"Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking.”
malice
We come to spiritual virus number one and the first category of sin – “malice.”
“Malice” is an evil disposition, a malignant spirit, a desire to injure another. This person desires to injure, to hurt. He gets a certain pleasure from the misfortune of others. In the Roadrunner cartoon, when the coyote takes a beating. We, as viewers, derive a certain amount of pleasure at the his misfortune. This is a example of feeling ill-will toward someone.
“Malice” represents whatever is evil in character. This is in distinction from another Greek word which means evil in influence and effect, malignant. The word in our verse has a wider meaning which encompasses the meaning of the other word.
This word stands for anger resting in the bosom of a resentful person. It is overgrown anger that has settled in the soul. A person with malice retains anger till it inflames him to design mischief against someone else and do them harm. Malice delights in any hurt that befalls someone we do not like. Malice further propels our relationships into deeper trouble.
Malice is the opposite to that which is fair, advisable, kind, gracious or good in character. It is that which is destructive or injurious. Malice is the outworking of the principle of evil mostly in an ethical sphere. Malice destroys fellowship.
In Acts 8, Simon saw the apostles giving the gift of the Holy Spirit by laying on of hands. He offered Peter money so that he would possess this gift. Peter rebuked him in 8:22 – “Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.” Simon loved fame. He wanted to be a celebrity in the kingdom. He thought he could buy this celebrityship.
Ephesians 4:31, “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.”
Colossians 3:8, “But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.”
Titus 3:3, “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.”
Malice is ill-will. Malice and maliciousness are the same thing. It is the desire to harm someone else, to someone you do not care about. You might not harm them yourself but you rejoice when someone else does us. This is a malicious spirit.
James 1:21 “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” God calls upon us to lay aside malice in any form.
Principle:
Malice is the desire to hurt someone you do not like.
Application:
Malice is a sin of the character that hurts and injures other people. This sin is full of malignity which is the opposite of excellence.
Do you recognize ill-will in your soul? Do you wish to do someone else harm? Do you have a malicious spirit? Do you rejoice when someone you do not like fails? Or, do you desire excellence in your soul?
We do not have to like the way someone fixes their hair, wear their clothes or gestures with their hands but we need to be sure that we do not allow malice in our hearts.
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