A Biblical Look at Anger Management

 

Even the great heroes of the Bible occasionally lost their tempers and dealt with anger issues. What can we learn from their examples and from scriptures on anger?

When was the last time you lost your temper? What made you abandon self-control and fly into a rage? What did you say that you later wished you had not?

In the heat of anger any of us can say and do things irrationally that we may forever regret and for which we may pay severe penalties.

The solution is prevention—avoiding such outbursts of uncontrolled emotion.

Looking into the personalities of a few biblical notables who allowed anger to boil over at times can give us insights into the temptations that can become temper traps, as well as ideas for better anger management.

Moses: meek and mad?

Most of us picture the great people of the Bible as quiet, contemplative characters of near absolute perfection. After all, don’t we read that Moses was a man of a mild temper?

“Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3). In the King James Version it says Moses was “meek,” meaning mild-tempered, submissive and yielding.

But was this always the case for Moses?

We read something quite different about Moses in his younger life (Exodus 2:11-12). In this incident, Moses killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew slave and then hid the Egyptian’s body in the sand. Humble? Meek? Mild-tempered? Not in this case.

Later, Moses tried to get God to relent from what He was considering doing to the Israelites because of their repeated sins. God told Moses He would destroy the Israelites and make of Moses a great nation. Here, because of Moses’ humble intercession, God relented from destroying the people (Exodus 32:7-14).

But right after this, we find Moses losing his temper and breaking the tablets on which God had written the 10 Commandments.

Now perhaps being angry at such blatant sin as worshipping a golden calf, claiming it was the god who brought them forth from Egypt, is totally understandable. (It is possible to “be angry and … not sin,” as Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:26. Even God has righteous anger.) Be that as it may, for Moses to smash God’s tablets was a rash act that, undoubtedly, he deeply regretted later (Exodus 32:15-20).

The fact that Moses himself had to hew two more tables of stone just like the ones he broke and then carry them back up Mount Sinai indicates that perhaps God wanted to impress a temper-control lesson upon Moses (Exodus 34:1-4).

The temper trap that kept Moses out of the Promised Land

On another occasion the people complained again about the need for water. Moses impatiently lashed out at them (Numbers 20:1-12).

Notice, too, that Moses said, “Must we bring water for you out of this rock?” (verse 10). He was not giving God the credit and the glory.

God had given him instructions of exactly what to do (verses 7-8). God had told Moses to “speak” to the rock, but what did Moses actually do?

Instead of speaking to the rock, Moses struck it twice. In his anger he failed to follow God’s commands (verses 9-11). Did God overlook this?

No.

God then told Moses and Aaron that they would not enter the Promised Land because they had failed to respect Him and follow His commands (verse 12).

God even had Moses’ rash actions recorded again in the Psalms (Psalm 106:32-33).

God knew that the leader of His people had to exercise self-control and avoid “flying off the handle” and making irrational decisions in the heat of anger. So to emphasize His point, He disciplined Moses.

Granted, the Israelites were a griping, grumbling, emotionally motivated people. But God simply could not afford to allow Moses to react as he did. He knew that uncontrolled anger leads to erratic and irresponsible behavior.

Moses repented and learned his lesson. He is a great hero of faith who will play an important role in the Kingdom of God (Hebrews 11:23-29; Mark 9:1-4). Yet he still had to face the consequences and was unable to enter the Promised Land that he had looked forward to for so long.

His lesson is recorded for us to help us see the seriousness of learning how to control our anger.

Anger and the Sons of Thunder

Another example of biblical characters who were not able to control their temper at times is James and John. The Bible calls them Boanerges, meaning, “Sons of Thunder.” Apparently they had the proclivity to “blow their stacks” on occasion. This was the name Jesus gave them when He was choosing His 12 apostles (Mark 3:17).

Perhaps the following example will help explain why Christ gave them this name. It’s found in Luke 9:51-56.

