• No Excuse for Anger

God does not want us to deny our feelings of anger, but He does expect us to handle them biblically.

• God’s Anger is Different than Our Anger

We must not believe that we are unable to control the emotion of anger when it arises within us.

• Unbiblical Responses to Anger

We cannot solve our anger problems in our own strength. We must cry out for God’s mercy.

• Do Not Sin With Your Anger

God forgives us when we repent of our anger, but we must live with the consequences of our choices.

• An Anger Checklist

Many people do not know when their anger crosses the line of acceptable expression to become sinful.

• Practice Sessions for Anger-Control

Find out how God expects us to respond in the midst of life situations that arouse anger within us.

• Being Sinfully Angry is a Choice

As children of God we must practice “putting away” anger and seek to deal biblically with

• Be Quick to Reconcile

God holds us accountable for every word we speak and He knows our motives behind the things we say.

• Practical Steps to Overcome Anger

We “get angry” when an irritating or provoking incident triggers an emotional response wit

• More Practical Steps to Overcome Anger

Our flesh will fail us but the Holy Spirit will empower us to gain victory over our sinful anger.

No Excuse for Anger

God does not want us to deny our feelings of anger, but He does expect us to handle them biblically.

Are you often quick to anger? Do you ever get so angry that you feel you are “out of control?” Unbridled anger is unbiblical. People who have an angry spirit demonstrate dissatisfaction with God’s sovereign control in their lives. They are very aware of anyone or anything that gets in the way of their rights. In this first of a ten-article series on anger, Dr. Debbi Dunlap reminds us that as Christians, we have no excuse for explosive, abusive outbursts of anger.

Anger is often an “excusable” sin for many Christians. Although the very thought of cheating or stealing, for example, is unacceptable to us, we give ourselves permission to explode in outbursts of anger, and we tell ourselves that we cannot help it. We rationalize our sin with such thoughts as, “That’s just how I am. I have a bad temper. I’m not nearly as bad as someone who is physically abusive.”

God’s Word tells us that a Christian has no excuse for explosive, abusive anger.

The Word of God, however, does not excuse the sin of anger. The writer of Colossians 3:8 admonishes us,

But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.

Anger that is quickly aroused and readily expressed, characterizes our old self apart from Jesus Christ. We are quick to anger when we live to please ourselves instead of the Lord.

Unbridled anger is unbiblical. We read this warning in James 1:19-20,

This you know, my beloved brethren. But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

Someone who has an angry spirit demonstrates dissatisfaction with God’s sovereign control in his life. He has not yet yielded his heart to Christ in complete submission and obedience to His will. An angry person is very aware of his rights and he is unhappy when anyone or anything gets in the way of those rights.

God does not want us to deny our feelings of anger, but He does expect us to handle them biblically.

They have come to understand the biblical truth of God’s ownership in their lives. They acknowledge the fact that they have been purchased with Jesus’ blood and they are no longer their own. They willingly relinquish their rights to God. Jesus Christ is our supreme example of the character quality of meekness.

Meek people do not deny their angry feelings, but, instead, they ask God to harness and channel their anger in a God-honoring way. They take seriously the command of Romans 6:12-14,

Therefore do not let sin (anger) reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin (anger) as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin (anger) shall not be master over, you, for you are not under law, but under grace.

A Christian who is given to anger cannot love other people unconditionally.

When we fail to “put aside anger,” we grieve the Holy Spirit, we give Satan undue opportunity in our lives, and we diminish our witness to a lost and dying world.

If we have a sincere desire to learn the scriptural principles of how to overcome anger, we must choose to obey God’s Word wholeheartedly, in every circumstance of anger and with every person involved, even if our feelings should dictate otherwise.

God’s Anger is Different than Our Anger

We must not believe that we are unable to control the emotion of anger when it arises within us.

Since God commands us to put away bitterness and anger, we can be certain that it is possible for us to do so. We often respond in anger when someone violates our rights. In this second part of a ten-article series on anger, Dr. Debbi Dunlap reminds us that being tempted to explode in anger is not a sin. We sin when we choose to express our anger in an unbiblical manner. God will supply sufficient grace for us to control our anger if we choose to respond obediently to Him.

When God gives His children a command He supplies the grace for them to obey that command. Since He tells us to put away bitterness and anger, we can be certain that it is possible for us to do so.

We must not believe that we are unable to control the emotion of anger.

