Anger in the Bible: What Does God’s Word Say?

Anger is a tough problem to overcome. It often has deep roots that reach back to childhood. If you struggle with anger, hope is not lost. You can overcome anger problems with God’s help. By studying Bible verses about anger, you can learn new ways of handling your triggers. As you work to overcome anger, God the Father will transform you into a likeness of Jesus, day by day.

What Does the Bible Say About Anger?

When we look up verses on anger in the Bible, we find wisdom and hope. God describes the difference between righteous anger and unrighteous anger. He gives us examples of anger in the Bible so we know what to avoid. God is the only one who can handle anger perfectly, but he wants to offer us healthier solutions as we grow in faith.

Your anger may have deep roots, but it can be removed with God’s help. Anger is usually linked to other problems like fear, frustration, stress, and anxiety. When you deal with the related problems, you can get a better handle on your anger. Let’s look at several Bible verses on anger to understand how we can overcome this common emotional struggle.

When Anger is Right

When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts, he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves, he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” – John 2:13-16

Not all anger is bad or sinful. We can have righteous anger, just like Jesus did against the money changers who set up shop in the temple. Since we know that Jesus never sinned, his anger in this instance was without fault.

We can also feel angry about injustices toward ourselves or others. Life is full of unfairness. It’s human nature to feel angry when injustice occurs. The issue is not about feeling angry; it’s whether our anger is justified in God’s eyes. When we have righteous anger, God will defend us.

When Anger is Wrong

Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, and don’t give the devil an opportunity. –Ephesians 4:26-27

Anger is wrong when we handle it poorly. There are many examples in Scripture of poorly handled anger. Cain murdered his brother Abel in anger. Saul chased David for years in his jealous anger. Jonah defied God’s direct orders because he was angry. These examples are recorded in God’s Word to teach us what not to do.

We can be angry yet choose not to sin. When we choose to handle anger in inappropriate ways, our enemy Satan multiplies the anger into more sins. Bitterness, slander, fighting, and abuse are just some of the examples of what can happen when we don’t deal with our anger the way God intends. We must learn better ways to handle anger that are pleasing to God and respectful of others.

Don’t Stay Angry Forever

Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy. – Micah 7:18

God is holy. He has every right to feel angry toward us, 100%t of the time because we break his laws every day. Yet our holy God chooses to pardon and forgive us because Jesus paid the price for our wrongdoings on the cross.

God has the right to stay angry at us and punish us. But in his love and compassion, he shows us mercy. We also need to get rid of grudges and choose compassion and mercy instead of anger. By following God as our example, we can refuse to let anger take permanent hold in our hearts.

Remove Anger and Its Fruits

Let all bitterness, anger, and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. – Ephesians 4:31

Anger rarely exists on its own. When allowed to fester, it turns into wrath, shouting, slander, bitterness, malice and other destructive problems.

That’s why it’s so important to deal with the fear, frustration, and stresses that lie behind your anger issues. As you tackle your anger problem by studying and meditating on Bible verses about anger, God will clean out these sins from your heart.

Don’t Associate with Angry People

Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man,
do not associate with one easily angered,
or you may learn his ways
and get yourself ensnared. – Proverbs 22:24-25

To overcome anger, you need to surround yourself with different influences. Which people, television shows, social media feeds, or other influences stoke your anger? You may need to switch up your influences for a while to remove yourself from anger’s snare.

Pick one influence per week and remove yourself from it. See if it lowers your anger level. You may be surprised to learn that by removing just one or two influences, you experience greater peace in your life. Pray that God will help you identify your anger triggers and remove them with his help.

Guard Your Heart

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. – Proverbs 4:23

Like all our vices, anger springs up from our hearts, which are sinful by nature. You must be in tune with your heart to identify the source of your anger. Once you identify your triggers, you can literally change the course of your life.

A qualified Christian counselor can help you identify those triggers. When you ask God to help you guard your heart, you will respond to anger in healthier ways and enjoy a new path of healing and recovery.

Practice Self-Control

Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips. – Psalm 141:3

How many times have you said something you didn’t really mean, just because you were angry? So many of us have experienced that trial and want to overcome it. Anger is most commonly expressed through words.

By asking God to take control of your words before they are spoken, you can get a handle on your anger. This will take practice and hard work, but God will reward your efforts. Pray this verse every day for the next 30 days.

The Holy Spirit will bring it to mind when you are tempted to say something in anger. You will be blessed as God guards your heart and mind in your journey of healing.

Be Slow to Get Angry

My 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. – James 1:19-20

If your anger rises from simmering to boiling in just a few seconds, God wants to help you lower the temperature of your anger. God himself is slow to get angry, and he wants you to follow his example.

By learning listening skills and practicing self-control, you will live the righteous life God desires. Your anger will be slower to show and will manifest itself less often. With God’s help, you will be able to successfully control your anger.

Christian Counseling for Anger Issues

Few people can overcome anger issues all by themselves. A Christian counselor is equipped to help you notice your triggers and practice healthy anger management. You can use these Scriptures on anger to keep overcoming anger issues on your own.

However, there’s no shame in asking for outside help if you are still battling anger. Please give us a call if you need more assistance in overcoming anger. We are ready to help you at Los Angeles Christian Counseling.