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. Ephesians 4:26-27.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
You will not be able to shut the devil out of your life and walk in the freedom of My children if you have opened your life to him. You may not think you have, but if you are angry it is not from Me. It is a fiery arrow that Satan shot at you and you took it in and it is fueled by the fire of hell.
Do not allow yourself to get angry. It is idle. And it is an unclean spirit, it is a spirit of anger, it is demonic and you must not permit that spirit to enter your heart for it will raise up a bitter root, and every tree that is not planted in your heart by Me must be plucked out and cast into the sea. You must cast it out immediately before it gets a stronghold in your soul. But it is subtle and people do not call it out for what it is, they justify it in their heart as an appropriate response to an offense received from another. But it is not.
Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve My righteousness. Vengeance and vindication is Mine for I am a just judge and I know the intentions of each man’s heart. Judgment is Mine, not yours. Do not judge and you will not be judged for the standard by which you judge is what I must use back on you. Your primary relationship is with Me and I do not want you going off in directions that are harmful to you and not fruitful. Cease from anger and forsake wrath; do not fret; it leads only to evildoing. Psalm 37:8.
The mystery of anger, what is it? It is extreme offense that you allow to penetrate your emotions and turn you into a different person. Sometimes you will hide it for years against a superior or parent, but it will eat away at your life and cause you much anguish and grief. It will grow and fester until one day it will burst forth in offensive speech from your mouth spilling poison on you and those close to you. It may surprise the one that you direct it against, who was unaware of the extent of your inner anger, but anger, if not dealt with, will lead to hatred and to bitterness. It will color your whole life and keep you out of fellowship with Me. My Son told you that when you stand to pray, to have your prayers unhindered, you MUST forgive anyone against whom you have an offense.
If you harbor anger and will not let go of it, you are giving the devil free access to take you out of your calling. It is a stumbling block in your path. This is what the devil did with Saul, the first king of Israel, what began as a fiery arrow of offense (a stab at his pride, which is what offense is for the most part) as he heard the praises being sung about David that were greater than the praises the people sang of him, because he did not stop this offense and appreciate what a great army leader he had in David to fight his battles for him, it turned into anger and jealousy that gave birth to a rage that saw David as his adversary and made him seek to end David’s life to get him out of the way. And yet David was one of his most loyal followers and respected him.
And harboring this jealous anger, opened Saul to the influence of an evil spirit that began to torment him and take him into deep depression. He finally could not hear from Me and turned to witchcraft.
And anger does not make your countenance radiant with joy, just the opposite, if you let it loose you will shake, turn red, and yell at ever increasing levels if it is not checked. People murder others in anger, but what they do not realize is this does not get that person out of the way, they will again see that person very much alive in eternity. All are alive to Me. Abel’s blood spoke and still does, and Abel is with Me, very much alive.
I will tell you what emotions you cast out with no pity, never brood over and baby them until they hatch into more adders and vipers in your nest: any emotion that gives you stress and not peace, any emotion that causes you to lose your joy, any emotion that causes you to experience fear and dread, any emotion that causes you to hate or be bitter about or to another person, any emotion that puts you into the depths of despair and depression, any emotion that engulfs you in darkness. These are works of the flesh and are influences and unclean spirits of the devil’s domain. You MUST check them right away and take up a firm stance against them. THEY ARE NOT FROM YOU, so you can get rid of them. You have to answer them with My Word to take them captive. “Oh no you don’t! Not in my house! I am a temple of the Holy Spirit and nothing unclean can enter.”
“Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.” 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.
“Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:30-32.
Let Me stop here a moment and talk to you about who you are and what you have in Christ and it will help you in this. If you are in Christ, that is, you have believed in your heart I raised Him from the dead and confessed with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, Romans 10:8-10, you are a new creation in Christ. What does that mean? Your sins and offenses are gone, borne by Him who knew no sin but became sin for you, and your old self has passed away, i.e., your old sinful angry self died with Christ and now you are alive to Me and all things are new. 2 Corinthians 5:17. You have a cleared conscience and stand before Me holy and blameless, beyond reproach, as if you had never sinned, redeemed by the blood of My Son. You have been given the gift of perfect righteousness and are walking in a new life so that you can purposefully forget what lies behind and press forward to what lies ahead—toward the glory which I have prepared for you even now.
But you must not turn back to folly, Psalm 85:8, and keep behaving like your old self, who died.
It is time you got serious about this and walked in a manner worthy of the calling you have received. And what is that calling? I call you into My Kingdom and glory. 1 Thessalonians 2:12.
“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.” Philippians 3:20-21.
My Word sanctifies and cleanses you from the dirt of the world, it is your upward calling in Christ. For your citizenship is now in Heaven and though you are in the world, you are not to be of the world. You are a new creation in Christ. Do not return to the deeds of the flesh, they are no longer who you are.
“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 will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21.
