A Foothold for the Devil

 

What’s wrong with being angry? There’s plenty in our lives and in the news to get upset about, but God’s Word is filled with warnings against letting our anger spiral out of control.

Naaman was a big deal.

As the commander of Syria’s army, he had the respect of his countrymen and his king. The Bible calls him “a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria” (2 Kings 5:1).

But Naaman had a problem. “He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper” (verse 1).

Leprosy. Naaman was plagued with a slow, painful disease that was gradually assaulting his nervous system and producing unsightly lesions all over his body. Left unchecked, the disease would eat away at his ability to feel and his ability to see, eventually leaving him open to infections that could rot his extremities.

There was no cure for leprosy in the ancient world. No one in Syria, not even the nation’s pantheon of gods, had the skill or the power to remove such an affliction. But a young Israelite slave girl had told Naaman’s wife stories about a prophet in her homeland with the power to heal all manner of diseases. So Naaman the great—Naaman the honorable, Naaman the mighty man of valor, Naaman the victorious commander—set out to see if the stories were true.

Disrespected?

When Naaman arrived at the prophet’s doorstep, his reception was a little less glamorous than he had expected. “Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean’” (verse 10).

A messenger? Naaman had come all the way from Syria with his entourage, and instead of rolling out the red carpet for such an auspicious guest, Elisha had the gall to stay inside and send a messenger?

Naaman wanted a show. A man of his status deserved a spectacle.

So “Naaman became furious, and went away and said, ‘Indeed, I said to myself, “He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.” Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?’ So he turned and went away in a rage” (verses 11-12).

Sin and anger

The Bible has a lot to say on the subject of anger. It’s a tricky, multifaceted thing—not always right, but not always wrong, either.

One of the more interesting passages about anger comes from the apostle Paul, who urged the Ephesians, “‘Be angry, and do not sin’: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:26-27).

There’s a lot we can learn from that one God-inspired sentence. Paul was telling us that it’s possible to be angry without sinning. That’s important. That sentence also tells us that there’s a right kind of anger and a wrong kind of anger.

It also tells us that, even when our anger is justified, there should be a time limit involved. Nothing good comes from holding on to wrath day after day, allowing ourselves to get angrier and angrier.

But most important, this passage tells us that when we handle anger incorrectly, we make room in our lives for the devil. The New International Version translates Paul’s warning as: “‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold” (emphasis added throughout).

Looking for a foothold

Here’s an unsettling thought:

Satan wants a foothold in your life.

It’s not just a convenience he’ll take if the opportunity comes along. Part of his battle plan is to make you angry. To make you furious. And not just once or twice, but over and over again, as often as possible. The angrier he can keep you, the more secure the foothold he has in your life.

The Bible describes Satan as “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others” (Ephesians 2:2-3).

All around the world, Satan is cultivating sons of disobedience and children of wrath, encouraging others to focus as much as possible on their own worldly desires.

It’s not hard to see that he’s succeeding. Paul prophesied that “in the last days … men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

It’s almost as if Paul wrote those words while watching our modern-day news. Those adjectives are disturbingly accurate when it comes to describing the endless parade of depressing stories that march their way across our TVs and through our news feeds every day.

Paul saw all that on the horizon and then warned, “From such people turn away!” (verse 5).

Cities without walls

The attitudes and behaviors of the children of wrath are contagious. It’s something we have to distance ourselves from both physically and mentally. And if Paul’s warnings aren’t enough, the book of Proverbs spends a great deal of time discussing the inherent problems with being an angry person:

• “Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls” (Proverbs 25:28).
• “An angry man stirs up strife, and a furious man abounds in transgression” (Proverbs 29:22).
• “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back” (verse 11, English Standard Version).
• “The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult” (Proverbs 12:16, ESV).
• “If a wise man contends with a foolish man, whether the fool rages or laughs, there is no peace” (Proverbs 29:9).
• “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1).

There are a lot of harsh words out there today. There are a lot of angry people giving full vent to their spirit, laughing or raging at godly wisdom, quickly taking offense and stirring up strife. That means there are a lot of cities out there with broken-down walls. There are a lot of lives that Satan can easily walk into and manipulate for his own purposes.

If we want to make sure we don’t become one of those cities, the Bible gives us some important advice on how to shore up our walls.

Wrath and righteousness

We can start with what we just read in Proverbs: A wise person can handle an insult without firing one back. A wise person doesn’t vent his or her thoughts and feelings at every opportunity. A wise person knows how to de-escalate a situation with his or her words rather than make things worse.