Paul assures us in 1 Corinthians 10:13,

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.

Being tempted to lash out in anger is not a sin. We sin when we choose to express our anger in an unbiblical manner. God wants to teach us His way of escape.

When we are quick to anger, we demonstrate a lack of trust in God’s sovereignty.

Consider what it is that most often provokes us to anger. When someone violates our rights—our right to happiness, to comfort, to security or to respect, for example—we are naturally inclined to respond angrily.

Again Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 13:5,

Love does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, it does not take into account a wrong suffered.

If we are to control our anger, we must learn to “put on” patience, kindness, humility, tenderheartedness and forgiveness.

We should practice biblical love by forgiving those people who offend us, just as God has forgiven us. We ought to do deeds of kindness for those people that irritate us. We must heed the command of 1 Peter 3:8,9,

To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.

God’s perfect anger is completely unlike our own sinful anger.

We sometimes try to justify our anger in certain situations by telling ourselves, “Jesus got angry, so I can get angry too.” We should remember that God is holy and we are not. His holiness, justice, love and perfection never fail.

These attributes of His character remain constant, and they are perfectly consistent with His wrath. He exercises His vengeance with a heart of righteous indignation. God tells Moses, for example, in Numbers 25:4, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the Lord, so that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.”

Rather, we should heed the exhortation of 1 Peter 4:8, “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.” God mercifully restrains His anger against us and we must do likewise when we are tempted to sin with our anger.

Unbiblical Responses to Anger

We cannot solve our anger problems in our own strength. We must cry out for God’s mercy.

People deal with anger in many unbiblical ways. In this third article of a ten-part series on anger, Dr. Debbi Dunlap encourages us to examine ourselves to see if we have been guilty of using unbiblical methods to handle anger. He reminds us that when we focus on ourselves, our attempts to resolve bitterness and anger are based on man’s wisdom and lead to further selfishness. We find instructions for overcoming anger in the Word of God.

People deal with anger in many unbiblical ways. As we review the following list of sinful responses, it would be helpful to consider whether or not, we have been guilty of endorsing these methods of handling anger as acceptable options.

An angry person:

1.      Explodes in a rage or a fit of temper. He or she strikes out verbally or physically at people or things.

2.  Expresses anger outwardly by beating a pillow or another inanimate object, while thinking, or speaking, about the person with whom he or she is angry. (This is referred to as venting anger.)

3.  Controls his or her temper at work in front of employers and coworkers, and at church in front of Christian brothers and sisters, but exercises little or no control at home with his or her loved ones.

4.  Does strenuous physical exercise to release feelings of anger, yet fails to deal with the sinful root of his or her anger.

5.  Loses his or her temper and exhibits anger by such behaviors as honking the horn in traffic, throwing objects, yelling at people, and spouting obscenities.

6.  Seethes inwardly and becomes bitter.

7.  Verbally attacks or slanders people who persecute him or her, or who take advantage of him or her.

8.  Discusses every aspect of his or her anger or bitterness to “get in touch with his or her feelings,” and to release repressed emotions. (This is referred to as catharsis.)

9.   Denies that he or she is angry or bitter. (This is referred to as internalizing anger.)

10.  Writes vengeful letters to express his or her anger, but doesn’t mail them. (This is a combination of  venting and catharsis.)

11.  Refuses to examine his or her anger in an effort to respond biblically, but describes his or her anger and bitterness as justifiable “righteous indignation.”

A Christian must never blame his or her anger on someone or something else.

Someone or something “made” them get angry. The truth is that no one can make us angry. We choose to get angry and we choose to handle our anger either in a destructive way or in a God-honoring way.

Still another false justification for anger is the belief that we have a right to get angry if the circumstances of our past or our present seem unfair. We tend to wallow in anger and self-pity if, for example, our upbringing was less than ideal. If we subscribe to this mentality, we believe that since we have had a difficult life no one can expect us to be as loving and pleasant as people who have had all the “breaks.”

When we allow ourselves to think in this manner we are guilty of selfishly living to please ourselves. We should heed the words or Galatians 5:17,

For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.

We cannot solve our anger problems in our own strength. We must cry out for God’s mercy and grace.

When we focus on ourselves, our attempts to solve our problems of bitterness and anger are based on man’s wisdom and lead to further selfishness.

Do Not Sin With Your Anger

God forgives us when we repent of our anger, but we must live with the consequences of our choices.

