Give not place to the devil.

“As many, therefore, as are empty, fear the devil, as possessing power. When a man has filled very suitable jars with good wine, and a few among those jars are left empty, then he comes to the jars, and does not look at the full jars, for he knows that they are full; but he looks at the empty, being afraid lest they have become sour. For empty jars quickly become sour, and the goodness of the wine is gone. So also the devil goes to all the servants of God to try them. As many, then, as are full in the faith, resist him strongly, and he withdraws from them, having no way by which he might enter them. He goes, then, to the empty, and finding a way of entrance, into them, he produces in them whatever he wishes, and they become his servants.”

“We, however (just as we have received), only on the day of the Lord's Resurrection ought to guard not only against kneeling, but every posture and office of solicitude; deferring even our businesses lest we give any place to the devil. Similarly, too, in the period of Pentecost; which period we distinguish by the same solemnity of exultation.”

“In the first place, therefore, dearest brother, both by overseers and people nothing is to be more eagerly sought after, than that we who fear God should keep the divine precepts with every observation of discipline, and should not suffer our brethren to stray, and to live according to their own fancy and lust; but that we should faithfully consult for the life of each one, and not stiffer virgins to dwell with men,-I do not say to sleep together, but to live together -since both their weak sex and their age, still critical, ought to be bridled in all things and ruled by us, lest an occasion should be given to the devil who ensnares us, and desires to rage over us, to hurt them, since the apostle also says, "Do not give place to the devil." The ship is watchfully to be delivered from perilous places, that it may not be broken among the rocks and cliffs; the baggage must swiftly be taken out of the fire, before it is burnt up by the flames reaching it. No one who is near to danger is long safe, nor will the servant of God be able to escape the devil if he has entangled himself in the devil's nets. We must interfere at once with such as these, that they may be separated while yet they can be separated in innocence; because by and by they will not be able to be separated by our interference, after they have become joined together by a very guilty conscience. Moreover, what a number of serious mischiefs we see to have arisen hence; and what a multitude of virgins we behold corrupted by unlawful and dangerous conjunctions of this kind, to our great grief of mind! But if they have faithfully dedicated themselves to Christ, let them persevere in modesty and chastity, without incurring any evil report, and so in courage and steadiness await the reward of virginity. But if they are unwilling or unable to persevere, it is better that they should marry, than that by their crimes they should fall into the fire. Certainly let them not cause a scandal to the brethren or sisters, since it is written, "If meat cause my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend."”

“"Do you maintain that there is any prince of evil or not? For if you say that there is not, I can prove to you from many statements, and those too of your teacher, that there is; but if you honestly allow that the evil one exists, then I shall speak in accordance with this belief." And Peter said: "It is impossible for me to deny the assertion of my Teacher. Wherefore I allow that the evil one exists, because my Teacher, who spoke the truth in all things, has frequently asserted that he exists. For instance, then, he acknowledges that he conversed with Him, and tempted Him for forty days. And I know that He has said somewhere else, 'If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself: how then is his kingdom to stand?' And He pointed out that He saw the evil one like lightning falling down from heaven. And elsewhere He said, 'He who sowed the bad seed is the devil.' And again, 'Give no pretext to the evil one.' Moreover, in giving advice, He said, 'Let your yea be yea, and your nay nay; for what is more than these is of the evil one.' Also, in the prayer which He delivered to us, we have it said, 'Deliver us from the evil one.' And in another place, He promised that He would say to those who are impious, 'Go ye into outer darkness, which the Father prepared for the devil and his angels.' And not to prolong this statement further, I know that my Teacher often said that there is an evil one. Wherefore I also agree in thinking that he exists. If, then, in future you have anything to say in accordance with this belief, say it, as you promised."”

“So then to be at war with one another, is "to give place to the devil"; for, whereas we had need to be all in close array, and to make our stand against him, we have relaxed our enmity against him, and are giving the signal for turning against each other; for never has the devil such place as in our enmities. Numberless are the evils thence produced. And as stones in a building, so long as they are closely fitted together and leave no interstice, will stand firm, while if there is but a single needle's passage through, or a crevice no broader than a hair, this destroys and ruins all; so is it with the devil. So long indeed as we are closely set and compacted together, he cannot introduce one of his wiles; but when he causes us to relax a little, he rushes in like a torrent. In every case he needs only a beginning, and this is the thing which it is difficult to accomplish; but this done, he makes room on all sides for himself. For henceforth he opens the ear to slanders, and they who speak lies are the more trusted: they have enmity which plays the advocate, not truth which judges justly. And as, where friendship is, even those evils which are true appear false, so where there is enmity, even the false appear true. There is a different mind, a different tribunal, which does not hear fairly, but with great bias and partiality. As, in a balance, if lead is cast into the scale, it will drag down the whole; so is it also here, only that the weight of enmity is far heavier than any lead. Wherefore, let us, I beseech you, do all we can to extinguish our enmities before the going down of the sun. For if you fail to master it on the very first day, both on the following, and oftentimes even for a year, you will be protracting it, and the enmity will thenceforward augment itself, and require nothing to aid it. For by causing us to suspect that words spoken in one sense were meant in another, and gestures also, and everything, it infuriates and exasperates us, and makes us more distempered than madmen, not enduring either to utter a name, or to hear it, but saying everything in invective and abuse. How then are we to allay this passion? How shall we extinguish the flame? By reflecting on our own sins, and how much we have to answer for to God; by reflecting that we are wreaking vengeance, not on an enemy, but on ourselves; by reflecting that we are delighting the devil, that we are strengthening our enemy, our real enemy, and that for him we are doing wrong to our own members. Wouldest thou be revengeful and be at enmity? Be at enmity, but be so with the devil, and not with a member of thine own. For this purpose it is that God hath armed us with anger, not that we should thrust the sword against our own bodies, but that we should baptize the whole blade in the devil's breast. There bury the sword up to the hilt; yea, if thou wilt, hilt and all, and never draw it out again, but add yet another and another. And this actually comes to pass when we are merciful to those of our own spiritual family and peaceably disposed one towards another. Perish money, perish glory and reputation; mine own member is dearer to me than they all. Thus let us say to ourselves; let us not do violence to our own nature to gain wealth, to obtain glory.”