Jesus, James and John were traveling through Samaria on their way to Jerusalem. When they attempted to find accommodations for the night, they were met with opposition as a result of the prejudice between Jews and Samaritans. James and John’s response to the Samaritans revealed an anger that could properly be called thunderous. They said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” (verse 54).

Jesus responded, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them” (verses 55-56).

It makes one wonder if there were not other times that James and John lived up to their nickname.

James and John were two of Jesus’ closest friends, and seeing His example and striving to live more like Him changed them. They repented, and on the Day of Pentecost they received the Holy Spirit. Allowing God’s Spirit to lead them helped them overcome their anger and have a different approach.

John became the apostle who later in life, when writing 1, 2 and 3 John, wrote a lot about love. When he was first chosen to be one of Christ’s apostles, he was one of the “Sons of Thunder,” but after walking with Christ for several years, this “Son of Thunder” became an apostle of love.

Peter’s temper

Peter was another example of a man susceptible to instant fury. He sliced off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest’s servant, during the arrest of Christ.

Jesus immediately corrected him and healed the servant (John 18:10-11).

Peter was either a very accurate marksman with his sword—being able to hit such a small target as an ear—or a rather poor shot. I wonder if Peter was perhaps aiming squarely between the man’s ears—which would have made all the difference to Malchus! Or maybe Peter was trying to take his head off, and Malchus ducked to the left and lost his right ear. We just don’t know; the Bible doesn’t say.

What we do know is that Peter finally learned his lesson. In the end, he did much better.

Study 1 Peter 2:18-23 and 3:8-12, and you’ll find a Peter much different from the one we read about earlier. He pointed to the self-sacrificing attitude of his mentor and ours, Jesus Christ:

“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ‘Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth’; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten” (1 Peter 2:21-23).

Jonah’s anger at God

Yet another example of someone with anger issues is Jonah.

God had sent Jonah to warn the people of Nineveh—his people’s mortal enemies—that God was going to destroy them for their sins.

But when God accepted Nineveh’s pleas and spared them, Jonah lost his temper and got mad at God. How could God go back on the prophecy He had forced Jonah to give? How could God spare Israel’s brutal enemies?

The Bible doesn’t tell us the rest of the story. Did Jonah repent? We don’t know the end of the story, but we can hope Jonah did repent and change, overcoming his anger through seeing things from God’s perspective with God’s compassion (Jonah 4:1-9).

Benefits of controlling our tempers

Many doctors and psychologists agree that emotions often directly affect and cause physical symptoms. Negative emotions such as stress, anger or resentment can cause a multitude of ills, from tension headaches to digestive difficulties. Trouble in swallowing, gastric ulcers, rheumatoid arthritis, backaches, high blood pressure, hives, colds and even asthma have at times been connected with seething emotions.

A relaxed attitude, free of constant or chronic resentment, dissatisfaction or anger, makes for a longer, healthier life.

One advantage of controlling our anger is mentioned in Proverbs 14:29: “He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, but he who is impulsive exalts folly.” Said another way, he who loses his temper lacks understanding.

Have you ever made a decision in the heat of anger? If you have, chances are you were sorry later.

I heard the story of a man whose car would not start in a downtown parking lot. After an hour of trying to start it, he was “madder than a wet hen.” He was on the verge of trading the car in for a different one that very day. Fortunately, after getting the car started, he cooled off and decided to keep the car. It was in fine mechanical condition—it needed only a minor adjustment, and the problem was solved. He could have traded in a perfectly good car for another one that might have given him far more trouble than the original one. And, of course, he would have had to pay additional money for the new car.

It is easy to make a foolish decision without calmly weighing all the facts. Controlling your temper will result in making wiser decisions—which will result in a smoother, more organized and prosperous life for you and those around you.

Some more anger management tips from Proverbs

Consider some more wise advice about how to manage anger from the Bible.

“The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression” (Proverbs 19:11).

In other words, a wise man restrains his anger and overlooks insults. This is to his credit.

There are two points to consider here.