Although our emotions are all God-given, we can sinfully misuse them. The truth is that we become angry in certain situations. In this fourth segment of a ten-part series on anger, Dr. Debbi Dunlap explains that God does not command us not to feel angry. He commands us, instead, not to sin with our anger. In order to accomplish this we must be willing to obey God’s Word without exceptions, and to follow His example to be slow to anger.

Examples abound in the Bible, of people who handled their anger and bitterness in a sinful way. We will consider a few of them and examine the consequences that they suffered as a result of their sinful choices.

We find many scriptural examples of people who sinned with their anger.

Cain killed his brother in anger and thereafter, became a vagrant and a wanderer. Simeon and Levi were willful men whose cruel anger drove them to murder people. God scattered their families as a penalty for their sin. In a fit of rage, King Saul tried to kill his oldest son. He also tried to murder David. Naaman was furious and indignant at God’s prophet. He refused, at first, to follow a simple command in order to be healed of leprosy, but was healed when he finally obeyed.

When the priests confronted Uzziah because of his unfaithfulness to the Lord, he became enraged. God struck him with leprosy until the day he died. Jonah was greatly displeased and angry when the Lord showed compassion to Nineveh. God subsequently chastised and humbled him. Simon, a man bound up in bitterness, tried to purchase God’s authority and Peter openly rebuked him.

God forgives us when we repent of our sinful anger, but we must bear the consequences of our choices.

The writer of Proverbs 19:19 informs us,

A man of great anger shall bear the penalty. For if you rescue him, you will only have to do it again.

When we fail to deal biblically with anger, we inevitably grow increasingly disobedient to God’s Word. God, however, offers us abundant resources with which to successfully conquer the problem of anger. We should consider the promise of Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” We find a similar promise in 1 John 3:22,

Whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.

We learn in God’s Word that He is slow to anger. God is merciful, gracious, compassionate, forgiving and abundant in lovingkindness and truth. He alone is holy and without sin. He assures us in Psalm 30:5 that His favor endures for a lifetime, but His anger lasts but a moment. God always directs His anger toward rebellion or disobedience to His commands.

In the Bible, God instructs us to express our feelings of anger in a godly manner—not to deny them.

Christians ought to be careful to communicate the truth about anger. All of our emotions are God-given, but we can sinfully misuse them. The truth is that we become angry in certain situations. God does not instruct us not to feel angry. He commands us instead, to “be angry and sin not.”

An Anger Checklist

Many people do not know when their anger crosses the line of acceptable expression to become sinful.

Do you have a bad temper? Angry outbursts are deeds of the flesh and God condemns them. Scripture warns us not to form close friendships with people who have a problem controlling their anger. Many people do not know how to determine when their anger has crossed the line of acceptability and become sinful. In this fifth installment of a 10-part series on anger, Dr. Debbi Dunlap provides us with an anger checklist to help us examine our own anger index.

We learn from God’s Word that the anger of man cannot achieve the righteousness of God. God commands us to put off every kind of anger, whether it is violent and explosive in nature, or sullen and seething in its expression. The writer of Ecclesiastes 7:9 warns,

Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, for anger resides in the bosom of fools.

In God’s perspective, an angry person is a fool.

We should not form an intimate friendship with someone who is given to outbursts of anger.

Angry outbursts are deeds of the flesh and God condemns them. We read in Proverbs 29:22, “An angry man stirs up strife, and a hot-tempered man abounds in transgressions.” Again, in Proverbs 22:24-25 we find a warning against forming a bond of friendship with a person who has a problem with anger,

Do not associate with a man given to anger; or go with a hot-tempered man, lest you learn his ways, and find a snare for yourself.

A person who has an angry spirit should not be in a position of church leadership.

In Titus 1:7 we read that God does not permit a person with a quick temper to assume a position of church leadership: “For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain.”

Many Christians do not know how to determine when their anger crosses the line of acceptable expression and becomes sinful. Several questions are helpful for someone who wishes to search his or her own heart, to discern whether or not he or she is guilty of unbiblical anger.