Examine each thought: Does it give you joy or stress? What is it doing to your body, are you trembling with rage or fear, do you feel exhausted? What is it doing to your mind? Is it controlling your mind so that you can only focus on that? Is it making your actions out of control? Such as shouting at another person or excessive crying? Is it making you feel trapped and like there is no way out? Is it tormenting you? If the answer to any of these is “yes” it is time to take up My armor, for you have put it down, and go after it until you have wiped every vestige of it out. You must act like I told Joshua in the promised land. Take no pity on these for they are your enemies and if you co-exist with them they will ensnare you and take you captive. They will take you out of the good land I have for you, the place of abundant grace.
And let Me tell you the secret weapon that I keep in the secret place for you: Shout it down with praise and thanksgiving. Remember who I have made you in Christ and bow down and thank Me until the tears come to your eyes in joy. Bring it out into the light before My throne and I will turn it into light. Tell Satan the old you died and you are not the same anymore so those thoughts have no acceptance in your new life.
DO EVERYTHING WITH ME. Never hide in your darkness. But you must repent of it and not hang onto it. You cannot justify it and keep it to yourself as Adam did and as Cain also did.
“Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and strife exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. 18 And the [n]seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” James 3:13-18.
If you have been harboring anger, ask Me in faith for wisdom and I will give it to you generously.
The devil is angry and his jealous fury is against you for you have what he wants: I have seated you with Christ on His throne in Heaven. The devil wanted the throne of the Son of Man and took it from Adam but Jesus took it back and dethroned him out of Heaven.
“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.” Revelation 12:10.
And the result?
“Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.” Revelation 12:12.
A great wrath and he will try to pull you into it. Do not be conformed to this world, but be TRANSFORMED by the renewal of your mind. Pour in My Word if you are into any of these negative emotions of the flesh.
“Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.” Ephesians 5:25-27. And you are a member of His body the Church, and Jesus cares for and nourishes His body. He invites to come to Him to be restored.
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.
It is wonderful to live free from offense, anger and bitterness. Jesus did though He had much opposition and rejection. Talk about offenses and insults! But He was focused on My Word and on His mission and nothing would hold Him back from the joy that lay before Him. He will show you the Way if you yield to the Spirit within you. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit.
Do not give the devil an opportunity to take you captive to do his will through your emotions.
“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 any place. Ephesians 4:25-27.
Be careful about getting angry about things people do and keeping it with you to the next day. I warn you about this, and it is one of the few things I actually warn you not to do to keep the devil out of your life. This is because I know how subtle a spirit anger is, it will often hide under self-righteousness and “principle.” But it is not. It is vicious and it is offensive to Me.
I would remind you of David. After he had sinned, at first he was not acknowledging it for what it was, so I sent My prophet Nathan to him to tell him a parable which I meant to reflect what David had done. David, when he heard the parable became furious, his anger burned greatly against the man in the parable, and not knowing it was a parable, wanted to find and punish the man, saying, “As the LORD lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die.” 2 Samuel 12:5. And what was Nathan’s reply? “You are the man!” 2 Samuel 12:7. Be careful about judging other people and declaring death over them.
My Word is truth and it sanctifies you and sets you apart as a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a consecrated people. Be faithful to My Word. Your gentle spirit should be seen by all. Jesus told you, “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:11-12. He did not tell you to express anger but to rejoice for you will be rewarded. And again, “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.” Matthew 5:21-22. Anger is a characteristic of the devil, just as lying is also.
Let Me share with you some of My Words in the Bible on the subject of anger.
“He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.” Proverbs 14:29.
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1.
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.
A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook a transgression. Proverbs 19:11.
Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood, but who can stand before jealousy? Proverbs 27:4.
Do not associate with a man given to anger; or go with a hot-tempered man, or you will learn his ways and take a snare for yourself. Proverbs 22:24-25.
For the churning of milk produces butter, and pressing the nose brings forth blood; so the churning of anger produces strife. Proverbs 30:33.
Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, for anger resides in the bosom of fools. Ecclesiastes 7:9.
Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things. So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting. Ecclesiastes 11:9-10.
Consider this one and if you are experiencing pain in your body, check your heart for grief and anger, your healing is as close as setting that aside and clearing your heart to receive. Anger is a form of unforgiveness, and by that you block your heart from receiving answers to your prayers.
“But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.” Colossians 3:8-10.
The devil has stepped up his attacks. You see many people angry today. They are like sheep without a shepherd as they wander the streets, enter shopping malls and stores, and even the schools, shouting angry words as loud as they can and throwing things or shooting guns with their minds totally gone, destroyed by the devil and his demons because there was no Word in their minds or hearts. Easy prey without My Word to the constant mental attacks of the devil. They do not uncover the enemy and think those thoughts are their own. That is why it is so important to get the Word into your children and your friends and neighbors.
Consider the following and you will understand:
“But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” James 1:19-20.
I want you to understand this. Your anger does not achieve justice or righteousness. It usually just ends up venting on everyone and making them and you miserable but does not correct anything. When Jesus overturned the money changers tables and drove the sheep and oxen out of the temple it does not say He was angry, it does not say He yelled, or hurt anyone. He just cleared out the temple and explained why. And when the Pharisees confronted him for his authority He answered in a very calm, prophetic, and perfect way. A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1.
Become a doer of My Word, take it seriously, “Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the Word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.” James 1:21-26.