1. A wise man will have more friends and fewer enemies because he does not antagonize others. He will generally be well-liked—and that’s important. How can you help others, either directly or by your example, if they do not respect and like you?
2. Also, a wise man does not let others rule his emotions. He does not automatically react with contempt or anger toward someone who insults him. He is not at the mercy of another person’s rude remarks. He is big enough to disregard them, step aside, ignore and forgive the person for being rude and unwise.

But a foolish person is always vulnerable. He is often like a gun with a hair trigger—always ready to discharge with just a little pressure. Don’t be a slave to your emotions.

“An angry man stirs up strife, and a furious man abounds in transgression” (Proverbs 29:22).

A hot-tempered man starts fights and gets into all kinds of trouble. Enemies, bad feelings, strife and lack of cooperation are this man’s lot in life. He lacks peace of mind and often agitates others. He lives from one hassle to the next.

His family life is destroyed by this same attitude and behavior.

“He who troubles his own house will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart” (Proverbs 11:29).

Said another way, the fool who provokes his family to anger and resentment will finally have nothing worthwhile left. He will be the servant of a wiser man. So the family atmosphere often turns into a scarred battleground. That’s a ridiculously high price to pay for a lack of self-control.

“Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls” (Proverbs 25:28).

A hot-tempered person who loses control of his emotions will often disclose things he should not, exaggerate things that are not true and reveal to everyone that he is operating on nervous emotional energy—not logical reason.

Self-control also involves controlling the tongue.

“He who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction” (Proverbs 13:3).

A quick, angry retort can ruin everything. Be sure your mind is in gear before engaging your mouth.

“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1).

“A soft answer” means a sensible answer. But if you answer with inflammatory words, the other person’s anger—and your own—will flare up hotter and hotter.

Read more about how important it is to control our words in James 3:2-10 and the article “Words That Hurt, Words That Help.”

And study Paul’s instructions for living peacefully in Romans 12:17-21 and our article “The Way of Peace.”

Guarding against hotheadedness

It is challenging to control our anger in this age that is noted for its rage and anger. The apostle Paul prophesied of today’s prevalent lack of self-control when writing to Timothy:

“You may as well know this too, Timothy, that in the last days it is going to be very difficult to be a Christian. For people will love only themselves and their money; they will be proud and boastful, sneering at God, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful to them and thoroughly bad. … They will … sneer at those who try to be good. … They will be hotheaded” (2 Timothy 3:1-4, Living Bible).

Hotheaded means to have an impetuous or quick-tempered nature. We must guard against this.

So let’s ask God to help us more than ever to control our tempers, and we’ll reap the peaceful benefits doing so will bring.

For more help with anger management, see these helpful biblical resources:

• “What Does the Bible Say About Anger?”
• “A Foothold for the Devil.”
• “Overcoming Anger.”
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A Foothold for the Devil

 

What’s wrong with being angry? There’s plenty in our lives and in the news to get upset about, but God’s Word is filled with warnings against letting our anger spiral out of control.

Naaman was a big deal.

As the commander of Syria’s army, he had the respect of his countrymen and his king. The Bible calls him “a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria” (2 Kings 5:1).

But Naaman had a problem. “He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper” (verse 1).

Leprosy. Naaman was plagued with a slow, painful disease that was gradually assaulting his nervous system and producing unsightly lesions all over his body. Left unchecked, the disease would eat away at his ability to feel and his ability to see, eventually leaving him open to infections that could rot his extremities.

There was no cure for leprosy in the ancient world. No one in Syria, not even the nation’s pantheon of gods, had the skill or the power to remove such an affliction. But a young Israelite slave girl had told Naaman’s wife stories about a prophet in her homeland with the power to heal all manner of diseases. So Naaman the great—Naaman the honorable, Naaman the mighty man of valor, Naaman the victorious commander—set out to see if the stories were true.

Disrespected?

When Naaman arrived at the prophet’s doorstep, his reception was a little less glamorous than he had expected. “Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean’” (verse 10).

A messenger? Naaman had come all the way from Syria with his entourage, and instead of rolling out the red carpet for such an auspicious guest, Elisha had the gall to stay inside and send a messenger?

