Three days of studying two verses has amazing results. I knew about not letting the sun go down on anger, even though I have not been 100% obedient to that. I also knew that minor annoyances are just as much anger as a full-blown temper loss. However, the thoughts of these verses have given me a far greater sensitivity to anger than ever before.
“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)
I’ve not thought of myself as an angry person, yet when anger is defined as the Bible defines it, my irritation at not having things go the way I want them to go is anger. Recognizing these irritations as selfishness and confessing them as sin gives God the opportunity to forgive and cleanse me, not just from getting ticked about little things, but from the self-determination that so easily governs my life.
I often say that I need to get out more. It could be helpful. My husband and our new boarder are involved in a part of the world that is foreign to me. Between the two of them, I hear stories of engineering problems, employee interactions, desperately sick children, and problems with contracts. My world is withing the walls of my home with limited interaction with family, writers, artists, and my Sunday morning Bible class. Because of my lifestyle, rarely do I have to deal with major conflicts. When I do, I’ve so little experience with such things that I can easily go to God for solutions.
For that reason, and while I hate to admit it, more often the little things get me. Add some small stuff to my day, particularly things that pile on extra work or interfere with my schedule, and I can feel annoyed. These verses and the related things that God has shown me add up to a total condemnation of such annoyance. At the same time, God’s revelations about anger and its source have led to changes and to freedom, for which I am grateful.
The last part of this passage is the reason all of this is important. It says that sinful anger not promptly confessed and repented from is “giving place” to the devil. Another version translates this as “giving opportunity” to Satan — that he might use my anger to cause harm.
Jesus called Satan a liar and the father of lies, and a destroyer. Anger is a breeding ground for lies, starting with the one about, “you made me angry” instead of the truth that admits, “It was my choice to get mad.” Anger is also destructive. If not handled biblically, it can ruin health, inner peace, relationships and more. This destruction is Satan’s plan, not God’s. While God can use anger to teach humility, to make me aware of my selfishness, and on rare cases, make others aware of their offenses, He obviously offers better ways to deal with these things.
There is a righteous anger described in a previous post. It is from God and is my response to seeing myself or someone else violating His will. However, He does not give anyone a “righteous indignation” to harm or destroy, but to restore and heal, two things that Satan never wants.
Even these brief thoughts on anger from God’s perspective and from the perspective of how the devil can use it are making me aware how even my minor and often unspoken irritations are part of spiritual warfare. The enemy of souls can use my selfishness to have his way in my life and in the lives of those around me. On the other hand, the God of my life can use a proper response to anger to have His way in my life, even to affect those around me.
Also, these verses do not condemn anger — for anger is not the problem. My responsibility is to discern its source, and refuse to let any selfish anger motivate me to sin. Instead, God tells me to get over that kind of anger quickly, because there are bigger things at stake than me getting or not getting my own way.
We have a young Christian woman staying with us for a few months. She was telling me this week about the first time someone corrected her regarding anger. She had said that one person “made me mad” and another person told her that she could not blame anyone else; her anger was her choice and no one else was causing it.
“But that person did . . . and if they had not done it, I would not be mad.”
That sounds familiar. All our lives we have heard people say, “You (or he or she) make me angry.” We’ve said it to our children, our spouse, and even ourselves. By doing this, we give other people and outside actions control over how we respond to life. When I say it that way, then I see my anger in a different light.
Just as I have a choice to be patient in traffic (those other drivers are not out there trying to make me impatient – they don’t know I exist), I have a choice in how I respond to the actions of others. God knows that I might respond in anger, an anger that seems to be spontaneous and without choice. For that reason, He says,
“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)
However, the more I think about anger and about this verse, the more I am convicted that at the root of my “spontaneous” anger is a selfishness that far too often governs my choices. I’m also thinking how I need to deal with this root when it comes to the little annoyances. If I can identify my selfish issues, it is easier to calmly choose patience. It is also easier to think about the needs of others. If I can do that with the minor stuff, it should be easier with the larger issues.
Example. I’m rushing to finish my chores before supper and my hubby calls from work and asks me to bring something upstairs that he would normally get himself while I am setting the dinner table. It is a 60-second job, but selfishness sees it as annoying. On the other hand, if I am obedient to the Holy Spirit, I can see this as an opportunity for a kindness. His knee might be sore and he doesn’t want to do the stairs or he just called for any excuse because he is having a bad day. Annoyance is a mild anger and it is also a choice.
