A Sermon from St. John Chrysostom, Bishop and Martyr
The Christian Manner of Life

Be angry, and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your anger. Give not place to the devil. He that stole let him now steal no more. Let no evil speech proceed from your mouth; but that which is good, to the edification of faith, that it may administer grace to the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God: whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption (Eph.iv.26-30).

Be ye angry, and sin not. It would be a good thing never to yield to anger. But should this feeling come upon one, let it be brief. Let not the sun go down upon your anger. Would you have your fill of anger? An hour of it is enough, or two, or three; but do not let the sun go down and leave you at enmity. It rose out of God’s goodness to you; let it now depart, having given light to those who were not worthy of it. But if the Lord sent it out of His goodness, and has forgiven you your sins, and you will not forgive your neighbor, do you not see how great an evil this is?....

....Give not place to the devil. And so to be at war with each other is to give place to the devil. For where we should stand together and unite against him, our enmity against him has weakened, and we turn on one another instead. For nothing gives so much place to the devil as enmities. So long as we are united one to another he cannot insert his evil devices to create enmity among us; but the moment a rift is made he pours in like a torrent. He needs only a beginning, and this it is that is difficult for him; but this opening made, he makes place for himself on all sides. Now he opens ears only to slanders; and they who speak lies are listened to: for enmity is their advocate, not truth which reasons and judges. And as where there is friendship, evils which are true seem untrue, so where there is enmity what is false will now seem true. There is now a different mind, a different judgment; which no longer listens justly, but only with bitterness and one-sidedness.