Look in Hebrews 8:7. It is used a little differently even there. In the context it is very clear. Right before the verse that tells us we are of a better covenant, it says,

"For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second."

"Occasion" is the same word. Why do people think in Ephesians 4:27 the Scriptures are teaching that a Christian can have a demon? Folks, that is not even in the context of the chapter. The whole chapter is putting on the new garment. The whole chapter is saying,

"Listen, don’t go back and live like you used to live. If you do, the devil then has an opportunity to influence you wrongly into doing things that you shouldn’t do, into doing things that are a downward spiral. You don’t want to go back into that. He works in the context of the world. He works in the pulpit of the world in order to tempt the flesh. Don’t give him an opportunity to do what he wants to do."