Category Archives: Anger

Anger, Behavior, Bible, Scripture, Speech, Wrath

THROW OUT THE TRASH

COLOSSIANS 3:8

“But now you also, rid yourselves of all of them: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene speech from your mouth.”

When I come in from working outside, my wife makes me take my clothes off in the garage and then directly to the washing machine. She can’t stand the smell of my sweat and dirt. I have to lay those things aside to distance myself from them in order to cleanse myself.

That’s the picture Paul is painting in today’s verse. Strong’s Lexicon explains this so well. “The Greek verb apotithémi is used in the New Testament to convey the action of putting off or laying aside something, often in a metaphorical sense. It implies a deliberate action of removing or discarding something that is no longer needed or is considered inappropriate. This term is frequently used in the context of moral and spiritual transformation, where believers are encouraged to “put off” sinful behaviors and attitudes.”

APPLICATION

This verb is only used 9 times in the New Testament. In James 1:21 it says, “Therefore, ridding yourselves of all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.” To truly receive the Word, you have to get rid of all the stuff in your life that seeks to draw you away.

In Hebrews 12:1 the Holy Spirit tells us, “Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us.” You can’t run and drag this stuff with you. You have to throw it away.

What do you need to rid yourself of today? It may not be “anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene speech,” but it still needs to go. You need to be unhindered, ready to run. Lay all that stuff aside and pursue the race He has for you.

Oh Lord, give me the strength to lay these things aside and never pick them up again.

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Anger, Bible, Cleansing, Remove, Scripture

GET RID OF IT ALL

EPHESIANS 4:31

“All bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice.”

I have to admit it – I can be a packrat. My wife accuses me all the time of hanging on to stuff that I should throw away. I am reluctant to throw away that scrap piece of wood because I might could use it someday. And that piece of pipe or rope might be just what I need one day for… I need to learn to get rid of the trash in my stuff.

Now, that’s a very loose illustration of what Paul is talking about today. Where the things I mentioned may have once had a purpose, the things he mentions in verse 31 never have a purpose. Look at the list. Bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander and malice. Wow! Why would any Christian have such things in their lives? Don’t forget that Paul is addressing former pagans in the Ephesian church. Oh yeah, so were we!

APPLICATION

I could use this blog to define each of the words listed in today’s verse. But you can do that. Let me encourage each of you to go to Biblehub.com or blueletterbible.com and look up each of the words to see what they mean. I want to concentrate on the first word of the verse – “all.” It’s a little word that is often overlooked.

The Greek word is pas. It “means ‘all’ in the sense of ‘each (every) part that applies.’ The emphasis of the total picture then is on ‘one piece at a time.’” (HELPS Word studies). When Paul says get rid of “all” of this, he means each and ever part. We can’t get rid of bitterness and keep the malice. Slander can’t be removed while we keep our anger.

Paul has been talking a lot about anger in the last several verses and all of these things he mentions in today’s verse can be identified with anger. Getting rid of anger, I believe, is the key. Oh, that’s hard, isn’t it. After all, you probably have a right to be angry. I get it. I really do. I’ve been there. Well, let’s be honest, I’m still there sometimes. But anger has to go. You can do it. I can do it – with the help of the Lord. Let it all go.

Oh Lord, my God, rid me of the anger that is within me.

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Anger, Bible, Devil, Opportunity, Scripture

NOT AN INCH

EPHESIANS 4:27

“and do not give the devil an opportunity.”

You’ve heard the saying, “If you give them an inch, they’ll take a mile.” It is so true in so many circumstances. Some people will nudge their way in and then take over. It may be very subtle to begin with. You don’t even notice it. Then one day you wake up and they are in charge of everything. Little by little by little. We have to be aware, don’t we.

As Paul finishes up this thought that he began a few verses back, he says in today’s verse to simply not give the devil any room to operate. The word used here translated as “opportunity” really means a spot, a position limited in space. The devil will settle for a small spot in order to get in. He knows if he does, he can begin to infiltrate the rest of your life. Paul knew that, so he warns the Ephesians and us. Keep guard. Keep him out.

APPLICATION

This certainly applies to my life. I know how easy it is to let things slide. When I went to college, I was a brand new believer. I had been saved one year before. I was ready to take on that university campus for Jesus. And I did get involved with the Baptist Student Union. I did share Jesus with my friends and dormmates. But I also allowed my convictions to get influenced ever so slightly. When I left the university, I was at best a moderate. I had moved. Satan had easily guided me there.