The more we improve in areas like these, the fewer and fewer footholds Satan will have in our lives.

The New Testament writers go even deeper and explore the core of the issue. James wrote, “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20).

That might be the most important verse on the whole subject. Being an angry or furious person doesn’t just give Satan a strategic advantage in our lives—it’s a path that leads us away from God. Godly righteousness is not produced by, cannot be nurtured by, is actively choked out by the wrath of man.

In other words, the anger-inducing moments of our lives offer us a choice. We have to choose between the wrath of man and the righteousness of God—between providing a foothold for our enemy and emulating the character of our Creator.

David calls God “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy”—a God who “has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:8, 10). That’s what the patience and righteousness of God looks like in action, and it’s a template for how we should treat others.

It’s worth noting, though, that God is slow to anger. We saw earlier that James encouraged us to be slow to wrath. It’s not that God never gets angry—it’s that when He does, it’s for the right reasons and at the right time. As humans, that’s not something that comes naturally to us—but the more in sync we are with God’s mind and perspective, the better we’ll do.

Lights in the world

The story of Naaman almost ended when he stormed off in rage. He was angry about the way he’d been treated. In his frustration, he could have easily climbed back into his chariot, driven back to Syria and spent the rest of his life as a leper.

Would that have been worth it?

No—but then, when we let anger direct us, we don’t do things because they’re worth it. We do things because we’ve been hurt or slighted or wronged, and we look for ways to lash out or get even.

That’s the state of mind Naaman was in—until his servants talked him down. “My father,” they asked, “if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” (2 Kings 5:13).

It was a reality check for Naaman. Was he really going to throw away the chance to be cured of an incurable condition just because the remedy wasn’t fancy enough for him?

In the end, Naaman calmed down “and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean” (verse 14).

Naaman’s story reminds us that when we give ourselves over to rage, we’re going to make foolish decisions and miss out on important opportunities. The book of Proverbs shows us in great detail what some of those foolish decisions look like and the damage they can do. And Paul teaches us that, on top of everything else, misdirected anger all too easily becomes a foothold for the devil.

We live in an angry world filled with angry people doing angry things, so it’s no surprise that “the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19). But God calls us to be different—to be better than that. “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:14-15, ESV).

God wants you to grow in His righteousness and shine like a light in a darkened world. Satan wants to fill you with that darkness and keep you angry and distracted from the reason you exist.

Don’t give your adversary that foothold.

For more tools on dealing with anger, see our blog post “Overcoming Anger.”

What Does the Bible Say About Anger?

 

It seems there is more anger in the world today. Why is that? Are there good and bad types of anger? Is anger a sin? What does the Bible say about anger?

Anger is a strong feeling of displeasure or antagonism. Anger often leads to forceful, even violent, action directed at the source of real or perceived harm. Or it can be manifested in words—often strong ones!

We are living in an angry world! Incidents of “road rage” make the news, even to the point where some drivers have shot at others whose driving annoyed or threatened them. Fans have been known to riot and destroy property when their favorite sports teams lose—and sometimes, even when they win! Far too often spouses batter their mates, and parents even abuse children in fits of rage.

Violence and anger are staples of many television shows and movies. The terms “anger issues” or “anger management” have found their way into our speech and culture. Perhaps we’re not even surprised by all the anger in the world, because of how commonplace it is, but it does seem to be on the increase.

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Is anger on the increase?

Anger is an emotion that has been present since the beginning of humanity. The Bible reveals that the first human ever born (Cain) became so angry at God and his brother (Abel) that he killed his brother (Genesis 4:4-8). Anger has been with people from the start.

But there is evidence that the problem is getting even worse. A report of the Mental Health Foundation in the United Kingdom, titled “Boiling Point” (March 2008), dealt with rising anger. The report included a description of some of the manifestations and causes of that rising level of anger:

“Mounting evidence links anger with a range of physical, mental and social problems. Chronic and intense anger has been linked with Coronary Heart Disease, stroke, cancer and common physical illnesses including colds and flu, and generally poorer health; as well as increased risk-taking, poor decision-making and substance misuse.

“Higher levels of anger are related to lower levels of social support and higher stress levels. High levels of anger expression have also been associated with less frequent use of positive coping strategies such as actively addressing problems.

“Anger has also been linked with mental health problems including depression and self-harm. People describe anger as more likely to have a negative effect on interpersonal relationships than any other emotion.

