The works of the flesh, which are a product of the sin nature residing in the flesh, are plainly seen in certain desires and actions. One of these works is an inner burning anger. Sometimes mistranslated as “wrath”, this is a work within a person that will produce all kinds of wrong actions because it holds their mind in anger so that they are not clearly thinking, but rather lash out in anger by both their words and deeds.
Inner burning anger has a very negative impact on other Christians and shows that the one caught in it is carnal. That is, not focusing on the things of God, but on the things of the flesh.
For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I desirously will, and also I shall be found by you such as you do not desirously will; lest strife, jealousies, inner burning anger, selfish ambitions, backbiting, whisperings, conceits, confusions – 2 Corinthians 12:20
We are to put away this type of attitude from us, putting off the old man
Let all bitterness, inner burning anger, wrath, clamor, and blasphemy be put away from you, with all wrong. – Ephesians 4:31
But now you yourselves are to put off all these: wrath, inner burning anger, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. – Colossians 3:8
Stop lying to one another, having stripped off the old man with its practices and put on as an outer garment the new man, the one being renewed unto the full experiential knowledge according to the image of its creator. – Colossians 3:9, 10
Anger is not sin; however, the sin nature can take our anger and misapplying it leading us to sin.
Be wrathful and do not sin, do not let the sun set on your indignation – Ephesians 4:26
When it comes to being angry because of the unrighteousness around us we need to be cautious not to allow that anger to fester within us. Yes, we should be wrathful against unrighteousness and hold those accountable who do such things, but at the same time not let that anger set down upon us. When this begins to happen, or if it has already happened to us and we find ourselves always in a state of being angry, we need to take the way of escape to have victory over our sin nature.
Remember, we have died with Christ and have been raised to walk in newness of life – Romans 6:4
Therefore, we have been buried with Him through the immersion into the death, in order that just as Christ was raised out from the dead through the proper opinion of the Father, thus also we in newness of life should walk.
We are no longer bound to obey the sin nature – Romans 6:6
experientially knowing this, that our old man was co-crucified in order that the body of the sin [nature] should be rendered ineffective, so that we are no longer slaves to the sin [nature].
We need to count this to be true – Romans 6:11
Thus also, you should reckon yourselves to be dead. On the one hand to be [dead] to the sin [nature], on the other hand living ones to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Then we need to use our members for righteousness, expressing our wrath and then letting it go – Romans 6:13
Neither present your members instruments of unrighteousness to the sin [nature], but present yourselves to God as out from the dead being living ones, and your members instruments of righteousness to God.
Don’t let anger control you. The only thing it is going to do is bind you up and make you carnal. As ones who are in Christ and free to live righteously, this is where our minds need to be focused. Yes, there is a time for anger, but it should not be allowed to fill our minds. Rather, let us set our minds on the things above and enjoy the peace and happiness we have in Christ.