One commentator says this about giving that opportunity to the devil. “that is, occasion, or scope, to the devil, by continuing in ‘wrath.’ The keeping of anger through the darkness of night, is giving place to the devil, the prince of darkness.” Let that anger go. If you don’t, the devil will use it. He will build a stronghold in your life that will imprison you.

In Luke 22:3 we find this interesting passage. “And Satan entered Judas, the one called Iscariot, who belonged to the number of the twelve.” Judas, who walked with Jesus daily, allowed Satan to take a spot in his life. His anger over Jesus not fulfilling his expectations of the Messiah overwhelmed him. And poof – Satan was right there to entice and infiltrate. Beware. He is on the prowl (1 Peter 5:8).

Father, I give You control over my thoughts and actions to safeguard me against the devil’s influences

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Anger, Bible, Peace, Scripture, Sin

BE ANGRY?

EPHESIANS 4:26

“BE ANGRY, AND YET DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger,”

I bet you never get angry. The water is different at your house. Right! We all get angry from time to time. The problem with anger is we normally let our emotions get the best of us and say or do things we normally would not. We get angry in traffic (confession time). We get angry at the weather, like that’s gonna help. We get angry at the alarm clock. Can I get an amen? Fortunately, we have some instructions in God’s Word about how to handle our anger.

Paul gives us some vital instructions in verses 26 and 27 (we will see that verse tomorrow). I felt the definition in HELPS Word studies was too good to not include the whole thing. The word for “be angry” is orgízō. It means to “be angry, as expressing a ‘fixed anger’ (settled opposition). Orgízo is positive when inspired by God – and always negative when arising from the flesh. “Sinful (unnecessary) anger’ focuses on punishing the offender rather than the moral content of the offense.”

APPLICATION

Wasn’t that good? Anger can be good or bad, depending on the source. We all know the story of Jesus getting angry in the Temple and overturning the money changers’ tables (Matthew 21:12). But listen, that does not give us the right to run in somewhere and start tearing things up. James 1:20 says, “The anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” Just because Jesus did it, that does not mean we should act that way. Remember, He was (and still is) God.

I like verse 26 because I can easily follow this command. Well…the first two words, lol. But the verse does not stop there. Paul goes on to tell us, “And yet do not sin.” Did you know Paul was quoting Psalm 4:4? It says, “Tremble, and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed and be still. Selah.” It’s not an exact quotation but obviously the same idea is there.

What gets you angry? Can you get angry and not sin? That’s a hard one, isn’t it? Paul closes this verse by telling us to make things right before we lay our heads down each night. I have to admit I haven’t always done that. That’s wrong. That’s not what God tells us to do here. Can you practice this verse today and then again tomorrow and the day after that? In the absence of anger peace arises.

O Lord, let me not get angry over things that are no importance to You. Help me keep my anger in check with all my loved ones.

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Accountability, Accused, Anger, Appeasement, Bible, God's Will, Indignation, Messages, Scripture

INDIGNANT FOREVER

MALACHI 1:4

“Though Edom says, ‘We have been beaten down, but we will return and build up the ruins’; this is what the LORD of armies says: ‘They may build, but I will tear down; and people will call them the territory of wickedness, and the people with whom the LORD is indignant forever.’”

Indignation is a strong and rarely used word, at least to me. I don’t see it much, and I certainly don’t use it very often. But it does give a stronger sense of anger than just saying you are angry. I guess I have rarely, if ever, been truly indignant. What did the Lord mean when He used that word?

Edom was proud and arrogant. They were intent on rebuilding, but God says that won’t happen. He even changed their name to “territory of wickedness.” That’s pretty strong. But then the Lord goes on to say, “with whom the LORD is indignant forever.” That word means to abhor, to be enraged, to denounce. I am sure glad the Lord doesn’t feel that way about me.

APPLICATION

How do we prevent that indignation from a righteous and holy God? Yes, God is love. There is no doubt about that. And no, God does not send people to hell. They do that to themselves when they reject Him. 2 Corinthians 4:4 reads, “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

No one wants God’s indignation. At least, I don’t think anyone does. But God cannot stand with sin. He won’t tolerate it. He is righteous and holy. So, if you want to escape the indignation of God, come to His Son. He will set you free from all the entanglements of sin you are living in. He will totally wash away your sins by His shed blood.