When I am angry:

1.      Do I demonstrate unconditional biblical love to my neighbor?

“A man of violence entices his neighbor and leads him in a way that is not good.” Proverbs 16:29

2.      Do I use hurtful words that do not encourage or edify other people?

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1

      3. Do I have angry outbursts and am I quick-tempered?

“A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated.” Proverbs 14:17

     4. Do I seek vengeance or try to retaliate against my offender?

“A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook a transgression.” Proverbs 19:11

5.  Do I respond in a manner that is displeasing to God and dishonoring to His name—unmercifully and without compassion?

“But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca,’ shall be guilty before the Supreme Court; and whoever shall say, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.” Matthew 5:22

6.      Do I fail to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit in my thoughts, words and actions?

“He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.” Proverbs 16:32

Someone who sincerely intends to overcome the sin habit of unbridled anger should help himself win the war by committing God’s Word to memory.

Practice Sessions for Anger-Control

Learn how God expects us to respond in the midst of life situations that arouse anger within us.

Are you facing a particular situation in your life that angers you every time you think about it? In His Word, God clearly outlines the standard of conduct that He requires of us in our interpersonal relationships. In this sixth article of a 10-part series on anger, Dr. Debbi Dunlap examines ten typical life scenarios in which we are often tempted to express anger. He encourages readers to learn to respond properly in the midst of these circumstances and to work to overcome sinful anger.

In the Bible, God addresses many specific arenas of a Christian’s life, and He speaks clearly about the type of conduct that He expects from His children. Our heavenly Father does not permit us to respond angrily in any of the following circumstances:

1.      Our enemies: When we are tempted to give in to angry outbursts toward our enemies we must remember God’s command to do kind deeds for those people who persecute us. We should look for ways to meet our enemies’ needs and we are to demonstrate God’s unconditional love toward them.

2.      Civil authorities: We ought to obey them and give to them their due, unless their demands contradict God’s Word. Such a demand would force us to sin, which we cannot do. Then we must obey the Lord, rather than man and we must beseech God for the grace to bear whatever consequences our authorities may require us to face.

3.      Unreasonable employer: God’s Word commands us to submit to an employer, except when doing so would cause us to disobey Scripture. It is never appropriate for a Christian to speak angrily or disloyally about his supervisor, regardless of how harsh or unfair he or she may be.

4.      Trials and difficult circumstances: We must trust God and be content. Our job is to cooperate with God and to respond joyfully as He develops Christ-like character in our lives.

5.      Fellow Believers who are caught in sin: We are to speak the truth in love to them, with the goal of restoring them. God explains that we should rebuke them gently and not regard them as outcasts. We ought to plead with them to repent and in a loving spirit, hold them accountable.

6.      Parents: Children must honor their parents as they honor the Lord. As long as parents are in biblical authority over children, children should respect and obey them in a manner that pleases God. It is sinful and disrespectful for children to express angry attitudes toward parents.

7.      Unjust treatment: We find favor with God when we bear up under unjust treatment and patiently endure it without angrily murmuring or complaining.

8.      Our children: God warns us not to provoke our children to wrath. Parents must resist the temptation to rebuke them angrily when they disobey. Instead, parents should nurture and train them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

9.      Husbands and wives: Marriage partners are to submit to one another and to love each other in a consistently biblical manner. We often take the liberty to express anger and hostility toward our spouse. We punish one another by pouting and withdrawing our affection from each other. We should repent of such sinfully destructive behavior. We ought to take very soberly God’s command in Ephesians 4, not to let the sun go down on our wrath.

10.  Biblically qualified church leaders: We should obey them and trust their wisdom. If we esteem them highly in love, as Scripture commands, we do not rail against them or act unbecomingly toward them when we disagree with their leadership or their judgment. Instead we pray earnestly for them as they lead us spiritually.

Being Sinfully Angry is a Choice

As children of God we must practice “putting away” anger and seek to deal biblically with our anger.

Because anger is such an intense emotion, we tend to think of it as something that overtakes us in a moment of weakness. The truth is, however, that unless we yield ourselves to anger it is powerless to overwhelm us. In the seventh article of a 10-part series on anger, Dr. Debbi Dunlap encourages readers to refuse to allow anger to overcome and embitter their lives. In the words of Proverbs 29:8, “A wise man turns away anger.”

The writer of Proverbs 25:28 paints a word-picture of God’s perspective of an angry man or woman,

Like a city that is broken into and without walls, is a man who has no control over his spirit.

A city without walls is defenseless and vulnerable to all sorts of evil. So, too, are Christians who have resigned themselves to having an angry spirit. God is displeased with them, and their families and friends dread being near them. Furthermore, Satan makes a mockery of them.