Naaman wanted a show. A man of his status deserved a spectacle.

So “Naaman became furious, and went away and said, ‘Indeed, I said to myself, “He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.” Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?’ So he turned and went away in a rage” (verses 11-12).

Sin and anger

The Bible has a lot to say on the subject of anger. It’s a tricky, multifaceted thing—not always right, but not always wrong, either.

One of the more interesting passages about anger comes from the apostle Paul, who urged the Ephesians, “‘Be angry, and do not sin’: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:26-27).

There’s a lot we can learn from that one God-inspired sentence. Paul was telling us that it’s possible to be angry without sinning. That’s important. That sentence also tells us that there’s a right kind of anger and a wrong kind of anger.

It also tells us that, even when our anger is justified, there should be a time limit involved. Nothing good comes from holding on to wrath day after day, allowing ourselves to get angrier and angrier.

But most important, this passage tells us that when we handle anger incorrectly, we make room in our lives for the devil. The New International Version translates Paul’s warning as: “‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold” (emphasis added throughout).

Looking for a foothold

Here’s an unsettling thought:

Satan wants a foothold in your life.

It’s not just a convenience he’ll take if the opportunity comes along. Part of his battle plan is to make you angry. To make you furious. And not just once or twice, but over and over again, as often as possible. The angrier he can keep you, the more secure the foothold he has in your life.

The Bible describes Satan as “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others” (Ephesians 2:2-3).

All around the world, Satan is cultivating sons of disobedience and children of wrath, encouraging others to focus as much as possible on their own worldly desires.

It’s not hard to see that he’s succeeding. Paul prophesied that “in the last days … men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

It’s almost as if Paul wrote those words while watching our modern-day news. Those adjectives are disturbingly accurate when it comes to describing the endless parade of depressing stories that march their way across our TVs and through our news feeds every day.

Paul saw all that on the horizon and then warned, “From such people turn away!” (verse 5).

Cities without walls

The attitudes and behaviors of the children of wrath are contagious. It’s something we have to distance ourselves from both physically and mentally. And if Paul’s warnings aren’t enough, the book of Proverbs spends a great deal of time discussing the inherent problems with being an angry person:

• “Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls” (Proverbs 25:28).
• “An angry man stirs up strife, and a furious man abounds in transgression” (Proverbs 29:22).
• “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back” (verse 11, English Standard Version).
• “The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult” (Proverbs 12:16, ESV).
• “If a wise man contends with a foolish man, whether the fool rages or laughs, there is no peace” (Proverbs 29:9).
• “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1).

There are a lot of harsh words out there today. There are a lot of angry people giving full vent to their spirit, laughing or raging at godly wisdom, quickly taking offense and stirring up strife. That means there are a lot of cities out there with broken-down walls. There are a lot of lives that Satan can easily walk into and manipulate for his own purposes.

If we want to make sure we don’t become one of those cities, the Bible gives us some important advice on how to shore up our walls.

Wrath and righteousness

We can start with what we just read in Proverbs: A wise person can handle an insult without firing one back. A wise person doesn’t vent his or her thoughts and feelings at every opportunity. A wise person knows how to de-escalate a situation with his or her words rather than make things worse.

The more we improve in areas like these, the fewer and fewer footholds Satan will have in our lives.

The New Testament writers go even deeper and explore the core of the issue. James wrote, “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20).

That might be the most important verse on the whole subject. Being an angry or furious person doesn’t just give Satan a strategic advantage in our lives—it’s a path that leads us away from God. Godly righteousness is not produced by, cannot be nurtured by, is actively choked out by the wrath of man.

In other words, the anger-inducing moments of our lives offer us a choice. We have to choose between the wrath of man and the righteousness of God—between providing a foothold for our enemy and emulating the character of our Creator.

David calls God “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy”—a God who “has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:8, 10). That’s what the patience and righteousness of God looks like in action, and it’s a template for how we should treat others.

