Psalm 37:8“Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.”
Anger—we’ve all experienced it, but how would you describe it? Frustration, rage, annoyance, displeasure, getting upset, an emotional response to a wrong done… Most of us would agree that anger, while commonly experienced, does not feel good. I think of phrases like “that makes my blood boil” or “I just get all fired up when…” or “I’m seeing red” that try to describe what it feels like to be angry. Today I want to look at what Scripture has to say not just about the feeling of anger, but of the hurt and evil it leads to, as the opening verse Psalm 37:8 explains. And while the Bible does make it clear that not all anger is sin, it speaks abundantly into the harm that our sinful, human anger causes in our lives and in the lives of others.
So why am I choosing to address anger as a sin in this series rather than just as an emotion? Well, let’s first take a look at some of Jesus’ words regarding anger from Matthew 5:21-22:
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”
Jesus considers anger just as much of a sin as He does murder. Dwell on that for just a moment. We often like to think of some sins as worse than others, and clearly some sins do affect our lives and others’ in more extreme and open ways. But our Lord and Savior made it perfectly clear in this passage that the sin of anger is not one we should or can ignore or label as “not that bad.”
Besides making us feel bad, what does Scripture say that sinful anger produces? Here are just a few of the passages that talk about the sinful results of getting angry:
James 1:19-20My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.
Ephesians 4:26-27“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.
Proverbs 29:22An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.
The Bible clearly teaches that anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires of His people. Anger leads us to sin and can give the devil a foothold in our lives. Anger produces conflict which also leads us to sin. These are all negative effects of giving into anger, and they all impact not just ourselves but others too.
I know for me personally when I allow myself to get angry and stay angry, which is a temptation I’ve fought my whole life, I most commonly sin towards those around me in response. I let the anger lead me to blame those I love for whatever wrong I perceive is happening. Anger in my heart hurts the relationship between me and others. It leads me to be prone to conflict rather than peace. When I stop and reflect on the fruit of anger in my life, I definitely see ways that it gives the devil a foothold over me—in my anger I often become a vessel for harming others rather than reflecting the image of Christ. I personally have seen for years how much anger hurts.
And when we read more in the Bible about anger, the fact that anger hurts shouldn’t surprise us! Anger is often listed with other sinful fruit that our natural human nature produces:
Colossians 3:5-8Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
Ephesians 4:31-32Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Anger hinders us from practicing forgiveness towards others and from living out our state of forgiveness in Christ. Anger is a marker of the life we used to live before we knew and followed Christ. When we allow ourselves to justify our anger and the behaviors that it produces, we are not walking in the power of God’s Holy Spirit. When we get and stay angry with others, our words and actions become weapons to get back at others. Anger towards others builds walls in our own hearts as we seek to tear others down.
God has given us Himself so that we can choose to walk in freedom from sin, which means He will enable us to walk in accordance to His Word regarding anger too. Sometimes that may mean purposely stopping our thoughts or speech in order to see a situation clearly so we can respond righteously:
Psalm 4:4Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent.
Other times, when following God’s leading, dealing with anger may look like confrontation in order to resolve an issue. Jesus, after equating anger to murder, instructed us in this way:
Matthew 5:23-26“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
“Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”
So how do you deal with your anger currently? Do you hold it in or bottle it up? Do you process it by venting to others? Do you let crude words come out to express how you feel? Are you bitter towards certain circumstances or people because of things that have made you angry? I still fight the battle of handling my anger in these ways at times, so please know you’re not alone if you can relate to any of those solutions. But I have experienced so much more joy in my relationship with God and others the more I have confessed my sinful anger and keep asking God for His help in repenting from it. The battle with this sin and all others may be a lifelong fight, but there is hope when we trust God’s power and seek to walk in the wisdom of His Word and ways:
Proverbs 29:8-11Mockers stir up a city, but the wise turn away anger.If a wise person goes to court with a fool, the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace.The bloodthirsty hate a person of integrity and seek to kill the upright.Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.
We are not slaves to our anger (or any other sinful emotion!). When we seek to live as the wise, as those who honor God’s way as best, we are able to turn away anger. We can live with integrity and as peacemakers. We don’t have to “give full vent to our rage,” and instead we can be used to bring peace and calm into this world. Praise God for HIS power in us!
This series on the way sin hurts continues to be such a helpful journey for me to take personally, and I pray it has been encouraging and challenging for you as well. God wants us to keep seeking to see sin the way He does, so that we keep going to Him for help in putting it to death in our lives. None of us our immune—we all hurt and have been hurt because we all sin. I pray you remember the truth of Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Praise God He is all we need to live righteously! I look forward to continuing this series on Speaking Truth with you next time, and until then, I pray God strengthens and guides you in whatever circumstances you are facing. Thank you again for choosing to join me by reading or listening!
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