“There is evidence to suggest that societal changes are contributing to a rise in emotional problems. Public polling carried out for this report indicates that a majority of the population believe that people in general are getting angrier. Influential authors quoted in this report have examined life in 21st century Western society and stated recently that we are getting angrier, and that despite 50 years of economic growth in the UK, we are no happier.”

One mental health professional in the United States believes that a contributing factor to increased anger in modern times is the frustration people experience when their prosperity, health and levels of “feeling good” do not rise up to the levels that an “entitlement” culture has led them to expect.

 

He says this is “one reason for what seems to be a steady increase in anger. Entitlement easily creates anger in today’s ‘cult of feeling good,’ where feeling good seems to be the ultimate life goal. Today people feel entitled not just to the pursuit of happiness, not even just to happiness, but to feeling good most of the time. If they don’t feel good most of the time, someone or something must be to blame. The blue ribbon recipe for anger is mixing blame with entitlement and vulnerability” (Steven Stosny, Ph.D, “Anger Problems: A Smokescreen for Fear-Shame Phobia,” Psychology Today website, Jan. 9, 2009).

Instant communication around the world may also play a part in increased anger. Now those living in poor nations can regularly see how prosperous some other nations are, which tends to increase jealousy and resentment and anger.

Is all anger bad?

Anger often leads to hurting and violence and suffering. But is all anger sin in the sight of God? No. Even God gets angry. There is such a thing as righteous anger.

Though God is love and expresses His love and mercy to mankind in many ways, He also expresses righteous anger at times. He is holy, and He is repulsed by sin. His anger is directed at sin and the harm it does to those He has created. His anger (and the correction that accompanies it) is for the purpose of ending the evil, of stopping the cause of suffering and restoring people to a right relationship with Him.

Consider what the Bible says about God’s righteous anger:

• “God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day” (Psalm 7:11).
• “Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways’” (Hebrews 3:10).
• “The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy” (Psalm 145:8).
• “Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:4-5).
• “‘For a mere moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies I will gather you. With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,’ says the LORD, your Redeemer” (Isaiah 54:7-8).
• “For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for the spirit would fail before Me, and the souls which I have made” (Isaiah 57:16).

These scriptures show that God does express anger, but they also reveal that God is slow to anger, and His mercy and love often make His anger quickly pass. He knows that we could not endure for long in the presence of His full anger.

God is righteous and holy and in perfect control of His anger. He gets angry only slowly, and stays that way only for so long as necessary for perfect justice and righteousness to prevail.

When is anger a sin?

Very often, human anger is an expression of unfulfilled lust, covetousness, hatred, resentment and a desire to take vengeance on someone else. In many cases it arises very quickly, with small provocation, is accompanied by wicked thoughts of vengeance and violence, and lasts a long time.

This sort of anger represents a lack of godly character, a loss of control over one’s own thoughts and actions. It does not represent righteousness in those cases, but the sinfulness of the carnal mind (Romans 8:7).

Cain’s anger was a manifestation of resentment toward God and His correction. It also showed jealousy toward his brother Abel, because of the favor Abel had found with God. This type of anger is evil. Most human anger is a “work of the flesh” (Galatians 5:19-20).

Such anger is a sin, and it should be repented of and controlled by all who wish to serve God and develop the holiness and righteousness of God in their lives, through the working of God’s Holy Spirit.

Consider what the Bible says about avoiding this sort of sinful anger:

• “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20).
• “Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools” (Ecclesiastes 7:9).
• “A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of wicked intentions is hated” (Proverbs 14:17).
• “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19).
• “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city” (Proverbs 16:32).

Righteous anger

With the help of God’s Holy Spirit, a person can increasingly control and overcome the sin of unrighteous human anger. Such a person can take on the mind of Christ and can even express righteous anger—at things, events or actions that dishonor God and the suffering that such things bring.

This sort of anger is not sin. It is a product of the transforming Spirit of God at work in a person’s mind and character. Consider what the Bible says about anger in that light:

• “‘Be angry, and do not sin’: do not let the sun go down on your wrath” (Ephesians 4:26).
• “And I became very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers” (Nehemiah 5:6-7). Nehemiah became righteously indignant at the hardship and suffering that sinful practices were bringing on the people. He was moved to action, but not hastily or without “serious thought.”

“And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other” (Mark 3:5). Jesus was angry and grieved by their self-righteous blindness that was standing in the way of God’s supernatural response that would bring relief for one who was crippled.

Even more anger now and to come—why?