What about the big things? Recently a person I thought was a friend accused me of several things that were not true. I’d shared the gospel with her as lovingly as I could, but she lashed at me personally in a defensive and angry response. I felt wounded and betrayed. This was not fair. I could go the selfish route and strike the same posture, defending myself too, and retaliating with barbed words. Anger was there, threatening to boil over.
After lots of prayer and admitting my attitude to God, He told me what to do: “Be still, and know that I am God,” a familiar phrase from the Psalms. I sensed that He would vindicate me if that was needed, but more important, He would work in this person’s heart. I didn’t need to say or do anything because this was His department of expertise. Instead of responding, I have been praying for her almost every day.
Thinking about anger during my quiet time is making me think about anger during ordinary life. God does give me a choice. I can choose to be patient, yet if I, without thinking, make the choice to blow up, He still offers me another choice — I can humble myself and deal with the anger before the sun goes down.
Jesus is always concerned about attitude and the state of one’s heart. He talks about the heart being the source of sin and stresses that the actions of things like adultery began with the attitude of lust. For that reason, this verse is talking first about attitude:
“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)
Several years ago I attended a seminar on anger. The teacher said that anger begins with the feelings of annoyance that happens when someone stops me from having my own way. He said at that point I have a choice: I can let the issue go, or I can let my emotions boil. He added that even a full rolling boil can stay concealed, at least for a while. But eventually it comes out, either in an explosive action, or something like a headache, or an ulcer, or worse.
Anger can also be the human way of dealing with pain. When someone has deeply hurt me, instead of bearing the pain, I might get mad at them. What do I do with anger when this is its source? This may sound odd, but bearing pain is actually the way of Christ. Instead of lashing out at the offenses of sinners toward God, He bore the pain of it at Calvary.
On occasion, when anger would have been destructive and nothing else would help, I’ve done the same thing. I’ve isolated myself and let the full pain of what happened wash over me. Doing so feels like an emotional crucifixion, but after awhile, the ordeal ends. The pain is gone and even the memory of the incident hurts me no longer. It is as if I have died to that injury.
Life is full of situations where someone thwarts my plans. God knows anger will happen. He does not condemn it. Instead, He offers a way out — deal with it before the end of the day. This might mean taking the offense on the chin and saying nothing. It might mean deciding the offense is too minor to be upset over. It might mean going to the other person involved and saying, “You have sinned against me. We need to come to terms with this issue.”
The latter action can also be compared to what happens with Christ. When He goes to someone with the same declaration of sinning against Him, the response might be, “Yes, Lord. I agree and confess my sin. Will you forgive me?” When that happens, He is faithful to forgive and wipe that sin from His record and the guilt from the sinner’s heart. Peace is restored.
However, the sinful person can also reject the truth. Their response could be anything from “You deserved it” to “Who cares?” When there is no admission or regret or apology from someone who sins against me, what can I do with my pain and anger? Again, I have to ask, what did God do?
A verse in the Old Testament says, “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.” (Isaiah 43:25). God does not carry grudges or stay angry like we do. Yet even though He is not like us, He does ask His people to be like Him. That means when someone hurts me will not acknowledge what they have done or are not willing to make amends, then for my own sake I can still offer forgiveness. They haven’t accepted the offer so they do not experience that forgiveness, but I have put the ball in their court by doing my part. This is a Godlike response and by doing it, God gives me peace. Even more amazing, my anger is replaced by a concern for that person’s sinful state before God.
These are heavy-duty applications for this verse. I share them because I know that life offers heavy-duty situations, and because anger concealed or anger revealed is totally destructive. God gives good advice because He wants His people to know peace and joy, and from personal experience, I know that both of them disappear when I am angry.
Whether irritation or outright rage, I tend to think that every time I am angry, I am out of the will of God. However, I need to remember these verses:
“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)
God gets angry so being angry is not automatically a selfish response to something. However, Christian counselor and author, Jay Adams says, “Sinful anger probably is involved in 90 per cent of all counseling problems,” including secret, unconfessed anger against the Lord.
That latter category is when I don’t like my circumstances. I might blame people, but God is sovereign and in control of what happens to me, so I am really angry against Him because He is not letting me have what I want.
