SLAYING

THE

GIANT

OF ANGER

 Anger is a legitimate and occassionally inescapable human emotion. It is not a sin to become angry - it is a problem if you stay angry, though, or act in anger. There are examples in Scripture of Jesus becoming angry - but none of us has His righteousness to know what and when our anger is truly legitimate.

 

If the emotion of anger is controlling your life, it will bring you to make errors and to hurt people who are usually close to you and not deserving of your anger. If you are unable to control it, don't let it control you.

 

Claim the veracity of these Scriptures to overcome temptation in your life.

God's Word will not return void (Isaiah 55:11):

"so shall my Word be that goes from my mouth

it shall not return to me empty

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,

    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it."

 

Read these verses out loud and rest assured of their truth in your life as a believer in Christ Jesus. There is POWER in the Word of God.

 

 

Proverbs 15:1

A soft answer turns away wrath, 

 but a harsh word stirs up anger.

 

 

Proverbs 25:15

With patience a ruler may be persuaded,

and a soft tongue will break a bone.

 

 

Romans 12:19 

 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it

 to the wrath of God, for it is written,

“Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

 

 

Ephesians 4:26-27

Be angry and do not sin;

do not let the sun go down on your anger, 

and give no opportunity to the devil.

 

 

Ephesians 4:31

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor

and slander be put away from you,

along with all malice. 



 

James 1:19-20

Know this, my beloved brothers:

let every person be quick to hear, 

slow to speak, 

slow to anger;

for the anger of man

does not produce

the righteousness of God.

 

 

Satan and the power of sin over your life was crushed and defeated at the Cross.

You are a co-victor with Jesus Christ in the war against sin.

You must claim this truth and accept the victory that has been won for you.

 

Scripture teaches us that we can stand against the cunning wiles of Satan and his demons. Our flesh may be weak, but we have the Spirit of God within us and He will empower us to stand up against the temptations that will lash up against us in this life and provide a way out.

 

The Lord promises His believers that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5) - we do not stand alone. We stand with and because of the love and grace of an Almighty God. Not only will He empower us, but He will equip us:

"In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;" (Ephesians 6:16).

 

The only power that Satan has over you is that which you freely have given to him. Smash that bond and renounce any claim he may have over you and claim the victory that is yours as a believer in Christ Jesus.

 

 

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. (James 1:19-20)

 

What the Bible Says About Anger

 

I suppose it should come as no surprise that the Bible has a great deal to say about anger. Anger is, after all, not only a result of sin but also a common cause of sin. Here is what the Bible has to say:

It is good to be slow to anger. Those who are quick to anger display a lack of wisdom.

Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly. (Proverbs 14:29)

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. (James 1:19)

Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools. (Ecclesiastes 7:9)

Anger should be addressed as soon as possible because it can easily turn to sin.

The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:6-7)

You have heard that it was said to those of old, “You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.” But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment …. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. (Matthew 5:21-24)

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger. (Ephesians 4:26)

Though at times anger can be righteous (see especially Mark 3:5 where Jesus becomes angry), anger is generally to be avoided.

For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. (2 Corinthians 12:20)

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. (Ephesians 4:31)

But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. (Colossians 3:8)