When we first said “I Do” we received a ton of marriage advice! The most frequent tip received was, “Don’t go to bed angry with each other.” We tried following this advice closely, but in the heat of a late night argument, I went to sleep on the couch while she pretended to already be asleep in the bedroom.
We laid there, in separate rooms, letting our anger fester. Thoughts crept into our minds about how we had made a mistake to ever get married, how this argument wouldn’t have happened if I were married to another person, and how I would be happier with any one else.
It was in that moment, I was reminded of Ephesians 4:26-27.
“Be angry and do not sin, do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.”
Like a ton of bricks falling through the roof, I realized I had given the Enemy an opportunity to come in my home, to creep into my mind, and to fill it with lies.
The Bible warns us in the book of John that “The thief comes only to kill, steal and to destroy," There is nothing more the devil would like to do than to kill your intimacy, steal your joy, and destroy your marriage. The Enemy knows the power of a marriage centered on Christ, and will stop at nothing to keep your marriage from becoming what God has intended it to be.
Yes, in every marriage there will be arguments, there will be times you will be angry, but Ephesians doesn’t tell us we shouldn’t be angry, it’s how we handle that anger.
Today, I pray that your marriage does not fall into the enemy's trap, but instead you are quick to resolve the conflict. Even if you have to collect your thoughts, so you don’t say something you’ll regret, find time to talk it out. And if you have the extra time to make up, it sure is worth it. ;)