Anger is deadly in more ways than one. It can rob me of my joy, ruin my relationships with people, and keep me from my Bible and prayer. It can also affect my physical health and put me in danger of all sorts of illnesses. For these reasons, most psychologists and therapists, including some Christian ones, believe that all anger is wrong. They tell Christian parents never to show anger or let their children show anger. However, Ken Campbell, in his book, Those Ugly Emotions: How to Manage Your Emotions, says, “ . . . but they are mistaken because there is a righteous and legitimate anger.”
How can I know the difference? The Bible offers examples and exhortations. Christian writers have distilled the differences into various descriptions.
Lou Priolo says that if my anger is due to a recognition that God is offended by another’s behavior, that anger is righteous. This means someone else is violating God’s revealed will and the Holy Spirit who lives in me is angry — and I feel His anger. David Powlison puts it this way: righteous anger is when God doesn’t get what He wants and His will is violated. This anger is motivated by a sincere love for God and it happens rarely.
Most of the time, anger is not righteous. Powlison says sinful anger happens when I don’t get what I want, my will is violated, and I’m motivated by a love of some idolatrous desire. It is all about me being the lord of my life and having my own way.
Ken Campbell adds that anger is wrong when it is directed against a fellow Christian and leads to hostility and a desire to see him punished or humiliated (Matthew 5:21–22). Whenever my anger produces a desire to harm others, it is wrong.
Campbell also says any anger that results in a loss of self-control is wrong (Proverbs 29:11, 20, 22). He adds that this happens most often in the home because if we vent outside the home – against a boss or other authority – punishment or penalty or shame can result. He points out that anger is wrong when it’s ‘just natural’ because my fallen nature is depraved.
Lou Priolo says that sinful anger is the result of not having my personal desires met and most Christians know that without being told! If someone prevents me from having what I want and I am even mildly ticked about it, I’m immediately convicted by the Holy Spirit that my attitude is sinful.
Priolo adds that it is possible to have both righteous anger and sinful anger residing in my heart at the same time. That is why I need to be cautious and never respond to whatever is happening until I am certain that my motives are pure and I understand the source of my anger.
The Bible clearly agrees with these writers. As today’s verses say, a wise person may get angry, but they will check that anger and stop himself from sinning. Then, to prevent a backlog of negative emotions, or a deepening rift in relationships, or the possibility of losing a lot of sleep, the Bible also gives very solid advice: to deal with it before going to bed at night.
The identity of Christ cuts lines. Some thought He was a prophet. Peter declared Him as the Christ, the Son of the living God. Does it matter which side of the line a person is on?
When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 16:13–17)
Those who thought Him a prophet didn’t listen to Him. Just as they treated the prophets before Him, when they didn’t like what He said, they killed Him.
A few had a revelation from God, like Peter. God opened their eyes to His identity as the Christ, the Son of the living God, and they listened and followed Him, serving Him and giving their lives for what they believed.
Today, some deny He even existed, or that He is a myth, or the “spirit” or essence of a cosmic ideal. Some acknowledge Him as a prophet, or a good man. Others may say He is God’s son in the sense that God created Him like He created the rest of us. Those who think these things about Jesus may curse His name when life isn’t as they want it. They may dismiss Him and ignore Him. Even if they hold some respect for Him, they still do their own thing and make up their own rules. He is not the center of their lives, nor their God who directs them.
Today, those who believe that Jesus is God have been transformed. Transformed does not mean perfect, but it does mean new life demonstrated by new thinking, changed speech, and a turnaround way of doing things. Some experience a dramatic change, like American Chuck Colson and the Canadian, Serge LeClerc. Others are unnoticed by most of the world, yet quietly serve this Man we know is God. Like Christ, we are maligned and misunderstood, but we are totally convinced that the One we serve is God the Son.
Those religions who claim to be Christian yet deny His deity may live “good” lives, as do many from other faiths. However, without the renewing power of the Holy Spirit and the indwelling presence of Jesus, no one can go beyond good and be godly. Without faith in the genuine Jesus, no one can please God.
Further, we need God to reveal to us the true nature of Jesus. Apart from that, we cannot see the glory of God that He came to reveal to us. Also, we need the blood of Christ to cover our sin and the power of Christ to do the will of God. We need God’s transforming and renewing grace to live for Him.
Apart from Christ, I am helpless and left with my own sinful ways. Apart from Christ, I would make up my own religion and do my own thing. Apart from Christ, my life is not God’s but my own. Without Him, I am nothing.