“Having set forth above the general admonition, that they should put on newness, here the Apostle sets down specific precepts. Concerning this he does two things. First, he forbids them the interior sins that corrupt the spirit; second, the exterior sins, which corrupt the flesh, at "but fornication," etc. The first is divided into two. First he prohibits sins which consist in the disordering of oneself; second, sins which consist in the disordering of another, at "let no evil speech," etc. The first is again divided into three, because first he prohibits the sin corrupting the rational power; second, the sin disordering the irascible power, at "be angry, and sin not," etc.; third, the sin pertaining to the concupiscible power, at "he who stole," etc. Concerning the first he does three things. First, because he prohibits one of these; second, he leads them toward the other; third, he assigns the reason. He therefore first prohibits that which pertains to the old man, so that this text is expository of what he had said before: "put on the new man" — for the putting on of which he first forbids lying, because by this sin of the mouth the truth of reason is corrupted. Hence he says "wherefore," namely that the new man is to be put on, "be" — understand this — "putting away lying," because, as it is said in Psalm 5:7: "You will destroy all who speak lying," namely pernicious lying. And afterward he leads them toward newness, saying, Zechariah 8:16: "Speak the truth, each one with his neighbor." And why? "Because we are members one of another." For members love one another and help one another mutually in truth. Romans 12:5: "We are one body in Christ, and each one members one of another." There follows: "Be angry," etc. Here he prohibits the sin corrupting the irascible power. Concerning this he does three things. First he sets down the admonition; second he expounds it, at "let not the sun go down," etc.; third he gives the reason, at "give no place," etc. Now he sets down the admonition when he says "be angry," etc. This can be expounded in two ways, because there is a twofold species of anger, one good, one bad. It is bad indeed when it tends inordinately toward vengeance, namely against justice; but it is good when it tends toward due vengeance, that is, when someone is angry when it is fitting, with whom it is fitting, and as much as is fitting. And it can be expounded of either. If of the bad, the sense is thus: he does not command, but permits; as if he were to say: if it is so that a movement of anger arises — which is human — do not sin, that is, do not carry it through to effect by consent. 1 Corinthians 10:13: "Let no temptation take hold of you but such as is human." For certainly, whoever is angry with his brother otherwise will be liable to judgment, as it is said in Matthew 5:22. Concerning this anger Joseph warned his brothers, Genesis 45:24: "Do not be angry on the way." But if it is expounded of the good, then it is taken not only permissively, as at first, but imperatively: "be angry," namely against your sins, since there is a twofold vengeance which man seeks. One concerning himself sinning, and thus penance is a certain vengeance which a man exacts and takes upon himself. And this is good anger, and of this it is said imperatively, "be angry," namely against your sins, "and sin not," namely henceforth, nor commit such things against which it would again be necessary to be angry. Now some believe that a man can safely be angry at himself on account of his own sins, but not at his neighbor on account of his; but it is not so: for just as one is angry against himself on account of his own sins, so also against his neighbor on account of his; therefore, be angry against the vices of others, and this with zeal. Numbers 25:11: "Phinehas turned away my wrath from the children of Israel, because he was moved with zeal for me against them." Thus Elijah, 3 Kings 19:10: "With zeal have I been zealous for the Lord God of hosts, because the children of Israel have forsaken the covenant of the Lord," etc. And do not sin by getting ahead of reason, but rather by following it. James 1:19: "Let every man be swift to hear, but slow to speak, and slow to anger," etc. There follows: "Let not the sun go down," etc. Here he expounds what he had said, and, according to the three aforesaid expositions, it can be expounded in three ways. For if of bad anger, then thus: "the sun," etc., that is: do not persist in anger once conceived, but put it away before the setting of the sun, because although the movement is permitted, on account of frailty, delay is not permitted. If of the good, and this against one's own sins, then thus: "the sun," that is Christ — Malachi 4:2: "To you who fear my name, the sun of justice shall arise," etc. — "let it not go down upon your anger," that is, upon your sins, for which it would again be necessary for you to be angry and to punish yourselves. If against the sins of others, then the sun is taken thus, namely of reason. Ecclesiastes 12:1: "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the time of affliction comes, and the years draw near of which you shall say: They please me not — before the sun grows dark," etc. "Let not the sun go down upon your anger," that is, let not the dictate of reason be darkened. Job 5:2: "Anger kills the foolish man." There follows: "Give no place to the devil," where he assigns the reason for the admonition. For the devil has a place in us through sin, or through consent. John 13:2: "When the devil had now put into the heart that Judas should betray him," etc. And it follows there, that after the morsel Satan entered into him. Now passions of this kind greatly incline one toward consent, and especially when they pervert the judgment of reason, and this anger does in a special way, which consists in the kindling of the blood, which indeed, by reason of the swiftness of its movement, precedes the judgment of reason. And because, when we are thus disturbed, the devil begins to have a place in us, therefore he says "give no place to the devil," as if to say: do not persist in anger, because by this you give place to the devil, for the whole devil is wrathful. Psalm 17:48: "My deliverer from my wrathful enemies." Now he enters man with fury and anger. Apocalypse 12:12: "The devil has come down to you, having great wrath." But he cannot do this, at least in the soul, so long as a man is just. But this justice is lost through anger, because "the anger of man does not work the justice of God," as it is said in James 1:20. If therefore you do not wish to give place to the devil, at least in the soul, let not the sun go down upon your anger. Ecclesiastes 11:10: "Remove anger from your heart."”

