What do we need to know about anger and managing it?

All of us have experienced anger at some point in our life. For some, anger is something that builds up over time when things don’t go the way we planned, and it causes problems. For others, anger is something that happens quickly for many reasons that just irritate us, and we lose patience.  Yet others see anger as something that motivates us to quickly take action to deal with difficult things. What does the Bible say about handling anger the right way?

How do we define anger?

Depending on who you ask, anger can be defined many different ways. For some, it is getting irritated about something. For others it is a strong desire to hurt someone or destroy something that gets on our last nerve. If you want to get technical about it, anger is defined as follows (1):

Webster’s 1828 Dictionary:

AN’GER, noun ang’ger. [Latin ango, to choke strangle, vex; whence angor, vexation, anguish, the quinsy, angina. Gr. to strangle, to strain or draw together to vex. The primary sense is to press, squeeze, make narrow; Heb. to strangle.]

1. A violent passion of the mind excited by a real or supposed injury; usually accompanied with a propensity to take vengeance, or to obtain satisfaction from the offending party. This passion however varies in degrees of violence, and in ingenuous minds, may be attended only with a desire to reprove or chide the offender.

2. Paint; smart of a sore or swelling; the literal sense of the word, but Little Used.

AN’GER, verb transitive ang’ger.

1. To excite anger; to provoke; to rouse resentment.

2. To make painful; to cause to smart; to inflame; as, to anger an ulcer.

If you look up anger in the Bible, you see anger in both the Old Testament Hebrew and the New Testament Greek as follows:

Hebrew (2): From ‘anaph; properly, the nose or nostril; hence, the face, and occasionally a person; also (from the rapid breathing in passion) ire — anger(-gry), + before, countenance, face, + forebearing, forehead, + (long-)suffering, nose, nostril, snout, X worthy, wrath.

Greek (3): Orgē: anger, impulse, indignation, vengeance, wrath. From oregomai ; properly, desire (as a reaching forth or excitement of the mind), i.e. (by analogy), violent passion (ire, or (justifiable) abhorrence); by implication punishment — anger, indignation, vengeance, wrath.

Now that we got all the technical definitions out of the way, in Christ-centered Biblical counseling, a substantial percentage of people seek out help because they “have a problem with anger.” After talking about what they are dealing with for a few minutes, I often try to encourage them by telling them that their anger works great, it is how they handle it that needs improvement.

What can we say about anger overall?

When you look at anger, it is important to acknowledge that we all deal with it. At the same time, we need to know a few things about its causes and effects that are an important part of managing it the right way. There are seven levels of anger, starting with the initial cause and progressing to full blown rage. We see references to this and information about it and actions in the Bible as follows:

1. Stress or pressure or provocation:

Colossians 3:21. “Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.”

2. Anxiety or impatience:

Philippians 4:6. “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Note: The Biblical Greek word for careful is the same word we have for anxious or distracted.

3.  Agitation:

Luke 21: 12-15. “But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.”

Colossians 1:21-23. “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister…”

1 Peter 5:6-10. “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”

4. Irritation:

1 Corinthians 10:13-14. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.”

At this point it is important to understand that when irritation moves into frustration, it is usually because there is a personalized effect in the situation and their ability to maintain temper is tested. This can result in the loss of patience affecting the person’s composure, restlessness, and increase their suffering. These are all stressful and makes it important to examine the roots of the anger, seek out help, and take steps to make sure no sinful responses such as loss of temper are taken.

5. Frustration:

James 1:13-14. “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”

Galatians 2:20. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

6. Anger and wrath:

James 1:19-20. “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

Romans 1:18. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;”

7. Rage:

Galatians 5:16-21. “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.“

Although there are many more things we can say about anger, it is important to understand that from the first stressful or provocative encounter, it involves active thoughts. These active thoughts must be managed from different perspectives, or they will progress to higher levels of intensity to rage if unchecked. So, what are the different perspective of anger that must be considered?

What are the different perspectives of anger that must be considered?

The first perspective of anger to consider is that it can have bad or good roots and motivations. If we encounter a stress, pressure, or provocation, how does it impact us personally. We see this described as follows:

James 1:2-8. “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

Here we see that when we fall into diverse temptations, we must count it all joy! What? Be joyful that we are tempted? Now let’s hang on a second and see why. We are told that the “trying of your faith worketh patience.” This means that as we go through issues in life and encounter stressful situation, as “brethren” or believers, we have the power of the Holy Spirit in us and can rely upon God and His Word.

In doing this, we will learn how to successfully deal with it and get stronger in our faith without making things difficult because we see that God does not make it complicated (upbraideth not). We will also learn that as we get stronger in our faith, we will not be tossed to and fro with confusion about what to do because our mind is focused on God and His Word to keep us from being “double minded.”

