just a nail?

in another part of 'Finishing Strong' by Steve Farrar,

- an old parable told by a Haitian pastor -
A certain man wanted to sell his house for $2,000. Another man wanted to buy it very badly, but he was a poor man and didn't have the full price. After much bargaining, the owner agreed to sell the house to the man for $1,000. But the reduced price came with a stipulation (condition). the owner would sell the house, but he would keep ownership of a large nail protruding from over the front door.

Several years later, the orginal owner decided he wanted to buy the house back. Understandably, the new owner was unwilling to sell. As a result, the original owner went out, found a carcass of a dead dog in the street and hung it from the nail he still owned. Soon the house became unlivable and the family was forced to sell the owner of the nail.'

the pastor concluded the story: "if we leave the devil with even one small peg in our life, he will return to hand his rotting garbage on it."

Ephesians 4:25-27
'25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.'