Christians must not allow their emotions to govern them.

Because anger is such an intense emotion, we tend to think of it as something that overtakes us in a moment of weakness. The truth is, however, that unless we yield ourselves to anger it is powerless to overwhelm us.

We face an ever-present temptation to live for ourselves rather than for God. We must, therefore, pray constantly and depend on the Holy Spirit for the grace and power to deal biblically with anger.

We cannot possibly maintain an angry heart and a prayerful heart, simultaneously.

Our thoughts, words and actions reveal our inner thoughts. If we are in the habit of judging other people, we have failed to deal biblically with our anger. God instructs us to “judge not” our brothers and sisters. He is a competent judge, and the only One qualified to weigh the motives and the intents of our heart. When we speak angrily of people who have offended us, we announce publicly that we are living to please ourselves.

The Bible compares strife to rushing water. We should heed God’s advice to abandon a quarrel before it breaks out.

God wants His children to be mediators of peace, not instigators of contention and strife. We read in Proverbs 14:29,

He who is slow to anger has great understanding.

Again, in Proverbs 29:8 we learn, “A wise man turns away anger.” He is, in other words, a wise peacemaker. He has the God-given ability to pacify someone who has a contentious spirit.

The Apostle Paul provides a checklist in Galatians 5:19-21 for Christians who sincerely desire to walk in obedience to God,

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

We ought to make a commitment to God that we will do everything possible to deal with our anger biblically each day, “before the sun goes down on our wrath.”

Be Quick to Reconcile

God holds us accountable for every word we speak and He knows our motives behind the things we say.

Unkind, vicious words wound us deeply and although we may forgive them, we seldom forget them. In this eighth segment of a 10-part series on anger, Dr. Debbi Dunlap discusses three kinds of anger identified in Matthew 5:21,22. He urges us to be quick to humble ourselves when we have been sinfully angry, and to take care not to let the sun set before we attempt to reconcile with someone we have offended.

Many of us probably recall a singsong rhyme from our childhood, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” This, of course, is not true. Unkind, vicious words wound us deeply and we seldom forget them.

In the book of Matthew, Jesus addresses the sin of speaking angry words. Jesus refers to three kinds of anger in Matthew 5:21,22,

You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Racca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

When we are angry with a brother or sister, we must resist the temptation to lash out at him or her with cruel words.

The first type of anger that Jesus mentions is being angry with a brother. When someone offends us, our natural response is to strike out at him or her in anger, with our words, our actions and our attitudes. God is able to grant us supernatural strength to respond with gentleness and unconditional love for our offender.

The second kind of anger Jesus warns about is calling an offender a rude, insulting name, “Racca.” Before we exonerate ourselves from this particular sin, we must examine the meaning of the word “Racca.” It means “empty-headed.” It is the equivalent of calling someone an idiot, or a brainless moron.

King David spoke of people who use wicked, slanderous words,

They sharpen their tongues as a serpent; the poison of a viper is under their lips.

“Racca” is a word that communicates contempt—a word that degrades someone’s dignity as a creature made in God’s image.

We place ourselves in grave danger when we call our brother or sister a fool.

The third category of anger is the most offensive and grievous to God. When we call our brother or sister a fool, we relegate him or her to the ranks of rebels and reprobates. We call into question his or her love for and devotion to God.

Anger causes devastating problems in all of our relationships. People quit their jobs or get fired from them because of unresolved conflict and anger. Marriages and families fall apart because a husband or a wife refuses to deal biblically with his or her problem with anger.

Children emulate the anger that they witness in their parents’ behavior and they become increasingly aggressive with family members and other acquaintances.

Many churches have disintegrated because someone spoke cruel, angry words and refused to repent of his or her sin.

Church congregations split and go their separate ways, often because of an angry disagreement between two people who behave selfishly. They are unwilling to humble themselves in repentance for their angry words or attitudes.

The words of Ephesians 4:25-27 eloquently summarize God’s directive for how we should speak to one another and how we should deal with anger biblically: “Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry, and yet do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.”

Practical Steps to Overcome Anger

We “get angry” when an irritating or provoking incident triggers an emotional response within us.

In the ninth article of a 10-part series on anger, Dr. Debbi Dunlap warns us that when we do not handle anger biblically it takes a heavy toll on our bodies. When we do not control our anger, according to God’s command, or when we harbor bitterness and unresolved anger in our hearts, we risk suffering many negative physical, mental and spiritual consequences. Some of these are: recurring headaches, respiratory disorders, arthritis and gastrointestinal problems.