There is another essential thing to consider with regard to what the Bible says about anger. There is an evil spirit at work in the world—an enemy of God and man. His name is Satan the devil. He opposes the will of God and has for a long time. He uses his influence to stir people up to resist God as he does, and he is angry! He stirs up anger in human beings. He is angry at God, and he wishes for people to similarly resist and be angry at God.

Paul wrote to the Ephesians: “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others” (Ephesians 2:1-3).

The influence of the “prince of the power of the air” (Satan) contributes to the thoughts and actions of a deceived mankind.

His influence on the minds of men will be even more pronounced near the end of this age—just before the return of Jesus Christ as King of Kings: “Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time” (Revelation 12:12).

Soon, though, the devil will be removed, and humankind will no longer be influenced by the devil’s anger (Revelation 20:1-3).

What should you do?

Each person has the power of choice to control anger and to express it only in righteous ways, instead of in evil ways. See more about this in the blog post “Overcoming Anger.”

God gives His Holy Spirit—which is His power—to those who obey and seek Him. That power leads to self-control and peace in the place of unrighteous anger.

In order to receive God’s Holy Spirit, one has to repent, believe (have faith) and be baptized.

Effects of Sin

 

The ultimate penalty of sin is death. However, God offers the gift of eternal life. God provides a way to remove the effects of sin that we have earned.

The Bible clearly tells us that the effects of sin—all sin that is not repented of—ultimately lead to death (Romans 6:23; see “What Is the Meaning of Romans 6:23?”).

Notice Ezekiel 18:20: “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.”

We each bear the effects of our own sin. We are only accountable for our own sin, but that is enough. We have all earned the penalty of death (Romans 3:23; 6:23).

Jesus Christ gives us hope

Jesus Christ came with a purpose, and He offered a great hope for mankind. Notice His statement in John 10:10: “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

So, although everyone sins and the effects of sin include death, that does not have to be the inevitable outcome for an individual.

The book of Acts sheds a little more light: “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).

There is a path leading away from death, and that begins with repentance.

Repentance

When John the Baptist began his ministry in preparing the way for Jesus Christ, his message was one of repentance. It is necessary for us to repent—not just be sorry for sin, but also turn away from it.

Notice John’s message for the Jewish leaders of his day: “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance’” (Matthew 3:7-8).

The Pharisees and Sadducees had come only to observe, not to show the actions and resulting changes in their lives—the “fruit” of repentance.

Just as John the Baptist physically prepared the way for Christ by bringing a message of repentance, we must prepare ourselves spiritually by showing repentance and a willingness to turn from the sin in our lives. For more information about repentance, please see the articles in the section on “Repentance.”

Grace

A very important aspect to consider is that God’s grace leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). When we repent of our sins, are baptized and seek to change our direction in life, the sacrifice of Christ makes possible not only the forgiveness of our sins, but also the removal of the death penalty. The apostle Paul wrote that we are “buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses” (Colossians 2:12-13).

Christ made the supreme sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. This is not, however, a license for us to continue in sin! Notice Romans 6:15-16: “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?”

The gift of grace from Jesus Christ carries with it an expectation that we will continually turn from sin. For more information on the subject of grace, please see the articles in the “Grace” section.

Forgiveness

After the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, God told Adam what life for mankind would be like without obedience to God: “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19).

Without God in our lives, without the sacrifice of Christ, the inevitable cycle of life for mankind would be without hope and without expectation of life forevermore.

But the path leading to life is available to all of us through the forgiveness of our sin. Notice Hebrews 4:15-16: “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Mercy and forgiveness are available through repentance and baptism. God stands ready to give us the help we need! “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12).

So, what will it be—experience the ultimate effects of sin and pay the penalty of eternal death? Or repent of sin and live forever? The choice is yours!

Learn more in the article “How to Repent.”

Wrong Choice

 

God said, “Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat” (Genesis 2:17). Adam and Eve chose poorly. How can we avoid making the wrong choice?

In this series on “Deadly Sins” we have covered “Temptation” and “Desire.” Now let’s consider the next step to avoid in the path of sin: wrong choice.

Adam and Eve were faced with a classic choice during their earliest days in the Garden of Eden. The tree of life and all the other trees in the garden were there for their health and happiness, but God told them eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would lead to death.

The wrong choice made by Adam and Eve is well documented in the Bible. Whether we think about it or not, we also make daily choices. When faced with making a good choice or a wrong choice, we are usually tempted to make the bad choice. What determines the choice we will make?

The framework for choosing

The choices we make and the actions we take in life are the result of the thoughts that feed our minds daily. Notice Luke 6:45: “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

The “heart” (mind) stores the thoughts and feelings that produce the actions and choices in our lives.