Wow! Indignation or Freedom. There is really no choice. Why would you choose to stay in the crosshairs of God’s indignation when you can have freedom in Christ? I pray you have made that decision. I pray you have given your life to Him. If not, do it today.

Thank You, Lord, for releasing me from Your indignation and replacing it with everlasting love.

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Anger, Belief, Bible, Grace, Salvation, Wrath

AN ANGRY GOD

ZECHARIAH 1:2

“‘The LORD was very angry with your fathers.’” 

Let me tell you – I knew when my dad was angry. There was no doubt about it. I did not want to make him angry. I would do just about anything to not do that. Did I ever do that? I have to admit that I did. I won’t go into what I did. Just suffice it say it went against his expectations of my behavior.

Zechariah begins his book with this short but pointed sentence. Jehovah God said He was very angry with their fathers. What an opening salvo. Pull the pin and toss the grenade. Boom! What do you think they expected after that statement? Well, we will see in the next verse what happened. These Israelites knew the sins of their fathers. They had been judged by God and taken into exile because of them. So, this opening by the Lord was a known fact.

APPLICATION

The Hebrew word for “angry” means to crack off, burst out in rage, be displeased, be provoked to wrath. When we are outside of Christ, we face that anger of God. God’s wrath had to be appeased, which it was in His Son, Jesus. Because we have accepted His Son as our Savior, and only because of that, we no longer face that wrath.

John 3:36 tells us, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” One of the most well-known verses is Romans 6:23. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” That’s pretty clear, isn’t it? So, how do you share this to others before it is too late?

Sharing your faith is not hard. You just have to ask the Lord to give you the opportunity and then be watchful for that. When the opening comes, step out and do it. Just share what the Lord has done for you. He has taken away His wrath from you. Everyone wants that. Help someone today to experience it. You won’t regret it.

I am so thankful for the blood of Jesus which satisfied Your wrath, O God.

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Anger, Battles, Bible, Confession, Repentance, Scripture, Sin, Wrath

BURNING ANGER

ZEPHANIAH 3:8

“‘Therefore wait for Me,’ declares the LORD, ‘For the day when I rise up as a witness. Indeed, My decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out on them My indignation, all My burning anger; for all the earth will be devoured by the fire of My zeal.’”

Have you ever been so mad you could spit flames? I have a few times. I am reading a book right now about anger. It’s entitled “Unoffendable.” The author is Brant Hansen. He has some pretty good ideas in the book, but it really is about us allowing Christ to transform us more into His image and living like that. I really don’t have a reason to get angry, according to Brant.

That does not apply to God. He says in today’s verse that His “burning anger” will devour the earth. God’s wrath on the nations and kingdoms that opposed Him will be made known. They will not be able to stand against Him. This is not the place you want to be. They did not understand that. God’s anger is always directed at sin.

APPLICATION

Do you get angry? Why? Think about it for a minute. There is no one or nothing that can really make you angry. We all make the decision to get angry. Saying someone or something made you angry gives all the power to them. You don’t want to do that, do you? James 1:20 tells us “The anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” So, all that talk about having a righteous anger is just that – talk.

We need to let go of the anger that is in. We are not God. We do not have the right. Only God has that right. Paul says in Ephesians 4:26-27 that our anger, if allowed to become sin, only gives the devil a foothold in our lives. That is certainly something we want to avoid. You can’t give him an inch.

So, what’s the answer for our “burning anger”? Confession! Repentance! Yielding to God’s authority. That’s the only way. Today, if you start to feel anger rising up, stop it and confess that as sin. Allow the Lord to purge that anger from you. He can do it. Do it today.

Father, I admit my sin of anger. I confess that as sin. Forgive me.

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Anger, Battles, Bible, Choices, Compassion, God's Will, Holiness, Judgment, Scripture

GOOD ANGER?

MICAH 5:15

“‘And I will execute vengeance in anger and wrath on the nations which have not obeyed.’”

All our lives we are told to not get angry. When our favorite toy is broken by our sibling, do not get angry. When the car breaks down for the umpteenth time, do not get angry. When our friend stabs us in the back, do not get angry. So, why do we see God getting angry at the people of Israel and that is okay?

God’s anger is not our anger. Our anger is birthed out of sin and rage. His out of love. Our anger comes from our unchecked emotions. His out of love. Our anger comes from a desire to get even. His out of love. God’s anger in verse 15 today is due to His holiness. He cannot and will not tolerate sinful actions. Here His anger is directed towards those unruly nations who have oppressed His children. God’s anger is unreproachable.