“And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God,.... Not a believer's own spirit, sanctified by the Holy Ghost, which is grieved by sin; nor the spirit of a good man, that hears our words and sees our actions, and is displeased and troubled at them; but the third person in the Trinity: and this is said of him by an anthropopathy, and supposes something done that is offensive to him; and he may be grieved, not only by unconverted persons, by their stubborn resistance and opposition to the Gospel and means of grace, and by their contempt of his person, office, and grace, but by believers themselves, and who are here spoken to; and which may be done both by their words, lying, angry, and corrupt ones, before cautioned against, Eph 4:25 and by their actions, their behaviour towards God, their conversation in the world, and by their carriage to one another, which is suggested in the following verse: also he may be grieved by their thoughts, their vain and sinful thoughts, and that they are no better employed; and especially when they entertain any undervaluing ones of Jesus Christ, whose glorifier he is; and by the unbelief of their hearts, and by their unmindfulness of the things of the Spirit; and when they disregard the rules, dictates, and advice of the Spirit, and make no use of him: and his being grieved appears by his departure from them; which is to be perceived by the darkness of their souls, the prevailings of corruption, the weakness of grace, and their backwardness to duty: and now there are many reasons why he should not be grieved; as because he is God, and the author of the new birth, the implanter and applier of all grace, and the finisher of it; because he is the saints' comforter, their advocate, helper, and strengthener; and their constant companion, who dwells in them, and will remain in them, until death: and it follows, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption; of the sealing work of the Spirit; see Gill on Eph 1:13. By "the day of redemption" may be meant, either the day of death, when the saints have a deliverance from the incumbrance of the body; from their present state of exile and banishment; from the body of sin and death; from all sorrows and afflictions; from the reproaches and persecutions of men; from the temptations of Satan; from doubts, fears, and unbelief; and from all fear of death, corporeal, spiritual, and eternal: or the day of the resurrection, when the body will be redeemed from mortality, corruption, weakness, and dishonour; when it will be refined and spiritualized, so that it will not stand in need of natural sustenance; will be endowed with great agility, like that of spirits; and will be subject to the soul, or spirit, and will be suited to spiritual objects; to which may be added, the day of judgment, Luk 21:28 when Christ shall appear in glory, and his saints with him, and he will put them, soul and body, into the possession of everlasting happiness; which will consist in the vision of Christ, in conformity to him, and in that happy company and conversation that will then be enjoyed, and that delightful employment they will be taken up in: and now the saints being sealed up by the Spirit unto this time, shows the perpetual indwelling of the Spirit in them; and that it will continue even after death, who will give them confidence at the day of judgment; and that it is the Spirit which works up the saints, and makes them meet for glory; and gives them the assurance of it, and therefore they should not be grieved.”

“Neither give place to the devil - Your adversary will strive to influence your mind, and irritate your spirit; watch and pray that he may not get any place in you, or ascendancy over you. As the word διαβολος is sometimes used to signify a calumniator, tale-bearer, whisperer, or backbiter; (see in the original, Ti1 3:11; Ti2 3:3, and Tit 2:3); here it may have the same signification. Do not open your ear to the tale-bearer, to the slanderer, who comes to you with accusations against your brethren, or with surmisings and evil speakings. These are human devils; they may be the means of making you angry, even without any solid pretense; therefore give them no place, that you may not be angry at any time; but if, unhappily, you should be overtaken in this fault, let not the sun go down upon your wrath; go to your brother, against whom you have found your spirit irritated; tell him what you have heard, and what you fear; let your ears be open to receive his own account; carefully listen to his own explanation; and, if possible, let the matter be finally settled, that Satan may not gain advantage over either.”