The book of Romans amplifies this thought process and ties it into the two outcomes described in the account of Adam and Eve. “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:6).

There are many scriptures advising us about the importance of what we feed our minds. This principle is discussed in the book of Psalms: “Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to covetousness. Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way” (Psalm 119:36-37).

The apostle Paul also emphasized the importance of building up a healthy mind with positive thoughts: “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

So we can prepare for these choices and equip ourselves to make the good choices by focusing our minds on the good and dwelling on the positive results of good choices. But is that all we need to do in order to choose rightly?

The struggle

Paul described an internal struggle that he dealt with personally. He also recognized that there were two choices involved in the situations he faced—the choice he knew he should make, and the choice that he was inclined to make, even though he knew better.

“I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law in my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:21-24).

The apostle Paul found himself in a struggle between these two choices! Furthermore, he often found that he was tempted to make the wrong choice: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice” (Romans 7:18-19).

Where does that leave the rest of us if even the apostle Paul had this difficulty in avoiding the wrong choice and always choosing what was right?

And yet despite that internal struggle, we need to make the right choices, as poor choices result in death. Notice Deuteronomy 30:19: “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.”

Proverbs 14:12 expands on this thought: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”

Is it really this bad?

We have all made wrong choices, and (thankfully) have not yet been struck dead for making them. But we must realize that all sins (which are bad choices—the transgression of the law of God) have to be repented of; those sins must be covered and forgiven by Christ’s shed blood. The apostle Paul realized the seriousness of sin. So, even though he faced this struggle of avoiding the wrong choice, he no doubt practiced his own advice about dwelling on good and virtuous thoughts to help him choose the right.

It is true that all people eventually die, regardless of the choices they make. But there is more to the picture than just the natural end of human life. Wrong choices always bring consequences. The history of mankind (beginning with Adam and Eve) reflects a long series of wrong choices and the resulting wars, poverty, disease and destruction. And sins not repented of will bring eternal death.

Look at the big picture

The sacrifice of Jesus Christ made possible a future for mankind beyond the limitations of our mortal flesh. Humanity is not doomed to an inevitable cycle of sin and death! Here are Jesus’ own words: “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:9-10).

Jesus Christ wants us to have life, and He does not want to see us make wrong choices. For further explanation of the results of wrong choices and the alternative to those wrong choices, read the final article in this series, “Effects of Sin.”

Desire

 

“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable … she took of its fruit and ate” (Genesis 3:6).

The account in Genesis of mankind’s first recorded sin is a familiar one. After Eve saw that the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was pleasant to the eyes and desirable to make one wise, she ate. Verse 6 goes on to tell us that Adam followed in Eve’s footsteps: “She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.”

While the story of that original sin is familiar to many, the consequences of giving in to wrong desire are perhaps not so familiar. Adam and Eve were driven from their garden paradise and subsequently found it much more difficult to grow and harvest food.

Eve was also told there would be pain and sorrow in having children. Their firstborn son (Cain) grew up to become the world’s first murderer, taking the life of his brother. Who would have believed that so much pain and sorrow could result from giving in to one simple desire?

Cycle of sin

The Bible tells us of a series of steps and decisions that can result in death. “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:14-15).

There exists, though, the opportunity to turn away from wrong desire before it leads us down the path followed by Adam and Eve.

First, how can we tell the difference between wrong desires and right desires? We must compare our desires with the law of God. If our desires promote love for God and our fellow man and obedience to God’s commandments, they are okay. But if they are contrary to God’s commandments and do not show love for God and are not in the best interests of others, they are wrong desires.

Wrong desire is clearly a crucial step in the chain reaction of events that can lead to death. It bears a closer inspection into what the Bible has to say about the nature of those wrong desires we can encounter.

“For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world” (1 John 2:16). Three types of wrong desire are enumerated here: desire (lust) of the flesh, desire of the eyes and the pride of life.

Desire of the flesh

Desire of the flesh—the wrong desire for the wealth, comforts or pleasures this world can offer—is the first of the wrong desires listed in 1 John. This can include sexual lusts, gluttony, drunkenness, drugs and other physical addictions.

There is an account in the Bible of a man who gave in to such wrong desires, with disastrous results.

This account concerns a man named Gehazi, who had been a faithful servant to the prophet Elisha for several years. As the story develops in 2 Kings 5, a commander in the Syrian army named Naaman offered a great deal of money and other gifts to the king of Israel in hopes of being cured of his leprosy (2 Kings 5:1-5).