APPLICATION

We do not have God’s discretion or patience. We lash out in anger and then justify it. We claim we have the right to be angry. Ephesians 4:26-27 comes to mind. “In your anger, do not sin and do not let the sun go down on your anger and do not give the devil a foothold.”

My wife and I decided to never go to bed angry. That has led to many sleepless nights. Lol. Just kidding. We do try to do that, but to be honest, we have gone to bed angry. Guess what? That anger does not disappear as you sleep. In fact, it can cause a very restless night.

I believe all conflicts among believers is due to either one or both individuals living out of their flesh rather than the Spirit. There is no situation too big for God to solve. When He says to not get angry, He is not talking about anger over seeing the righteous suffer or children being abused. He is referring to our flesh inspired anger toward each other. That anger must be defeated through our surrender to His Spirit in our lives. Look at your anger today. At whom is it direction? From where does it come?

Oh Father, I am thankful Your wrath over my sin has been taken care of by the blood of Your precious Son.

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Agreement, Anger, Arguing, Bible, Bitterness, Choices, Disciplemaking, Following, God's Will, Obedience, Scripture, Submission, Surrender

ARGUING WITH GOD

JONAH 4:9

“But God said to Jonah, ‘Do you have a good reason to be angry about the plant?’ And he said, ‘I have good reason to be angry, even to the point of death!’”

I have met people who just like to argue. It does not matter what it is about. They just like to argue – the weather, politics, religion, the taste of sweet tea (lol). Some things are worth arguing about. Maybe I should change “argue” to “discuss” here. Either way, some things merit a conversation, but one thing is for sure – you cannot out argue God.

Look at today’s verse again. Jonah is actually arguing with God about his right to be angry. We discussed anger earlier, but here Jonah is once again stating his right to God to be angry about what He has done. Let me ask you a question. Do you think Jonah is going to win this argument? Of course, not. But he has every right to speak up. God is big enough to handle it.

APPLICATION

I agree that we need to learn to submit our wills to His will. There really is not another way to live the Christian life successfully. However, God knows us better than we do. He knows when we question His will what our motive(s) is(are). So, it is okay to “argue” with God, as long as you do not think you are going to win.

We have to keep in mind that His thoughts are way above our thoughts. He sees our life, past, present and future. He could tell us what is coming if He chose to do so. Most of the time, He does not. That means we have to trust Him, even if we disagree with Him. God’s feelings are not hurt by our questions. He is big enough to handle anything we throw at Him.

I am sure you can think of something right now that you would have chosen to handle a different way. I would have chosen to learn about the eternal things of God without going through my last stem cell transplant. But God chose that to teach me. Did I like it? Did I argue a little with God? Yep, sure did. In the end, I submitted to His will. How about you?

Lord, I do not always agree with You, but I know You are right. Help me trust You from the beginning.

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Accountability, Accused, Anger, Belief, Bible, Choices, Encouragement, God's Will, Scripture

MY RIGHTS

JONAH 4:4

“But the LORD said, ‘Do you have a good reason to be angry?’”

We are all quick to assert our rights nowadays. We think just because we breathe, we have the right to demand our rights. “We have the right to choose.” “We have the right to protest!” We have the right to…fill in the blank. We can all find our own platforms to march on, can’t we?

Jonah thought he had the right to be angry, but God called him on it. The New Living Translation translates “Do you have a good reason” as “Is it right for you.” I actually like that better. God tells him that he has no right to be angry about this (we’ll see that a little later). God is the only one who really has a right.

APPLICATION

Proverbs 18:1 says, “He who separates himself seeks his own desire. He quarrels against all sound wisdom.” Doesn’t that sound just like Jonah? He thinks he is right. He thinks he has the right to be angry. How dare God save the Ninevites. How dare God do something other than what I think is right.

Our right is not necessarily God’s right. We, therefore, have no right to demand our rights. My brother-in-law used to say all our rights were nailed to the cross. We only have the right to die to ourselves. Then we are made right through His righteousness. We still cannot demand our rights because now all our rights belong to Him.

Confused? Don’t be. Just go to Jesus and confess your sins. Let Him show you what is right and what is not right. Let your rights rest in Jesus. He will look over your and protect you. When you make your rights line up with His righteousness, all the petty stuff falls away. Then you can walk in His righteousness and allow Him to make you right.

All my rights are on the cross with Your Son, Father. I bow before You now and ask You to make me right.

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