It’s worth noting, though, that God is slow to anger. We saw earlier that James encouraged us to be slow to wrath. It’s not that God never gets angry—it’s that when He does, it’s for the right reasons and at the right time. As humans, that’s not something that comes naturally to us—but the more in sync we are with God’s mind and perspective, the better we’ll do.

Lights in the world

The story of Naaman almost ended when he stormed off in rage. He was angry about the way he’d been treated. In his frustration, he could have easily climbed back into his chariot, driven back to Syria and spent the rest of his life as a leper.

Would that have been worth it?

No—but then, when we let anger direct us, we don’t do things because they’re worth it. We do things because we’ve been hurt or slighted or wronged, and we look for ways to lash out or get even.

That’s the state of mind Naaman was in—until his servants talked him down. “My father,” they asked, “if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” (2 Kings 5:13).

It was a reality check for Naaman. Was he really going to throw away the chance to be cured of an incurable condition just because the remedy wasn’t fancy enough for him?

In the end, Naaman calmed down “and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean” (verse 14).

Naaman’s story reminds us that when we give ourselves over to rage, we’re going to make foolish decisions and miss out on important opportunities. The book of Proverbs shows us in great detail what some of those foolish decisions look like and the damage they can do. And Paul teaches us that, on top of everything else, misdirected anger all too easily becomes a foothold for the devil.

We live in an angry world filled with angry people doing angry things, so it’s no surprise that “the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19). But God calls us to be different—to be better than that. “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:14-15, ESV).

God wants you to grow in His righteousness and shine like a light in a darkened world. Satan wants to fill you with that darkness and keep you angry and distracted from the reason you exist.

Don’t give your adversary that foothold.

For more tools on dealing with anger, see our blog post “Overcoming Anger.”

What Does the Bible Say About Anger?

 

It seems there is more anger in the world today. Why is that? Are there good and bad types of anger? Is anger a sin? What does the Bible say about anger?

Anger is a strong feeling of displeasure or antagonism. Anger often leads to forceful, even violent, action directed at the source of real or perceived harm. Or it can be manifested in words—often strong ones!

We are living in an angry world! Incidents of “road rage” make the news, even to the point where some drivers have shot at others whose driving annoyed or threatened them. Fans have been known to riot and destroy property when their favorite sports teams lose—and sometimes, even when they win! Far too often spouses batter their mates, and parents even abuse children in fits of rage.

Violence and anger are staples of many television shows and movies. The terms “anger issues” or “anger management” have found their way into our speech and culture. Perhaps we’re not even surprised by all the anger in the world, because of how commonplace it is, but it does seem to be on the increase.

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Is anger on the increase?

Anger is an emotion that has been present since the beginning of humanity. The Bible reveals that the first human ever born (Cain) became so angry at God and his brother (Abel) that he killed his brother (Genesis 4:4-8). Anger has been with people from the start.

But there is evidence that the problem is getting even worse. A report of the Mental Health Foundation in the United Kingdom, titled “Boiling Point” (March 2008), dealt with rising anger. The report included a description of some of the manifestations and causes of that rising level of anger:

“Mounting evidence links anger with a range of physical, mental and social problems. Chronic and intense anger has been linked with Coronary Heart Disease, stroke, cancer and common physical illnesses including colds and flu, and generally poorer health; as well as increased risk-taking, poor decision-making and substance misuse.

“Higher levels of anger are related to lower levels of social support and higher stress levels. High levels of anger expression have also been associated with less frequent use of positive coping strategies such as actively addressing problems.

“Anger has also been linked with mental health problems including depression and self-harm. People describe anger as more likely to have a negative effect on interpersonal relationships than any other emotion.

“There is evidence to suggest that societal changes are contributing to a rise in emotional problems. Public polling carried out for this report indicates that a majority of the population believe that people in general are getting angrier. Influential authors quoted in this report have examined life in 21st century Western society and stated recently that we are getting angrier, and that despite 50 years of economic growth in the UK, we are no happier.”