I tell you to imitate Me as My dear children and walk in love. I am slow to anger. “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.” Psalm 103:8; Exodus 34:6; Psalm 86:15. But there is more. I give a promise to those who are in Christ Jesus. Why? It is sin and hardness of heart that anger Me. Unjust results and abuse are an abomination to Me. These cause My wrath to fall, but I took all your sins and lawlessness and I put all that on Him who had never sinned and He became your scapegoat and My wrath in full force fell on Him as on the burnt offering. And My justice, My divine anger, was satisfied and paid in full. He paid the ransom for all. And all those who choose to take Him as their Lord are justified and are shielded from the day My wrath will fall upon the earth on all godless men and women who have stayed under the jurisdiction of the devil and never taken their place under the jurisdiction of My Son.
But for you who know My Name, the Sun of Righteousness, the LORD your righteousness, as RISEN, and you are shielded and saved from the wrath to come. Like Moses in the cleft of the Rock, covered by My hand, as My majestic splendor passed by him. “You turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.” 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10.
“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:1-10.
Then you will say on that day, “I will give thanks to You, O LORD, for although You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me. Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.” Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation.. Isaiah 12:1-3.
But there is much more. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.” Romans 8:19. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. Hebrews 10:14. And the Holy Spirit also testifies to you that your sins and lawless deeds I remember no more. Hebrews 10:17.
But there is still more good news, for I have lavished My grace on you in Jesus. I made you a promise and I have kept it in Christ, “For this is like the days of Noah to Me, when I swore that the waters of Noah would not cross over the earth again; so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you nor will I rebuke you. For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, and My covenant of peace will not be shaken,” says the LORD who has compassion on you.” Isaiah 54:9-10. This is in the chapter following the prophecy of Isaiah about Jesus bearing the punishment for your sins as He bore in His body your sins and diseases. Isaiah 53. I have sworn not to be angry with you. Why? All your sins are gone, borne by My Son and punished. The sentence has been paid and divine justice more than satisfied. You are now a new creation in Christ, the past is gone and all things are new, and that is the way I see you in Christ.
So what is the answer to stop anger in your heart? The same as it was for Me: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ.” And again, “For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:3-7.
I sent Jesus to save you, not to judge you. He did not return insult for insult. He was not angry at the false accusations as He hung on the Cross. Why? For the joy that lay before Him of saving you, He despised the shame. He was shielding you from the wrath to come. Love covers a multitude of sins.
It is sin that angers but it is love that conquers. Jesus came, He conquered by taking your sins on Himself, and absolutely nothing is the same. Why? I raised Him from the dead with your sins gone as one new man. He spoke peace to all. The resurrection means everything. It means life never ends. It means you are to be with Me always in immortal glorified eternal bodies with no pain, death, shame or anger—just righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit as one united family of Mine, complete in spirit, soul, and body. I lose nothing that is Mine. I have sealed you in Jesus when you believed and He will raise you on the Last Day.
Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see Me. See to it that no one comes short of My grace; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled. Do you understand? Anger and wrath in your heart are ugly things, but the sinner holds them tight.
Put on the full armor that I give you and go after the unclean spirits of anger with a vengeance. And keep your helmet of Salvation on at all times. I am your strength and your song. Sing more and let offense go.
I have made you a promise, and all My promises are YES to you in Jesus, and that promise is NEVER to be angry with you. Now, I am asking you to make Me a promise, and I will help you keep it, but I am asking you to make it. It is this: Promise Me that you will never be angry again. Are you willing to obey? This life is very short and eternity is very long, without end. And you will not need to make that promise in Heaven, there is nothing harmful or offensive on My holy mountain. You need to make it now for this brief moment, which is your life on earth, to walk in victory and to please Me. Are you willing? If so, you will eat the best of the land.
And I will give you more incentive as well. I forgave you by the Blood of Jesus and that Blood was shed for all men. He paid the ransom for ALL. 1 Timothy 2:6. No one was excluded. He is the propitiation for your sins and not only for yours but for those of all people. I so loved the world I gave you Jesus so that all who believe will never perish but have eternal life. It is true that unless you receive Jesus as Lord you will die in your own sins, but it does not mean that salvation is not available and completed for you just because you refuse it. However, just as I have forgiven you in Christ, so you too must forgive others and yourself. If you refuse to forgive others you are telling Me the payment of My Son’s Blood is not enough for you to forgive. And the same standard with which you judge must be measured back to you. If it is not enough for you, then in your case it is not enough for Me and you are still in your sins. Now I think you understand My Son’s Words, “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you. Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.” Mark 11:24-26. Anger is nothing but a form of unforgiveness.
I love you. Have you made the promise? It will have great reward, here and hereafter. Note this day down if you made it. And tell it to Satan next time he shoots a fiery dart of offense, anger, or bitterness, and this can come in a variety of ways. It can just be a remark someone makes about your appearance, talent, singing voice, work, and a host of other things. You will be ready to check that thought before it burns into your soul. No branding by anything but the seal of the Holy Spirit. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger if it festers it will become a bitter root and will grow a poisonous tree producing the fruit of death to all your dreams and My good plans for your life too. Never forget who you are in Christ.