What is anger? Why do we feel it? Why does the Bible say that anger will "give the devil a foothold?"
Many things open a door to Satan in our lives, but the main thing, is anger.
Eph. 4 says, “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold."
I have seen proof of this in my own life many, many times. Anger is a very dangerous emotion. Why does this verse speak specifically about anger? I believe it does, because anger is THE MOST powerful emotion. It is out of anger that human beings murder each other. It is out of anger that rape is committed. I have heard that rape is actually a crime of violence and not lust. It is out of anger that wars are started that affect millions and billions of lives. All because of one emotion; anger.
In relationships, when a person gets angry, it is really just hurt in disguise. So men, consider this the next time the woman you are with gets angry with you. She is most likely just hurt and needs you to hold her. Inside she is saying, "I'm so hurt right now and I just need you to comfort me!" On the outside, for whatever reason, it comes out as, "I can't stand you and I hate you." I know, it's confusing. You have to see past the mask and see what is going on in her heart.
Anger is really just a cover, a front. Anger is a defense mechanism. We use it in relationships when we feel that we are not able to be vulnerable with the other person about our pain. Anger feels more comfortable. It feels stronger. It feels like you are more in control even though on the inside you might feel completely out of control and like you are out on a limb. Anger comes from fear. It comes from us being unsure. It comes from feeling powerless so we want to regain power someway, and yelling seems to serve that purpose. We yell and we feel in control again, in charge, strong. But what is the result? Only more pain and more of a sense of feeling lost. May God open our eyes more and more to the truth of this. And may he teach us all how to be vulnerable and open with our hearts instead of getting angry.
Anger can also be felt in our hearts when someone else violates our "boundaries." We all have certain rules, certain expectations we live our life by. If someone steps over those boundaries we may get angry. This is not always a bad thing. Sometimes we need to get angry in honor of our own self-respect. Don't let anyone else push you around. Be angry and stand up for yourself, but don't sin. It is tricky, but it can be done.
We also might get angry if someone is abusive towards us. This is GOOD anger and is very appropriate. We should get angry if someone close to us is not treating us right. This is the reason God gave us the emotion of anger. It is supposed to signal that something is wrong. It is an emotion that sets off red sirens telling us we need to run for cover, that we need to protect ourselves. If someone is abusing you in any way, mentally, physically or emotionally leave the room! If they follow you, leave the house. DO NOT allow someone else to abuse you. GOD would not want you to put up with abuse.
The Bible does not say we should NEVER get angry. It says, "IN your anger.....do not sin." It is assuming that we will get angry at some point. If you never get angry, you should probably make sure that you have a pulse lol. Jesus got angry. Look at the story of him over turning the tables in the temple.
Mt. 21 says, "Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He OVERTURNED the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of PRAYER,’ but you are making it ‘a den of ROBBERS.’"
Jesus was angry, VERY angry. But he never sinned. Interesting isn't it? I find that very interesting. He caused damage to property, but he did not sin. I'm sure he scared everyone that was in the temple that day, but he still did not sin.
What do you think his disciples were thinking, "Holy cow, Jesus is FLIPPING out!" Right? lol, I probably would have thought that if I was there. lol Yet he never sinned.
It is OK to feel anger. The question is what will we do with it? Jesus' anger was righteous anger. People were in the temple, HIS holy house, trying to make money off of HIS people. They had overstepped his Boundaries. Jesus probably felt that they were being abusive to the people in that they were exploiting them. He said that they had made it "a den of robbers." He felt the money changers were robbing HIS people. That is why Jesus so got so angry with them.
It was kind of similar, actually, to when the Catholic Church sold indulgences that the public could buy for the remission of their sins. If Jesus was alive in that time he would have done the same thing. That was a huge lie from the Catholic Church, and the idea is still there. Jesus died for all our sins past, present and future! We do not need to do anything more then believe that HE IS LORD in our hearts to have our sins forgiven. Period.
So what do you do with your anger? How do you handle it? Are you getting angry at the right things?
It is not good to "stuff" your anger. It can then cause all kinds of bodily malfunctions and maladies such as headaches, ulcers etc. You NEED to express your anger if you feel it, but in a healthy way. You need to SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE to whoever you are angry with. Tell them, literally, this way.... "I felt....when you...." That is how you need to approach anyone who has EVER made you angry in the past or present, when you are ready to confront them in love. It takes strength to do this. I know. And it is scary. I know that too. It takes A LOT of strength. But God WILL give it to you. Just ask Him. :)
"I can do ALL THING through Christ who strengthens me!" Amen?
You also need to forgive them in your heart, so as to not "give the devil a foothold." I once read that "Forgivness is setting a prisoner free and then realizing that that prisoner was YOURSELF." Amen?
HE WHO THE SON SETS FREE IS FREE INDEED!
Your anger does not affect the other person. It only affects YOU! Even if you confront the person who made you angry and they do not apologize, you still NEED to forgive them, for your OWN sake. DON'T give them power over you by staying bitter at them. If they hurt you and they are abusive or mean, they do not deserve for you to give them that much power! SO LET IT GO! OK? DO IT! TODAY! lol
Also, you must forgive them FROM YOU HEART. If you do not forgive them from your heart, you may have not effectively forgiven them. It cannot just be a mental consent, you have to FEEL it. FEEL the bitterness leave you. I'm serious. If you have held onto this for a long time, you should probably be crying when you forgive them from you heart. That would be a good indication to you that you have effectively forgiven them. And let Jesus hold you in your pain. He wants to comfort you. He is ALWAYS there for you. Cry out to Him! He is listening. He is always listening. :)
May the peace of God that passes all understanding guard your hearts and your minds this week!
And may GOD cause his face to shine upon you and give you PEACE! Amen?
God bless!
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