One mental health professional in the United States believes that a contributing factor to increased anger in modern times is the frustration people experience when their prosperity, health and levels of “feeling good” do not rise up to the levels that an “entitlement” culture has led them to expect.

 

He says this is “one reason for what seems to be a steady increase in anger. Entitlement easily creates anger in today’s ‘cult of feeling good,’ where feeling good seems to be the ultimate life goal. Today people feel entitled not just to the pursuit of happiness, not even just to happiness, but to feeling good most of the time. If they don’t feel good most of the time, someone or something must be to blame. The blue ribbon recipe for anger is mixing blame with entitlement and vulnerability” (Steven Stosny, Ph.D, “Anger Problems: A Smokescreen for Fear-Shame Phobia,” Psychology Today website, Jan. 9, 2009).

Instant communication around the world may also play a part in increased anger. Now those living in poor nations can regularly see how prosperous some other nations are, which tends to increase jealousy and resentment and anger.

Is all anger bad?

Anger often leads to hurting and violence and suffering. But is all anger sin in the sight of God? No. Even God gets angry. There is such a thing as righteous anger.

Though God is love and expresses His love and mercy to mankind in many ways, He also expresses righteous anger at times. He is holy, and He is repulsed by sin. His anger is directed at sin and the harm it does to those He has created. His anger (and the correction that accompanies it) is for the purpose of ending the evil, of stopping the cause of suffering and restoring people to a right relationship with Him.

Consider what the Bible says about God’s righteous anger:

• “God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day” (Psalm 7:11).
• “Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways’” (Hebrews 3:10).
• “The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy” (Psalm 145:8).
• “Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:4-5).
• “‘For a mere moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies I will gather you. With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,’ says the LORD, your Redeemer” (Isaiah 54:7-8).
• “For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for the spirit would fail before Me, and the souls which I have made” (Isaiah 57:16).

These scriptures show that God does express anger, but they also reveal that God is slow to anger, and His mercy and love often make His anger quickly pass. He knows that we could not endure for long in the presence of His full anger.

God is righteous and holy and in perfect control of His anger. He gets angry only slowly, and stays that way only for so long as necessary for perfect justice and righteousness to prevail.

When is anger a sin?

Very often, human anger is an expression of unfulfilled lust, covetousness, hatred, resentment and a desire to take vengeance on someone else. In many cases it arises very quickly, with small provocation, is accompanied by wicked thoughts of vengeance and violence, and lasts a long time.

This sort of anger represents a lack of godly character, a loss of control over one’s own thoughts and actions. It does not represent righteousness in those cases, but the sinfulness of the carnal mind (Romans 8:7).

Cain’s anger was a manifestation of resentment toward God and His correction. It also showed jealousy toward his brother Abel, because of the favor Abel had found with God. This type of anger is evil. Most human anger is a “work of the flesh” (Galatians 5:19-20).

Such anger is a sin, and it should be repented of and controlled by all who wish to serve God and develop the holiness and righteousness of God in their lives, through the working of God’s Holy Spirit.

Consider what the Bible says about avoiding this sort of sinful anger:

• “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20).
• “Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools” (Ecclesiastes 7:9).
• “A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of wicked intentions is hated” (Proverbs 14:17).
• “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19).
• “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city” (Proverbs 16:32).

Righteous anger

With the help of God’s Holy Spirit, a person can increasingly control and overcome the sin of unrighteous human anger. Such a person can take on the mind of Christ and can even express righteous anger—at things, events or actions that dishonor God and the suffering that such things bring.

This sort of anger is not sin. It is a product of the transforming Spirit of God at work in a person’s mind and character. Consider what the Bible says about anger in that light:

• “‘Be angry, and do not sin’: do not let the sun go down on your wrath” (Ephesians 4:26).
• “And I became very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers” (Nehemiah 5:6-7). Nehemiah became righteously indignant at the hardship and suffering that sinful practices were bringing on the people. He was moved to action, but not hastily or without “serious thought.”