The king was unable to help, but Elisha heard of the situation and sent instructions to Naaman about how to be healed of his leprosy (2 Kings 5:6-10). When Naaman finally followed the instructions, he was healed! Naaman then offered his gifts to Elisha, but Elisha refused them (verses 15-19).

At this point, Gehazi’s “desire of the flesh” took over, and he decided to profit from the generosity offered by Naaman. “But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, ‘Look, my master has spared Naaman this Syrian, while not receiving from his hands what he brought; but as the LORD lives, I will run after him and take something from him’” (2 Kings 5:20).

Gehazi did as he said, running after Naaman with a fabricated story about a request from Elisha for money and clothing. These were needed, according to Gehazi, for two new students. Naaman then gave Gehazi silver and changes of clothing, which Gehazi kept for himself (2 Kings 5:21-24).

What was the result for Gehazi of giving in to wrong desires by lying and stealing? Elisha told him, ‘“Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.’ And he went out from his presence leprous, as white as snow” (verse 27). Leprosy was an especially dreaded disease, causing disfigurement and social isolation.

Ironically, Gehazi suffered a type of destruction to his own flesh when he gave in to the “desire of the flesh.” Gehazi couldn’t have known what the outcome of his desires would be, or he surely would not have taken the silver and the clothing. Then again, we often do not know what the consequences will be for us (until it is too late) when we give in to wrong desires.

Desire of the eyes

The second desire listed in 1 John concerns visual temptation leading to wrong desire, or “lust of the eyes.” This can include coveting cars, houses and other physical things, as well as sexual lust.

In another famous biblical example, King David of Israel gave in to desire of the eyes in the incident with Bathsheba.

“Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold” (2 Samuel 11:2).

As the story continues in 2 Samuel 11, David sent for Bathsheba, committed adultery with her and fathered a child. In order to cover his sins, he sent Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, into battle with instructions for the other troops to withdraw when the battle reached its zenith. David’s orders were essentially a death sentence for Uriah. David then took Bathsheba as his wife.

What was God’s reaction to what David had done? “Thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun’” (2 Samuel 12:11). God then also caused the first child conceived by Bathsheba with David to die.

David went on to repent, and he was a man after God’s own heart who ruled Israel well for many years. However, his sin—giving in to the desire of the eyes—caused much needless pain for David and his family before his life was finished.

The pride of life

The “pride of life” phrase mentioned in 1 John 2:16 is defined by the Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary as “vainglorious display.” It could include pride, arrogance, vanity, self-importance, self-promotion and self-righteousness. A simpler definition might be the desire to elevate oneself in the eyes of others.

In the early days of the Christian Church, there were many who sold their possessions and brought them to the apostles for the use of the Church. The account in Acts 4:32-37 describes how several people sold land, houses and other possessions and brought the money to the apostles.

Acts 5:1-2 goes on to describe a couple named Ananias and Sapphira, who sold a possession and brought a part of the proceeds to the apostles but claimed they were giving it all. In verse 3, Peter asked why they had lied about the sale. The problem wasn’t that Ananias and Sapphira donated only a part of the proceeds, but that they lied to try to make themselves look good.

Notice Acts 5:4: ‘While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”

Ananias and Sapphira desired to impress others with their generosity—they wanted the apostles and others to believe that they had donated all of the proceeds to the Church, when in fact they had donated only part. This desire to impress had fatal results. In verses 5-10, Peter separately asked each about the price of the sale. Each died immediately after lying to Peter about the price.

Few experience such an immediate, disastrous result from the desire to impress others, but the story of Ananias and Sapphira underscores the warning in 1 John 2:16 about the “pride of life.”

What can we do about desire?

We all encounter temptations in life that can easily result in the wrong desires just described. It is easy to give in to temptation and desire things that can harm us. How can we avoid these pitfalls?

Galatians 5:16-17 gives us the antidote: “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”

The verses that follow talk about the need to walk in the Spirit, rather than walking in the flesh (Galatians 5:18-26). They illustrate the infinitely more desirable results of walking in the Spirit, as opposed to giving in to the desires of the flesh.

Walking in the Spirit begins with repentance, turning from our sins and being baptized to receive God’s Holy Spirit. This leads to conversion and faithfully responding to what God teaches us and enduring to the end. It’s vitally important to understand and act on these steps, and the articles on this website about repentance and baptism can help you start. The differences in the outcomes are dramatic. The choices are ours to make.

Next in this series, see the article on “Wrong Choice.”