If a man turned water into wine, healed all those who were sick, drove demons out of the possessed, walked on water, gave sight to the blind, made deaf ears hear, and raised the dead, you’d think that person would be recognized as no mere man. Yet when Jesus offered these proofs of His identity, the idea that He might be God dwelling in their midst didn’t seem to cross their minds.
When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 16:13–17)
Normally, a person trying to prove their identity would offer the necessary paperwork and perhaps tell of situations or circumstances that only they could know. This would convince whoever needed convincing and that would be enough. A revelation from God would not be necessary. This is not the case regarding Jesus.
I just scanned a document that uses the teachings of the major religions and cults to show their beliefs. I was looking for their teaching regarding the identity of Jesus Christ. In every religion aside from Christianity, Jesus is given some other designation than God the Son. He is a perfect man, or an avatar, or an angel who became a man, or a prophet, or even a being inhabited by an alien. No one recognizes Him as fully man, fully God. No other religion declares that He is the revelation of God to man, a revelation that involves an incarnation and a virgin birth.
I’m also reading a book called The Glory of Christ by John Owen. He uses Scripture to point out that no one can see the glory of God (meaning the qualities and attributes that are true of God) except by seeing them in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the express image of God. He hints at God’s glory in creation and in His Old Testament dealings with men, but God’s full revelation of who He is can only be seen in the Son.
However, when Jesus walked the earth they missed it. To most of them, “He had no form or splendor . . . no appearance that we should desire Him” (Isaiah 53:2). He was “despised and rejected by men” and they crucified Him because they thought He blasphemed God by claiming to be more than a mere man.
Peter knew who He was — only because the Father revealed it to him. The disciples understood, more than 500 of them because it had been revealed to them. Since then, millions have had the amazing experience of God revealing to them the reality of His coming as a babe in a manger who grew “in wisdom and stature” and who died on a cross, not because He lied about His identity, but because He was the only one who could bear the wrath of God and the punishment of our sin.
It was the fall of 1970. I sat in my living room reading a book on reincarnation. I was looking for what happened to me after I died. I’d read the Bible for 15-16 years, but could not understand it. This book didn’t make sense to me either, but for some reason, the author of that book included a Bible verse.
When I read the verse, the room seemed to fill with light. No one had to explain to me that I was in the presence of God. I just knew. No one had to explain to me that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. I just knew. There was no question of making a decision to believe in Him. I just did.
Much earlier when Jesus walked this earth, He did many things that demonstrated who He is, but most of the people around Him didn’t get it. Like I had been, they were spiritually dead and blind to the truth about Him and to the realities of the kingdom of God. However, not all of them were clueless.
Jesus said to them (the twelve disciples), “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 16:15–17)
Christianity is a revealed belief system. This means that being a Christian depends on revelations from God and on His work of regenerating dead spirits so that His truth and His Person can be known and experienced. This is spelled out in the Bible and demonstrated in the lives of those who believe.
Each Christian has different experiences regarding salvation though. Not everyone who believes in Jesus has an initial revelation as dramatic as the experience of the Apostle Paul. He was on his way to Damascus to persecute Christians when confronted by the living Christ.
As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” (Acts 9:3–6)
Saul obeyed and the God who had given him new life, a new heart, and eyes to see, ears to hear, also gave him a new name and a job to do. Saul became Paul, an evangelist, disciple-maker and church planter, a pillar in the early church.
Both his experience and mine prove that which is set forth in the Bible. No one can see, much less enter, the kingdom of God unless God does something to us. We are spiritually blind and dead to the things of God. Sin does that. Only God can undo it, and in the undoing, we are saved.
I’m so painfully aware of those who claim to be Christian yet they have never experienced this incredible miracle of regeneration and new life. In their own strength, they do good things and are pleased with their own efforts. In thinking that God is pleased also, they have missed the experience of new life and the wonder of His grace and power. They praise their own goodness and miss seeing the glory of Jesus Christ.
Because the Father has revealed His Son to me, I’ve no desire to claim that my “good deeds” will satisfy God or earn me a place in His kingdom. Compared to His grace and the power of Christ to change lives, anything I do falls far short and is not even fit for such a comparison.
Can a person ask that God reveals Himself to them? Jeremiah 29:13 says, “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” However, in John 6:44 Jesus also says, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him. . . .”
We need to seek and respond, but it is God who reveals Himself and changes lives. Salvation is a God thing and those who know Him also know the identity of His Son and have an incredible and God-initiated relationship with Him.