“And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other” (Mark 3:5). Jesus was angry and grieved by their self-righteous blindness that was standing in the way of God’s supernatural response that would bring relief for one who was crippled.

Even more anger now and to come—why?

There is another essential thing to consider with regard to what the Bible says about anger. There is an evil spirit at work in the world—an enemy of God and man. His name is Satan the devil. He opposes the will of God and has for a long time. He uses his influence to stir people up to resist God as he does, and he is angry! He stirs up anger in human beings. He is angry at God, and he wishes for people to similarly resist and be angry at God.

Paul wrote to the Ephesians: “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others” (Ephesians 2:1-3).

The influence of the “prince of the power of the air” (Satan) contributes to the thoughts and actions of a deceived mankind.

His influence on the minds of men will be even more pronounced near the end of this age—just before the return of Jesus Christ as King of Kings: “Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time” (Revelation 12:12).

Soon, though, the devil will be removed, and humankind will no longer be influenced by the devil’s anger (Revelation 20:1-3).

What should you do?

Each person has the power of choice to control anger and to express it only in righteous ways, instead of in evil ways. See more about this in the blog post “Overcoming Anger.”

God gives His Holy Spirit—which is His power—to those who obey and seek Him. That power leads to self-control and peace in the place of unrighteous anger.

In order to receive God’s Holy Spirit, one has to repent, believe (have faith) and be baptized.

Effects of Sin

 

The ultimate penalty of sin is death. However, God offers the gift of eternal life. God provides a way to remove the effects of sin that we have earned.

The Bible clearly tells us that the effects of sin—all sin that is not repented of—ultimately lead to death (Romans 6:23; see “What Is the Meaning of Romans 6:23?”).

Notice Ezekiel 18:20: “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.”

We each bear the effects of our own sin. We are only accountable for our own sin, but that is enough. We have all earned the penalty of death (Romans 3:23; 6:23).

Jesus Christ gives us hope

Jesus Christ came with a purpose, and He offered a great hope for mankind. Notice His statement in John 10:10: “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

So, although everyone sins and the effects of sin include death, that does not have to be the inevitable outcome for an individual.

The book of Acts sheds a little more light: “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).

There is a path leading away from death, and that begins with repentance.

Repentance

When John the Baptist began his ministry in preparing the way for Jesus Christ, his message was one of repentance. It is necessary for us to repent—not just be sorry for sin, but also turn away from it.

Notice John’s message for the Jewish leaders of his day: “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance’” (Matthew 3:7-8).

The Pharisees and Sadducees had come only to observe, not to show the actions and resulting changes in their lives—the “fruit” of repentance.

Just as John the Baptist physically prepared the way for Christ by bringing a message of repentance, we must prepare ourselves spiritually by showing repentance and a willingness to turn from the sin in our lives. For more information about repentance, please see the articles in the section on “Repentance.”

Grace

A very important aspect to consider is that God’s grace leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). When we repent of our sins, are baptized and seek to change our direction in life, the sacrifice of Christ makes possible not only the forgiveness of our sins, but also the removal of the death penalty. The apostle Paul wrote that we are “buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses” (Colossians 2:12-13).

Christ made the supreme sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. This is not, however, a license for us to continue in sin! Notice Romans 6:15-16: “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?”

The gift of grace from Jesus Christ carries with it an expectation that we will continually turn from sin. For more information on the subject of grace, please see the articles in the “Grace” section.

Forgiveness

After the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, God told Adam what life for mankind would be like without obedience to God: “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19).

Without God in our lives, without the sacrifice of Christ, the inevitable cycle of life for mankind would be without hope and without expectation of life forevermore.

But the path leading to life is available to all of us through the forgiveness of our sin. Notice Hebrews 4:15-16: “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Mercy and forgiveness are available through repentance and baptism. God stands ready to give us the help we need! “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12).

So, what will it be—experience the ultimate effects of sin and pay the penalty of eternal death? Or repent of sin and live forever? The choice is yours!

Learn more in the article “How to Repent.”