With this focused mind we are able to endure temptations that lead us to selfish reasons for being angry. We see this as follows:

James 1:12-16. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren.”

We see that as we endure, God will reward us one day in Heaven. In the meantime, we will also learn how to identify where our temptations come from. We will see that temptations to do evil come from our own lusts, which can entice us. If not stopped, they bring forth sin, and sin brings forth death. The question is, what are our own lusts? We see this as follows:

1 John 2:15-17. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

Our focus should not be upon worldly things, but instead, doing the will of God. We also see these worldly lusts described in three practical ways:

1. The lust of the flesh: Sinful things we do to please our fleshly desires (Galatians 5:19-21; Romans 8:1-16)
2. The lust of the eyes: Sinful things we do to please our desires to have and become like the world (Psalms 10:2-11; Luke 12:22-38)
3. The Pride of life: Sinful things we do to glorify our self (John 12:28-50; Psalms 12:1-8)

How do these perspectives apply to anger?

When we look at the roots of our anger, we start at the lowest level and ask ourselves, are we experiencing these things at each level because our own sinful desires are being impacted? Or are we experiencing these things at each level because God’s perfect desires are being impacted. For example, what makes anger sinful?

1. When it is selfishly motivated (Matthew 12:34-37)
2. When it tarnishes God’s glory (1 Corinthians 10:27-33)
3. When it is allowed to linger (Ephesians 4:26-27)
4. When it attacks the person instead of the problem (Ephesians 4:29-30)
5. When it progresses into wrath (James 1:19-20)
6. When it harms or consumes others (Galatians 5:13-15)
7. When it is motivated by vengeance (Romans 12:17-21)

Now, what makes anger not sinful?

When God is angry

• • When ungodliness or unrighteousness is present (Romans 1:8)
  • When others that are vulnerable are mistreated (Exodus 22:21-24)
  • When other gods are worshipped (Deuteronomy 6:14-15)
  • When people are wicked (Psalms 7:11)
  • When individuals deliberately disobey God (1 Kings 11:9)
  • When peoples and nations rebel against God (2 Kings 17:18)
  • When religious leaders are corrupt and harm people (Mark 3:5)

When believers are angry for righteous reasons

• • When God is blasphemed (Mark 3:28-29)
  • When innocent people are harmed (2 Samuel 12:5)
  • When believers are inspired to serve God and our neighbor because they are being victimized (Philippians 2:1-5)
  • When believers are motivated to identify injustices and work through proper channels to have them addressed (Matthew 18:15-18; Galatians 6:1-3)
  • When we see Satan destroying the lives of people and are inspired to serve God (James 1:2-6)

How can anger be managed?

1. Be slow to become angry (Proverbs 14:16-17, 29. James 1:19-20)
2. Remember that love (esteeming others above ourselves) covers a multitude of sins (Proverbs 10:12; Proverbs 12:16; Proverbs 17:9; Proverbs 19:11; 1 Peter 4:8)
3. Seek the way of love (1 Corinthians 13:4-5)
4. Remind yourself how anger can turn into hatred and physical harm (Genesis 4:3-8)
5. Watch what you say to prevent strife (Proverbs 15:1)
6. Consider how loss of temper can create dissension (Proverbs 15:8)
7. Do not associate with those that are angry (Proverbs 22:4-5)
8. Focus on self-control with the help of God (Proverbs 25:28; Proverbs 29: 22; Proverbs 30:33)
9. Remember that fits of rage are from your sinful nature trying to mislead you (Galatians 5:19-21)
10. Actively seek the leading of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25; Colossians 3:8)
11. Handle anger in a Godly way (Ephesians 4:26)
12. Memorize the Words of Jesus and recite them in your mind to keep anger in context (Matthew 5:21-22)

Final thoughts

There is a lot more that can be said about anger. In this article we have only scratched the surface on what does the Bible say about handling anger the right way. In our experience in Christ-centered counseling, this is only an outline of what we cover when helping people know about anger and managing it.

Likewise, typical anger management that is not Christ-centered only approaches the problem from a physical and emotional perspective. This is why Christ-centered Anger Management is so important and much more effective as it not only approaches it from a physical and emotional perspective, but it also involves the Spiritual perspective along with the power of God’s Holy Spirit.

If you would like to learn more about Christ-centered anger management, check out our audio series on Biblical Anger Management.

May God bless you in your studies.

(1) “Websters Dictionary 1828 – Webster’s Dictionary 1828 – Anger.” 2024. Websters Dictionary 1828. 2024. https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/anger.

(2) “STRONGS NUMBER H639.” 2024. Kingjamesbibleonline.org. 2024. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/strongs-number-H639/.

(3) “STRONGS NUMBER G3709.” 2024. Kingjamesbibleonline.org. 2024. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/strongs-number-G3709/.