Exhortation, Fourth Sunday After Easter

We don’t quite know what to do with all the talk of demons and devils in the New Testament, and we often adopt an implicitly secular understanding of the world. We don’t take much account of demonic influence on human life. We think psychologists and sociologists can explain most anything, and we don’t have to take the influence of spiritual beings into account at all. We’re at home talking about addictions and psychoses, but we fear we’ll be locked away if we mention demons.

The Bible teaches, on the contrary, that the world is, in C. S. Lewis’s word, “crowded.”

Angels stir all around, and demons are real and active. Christ has triumphed over and bound Satan, and yet Satanic accusers and adversaries remain and the devil is still a roaring lion seeking whom He may devour. Satan is bound; He is not yet in the lake of fire.

The Gadarene demoniacs broke chains and cut themselves with stones, but demonic activity can take more banal forms. Paul warns, “Be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.” Milton wrote of a majestic devil, but Dostoevsky was being more Pauline when he depicted the devil as a shabby, buffoonish character in a rumpled suit.

Paul was not using hyperbole. The devil is an accuser. And when we don’t put aside anger, we are vulnerable to the Satan, and we will be inspired to take his role as accusers rather than defenders. Accusation, rancor, bitter hatred – these are the forms of life that the devil will encourage if we don’t deal with anger.

Paul’s solution is to deal with anger: “Don’t let the sun go down on your anger.” Confess your anger, forgive, put away malice. Put on the breastplate of righteousness, and put the Satan to flight.