There are certain physiological changes that occur within our bodies when we react in anger.

Unbiblical anger takes a heavy physical toll on our bodies.

When an irritating or provoking incident triggers an emotional response within us, we “get angry.” Tension and stress begin to build and our bodies release adrenaline and other chemicals. Our breathing rate increases and the rate of our heartbeat accelerates. As blood pressure rises, brain responses are significantly reduced. Anger intensifies such senses as sight and hearing for a brief time.

The volume and pitch of our voices may change and we may experience exaggerated abilities, such as a burst of extra strength that we would not otherwise possess.

When we handle anger in a sinful manner, we can feel the physiological changes occurring in our body.

When we do not handle anger biblically, it takes a toll on our bodies. If we do not control our anger, or when we harbor bitterness and unresolved anger in our hearts, we risk suffering many negative physical, mental and spiritual consequences.

God does not permit us to make excuses for an anger problem. He wants us to overcome it in His strength.

Once we become aware of the fact that we have a problem with a particular sin pattern in our lives, we should ask God for the grace to take measures to overcome it. It may be helpful to consider the following truths and practical steps for conquering the sin of anger.

We begin by genuinely repenting before God and before anyone else who has been affected by our anger. We should make a list of the people that we have hurt and offended. The next step is to go to each one of them, individually, in a spirit of humility and ask for their forgiveness.

 As we humble ourselves before each person, we must be sure to specifically identify and repent of the sin of anger.

Second, we begin a war that we expect to win. Many Christians expect to lose the war with anger, but they hope that by trying to overcome their sinful responses they will at least reduce their number of failures. This approach gives the flesh a foothold—a “backdoor” for defeat.

It also negates God’s command to His children to be disciplined and wholeheartedly dedicated to fighting sin. The writer of Hebrews 12:3,4 states,

Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

If we take a half-hearted approach to conquering sin, we will be defeated before we begin.

Resisting sin involves a total commitment of our minds for victory, whatever the cost. In Daniel 1:8 we find that Daniel “purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself.”

God’s promise that although we may lose some minor battles, we will win the war ought to encourage us. Our losses should serve to increase our determination to press on faithfully toward victory in Christ Jesus. If, however, we do not truly expect to win the war, every small defeat will discourage us.

More Practical Steps to Overcome Anger

Our flesh will fail us but the Holy Spirit will empower us to gain victory over our sinful anger.

In the final article of a 10-part series on anger, Dr. Debbi Dunlap concludes his discussion of how to overcome the sinful habit of angry responses. He urges us to memorize pertinent scriptures and to become accountable to others in our battle against anger. He also encourages us to press on in spite of failure and to live in the fear of God, acknowledging His omnipresence in our lives.

A Christian who makes excuses for his or her angry spirit cannot live a life that is pleasing to God. If we are quick-tempered and given to angry outbursts, we sabotage our most earnest efforts to be light and salt.

Our greatest strategy for conquering anger is to memorize God’s Word diligently and consistently.

We continue with our consideration of how to develop a practical plan to overcome the sinful habit of angry responses.

The flesh will fail us but the Holy Spirit will empower us to gain victory over anger.

Our natural inclinations betray us. We cannot control anger by a mere resolution of our will. God commands us to conquer anger, and our only hope for attaining victory lies in learning to think with the mind of Christ. The Holy Spirit accomplishes this transformation of our mind as we memorize key Bible passages that refer to anger.

When we ask a trusted Christian friend to hold us accountable for our commitment we obey the command of James 5:16,

Confess your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed. The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Each time that we contact our accountability partner to ask for prayer when we are tempted to react in anger, we greatly increase our chance for success. If, for example, we lose the battle against anger three times each week, we will experience over one hundred fifty defeats per year. If, during the first year of our spiritual battle, our accountability partner helps us to reduce these defeats by half, we will make significant progress toward being free from anger.

God wants us to keep running for the goal, regardless of how many times we stumble and fall.

The fifth step to overcome anger is to be determined to press on in spite of failure and discouragement. The writer of Proverbs 24:10 exhorts us, “If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength.” Jesus tells us in Matthew 26:41, always to be on prayerful alert because “the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” Christians do not have the option to give up in the battle against anger.