The wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God (James 1:20), yet many people like to quot, be be angry and sin not, to justify their so-called righteous indignation, which is often not righteous anger at all. Instead, it is an excuse to fulfill the lust of the flesh.

When the scripture says, be angry and sin not, it is not a proof text to justify being angry. Instead it is an exhortation to get over our anger quickly and that is why the scripture says, “let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil.”

Anger that goes unchecked will open to the door to the devil and give him access into our lives. Being angry is not a virtue. Having the grace to get over it quickly is. When we continue in anger it will lead us into sin and that is why the scriptures exhorts us to do the following:

Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and WRATH, and ANGER, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:30-32)

Notice in the verses above, anger and wrath, are associated with bitterness and is listed among things which grieve the Holy Spirit of God.

In Colossians 3 anger is spoken of in view of the old nature that we are to put off.

But now ye also put off all these; ANGER, WRATH, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him… (Colossians 3:8-10)

Playing the righteous indignation card (as most of us have) is no excuse for treating people unkindly because the wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God.

Och Hallelujah!