Question: Please discuss Ephesians 4:26. Can saints be angry and be clear in it?
Answer: Ephesians 4:26 says, “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.”
The very wording of this text implies that anger is something not to be tampered with or to take lightly. It indicates that sin is at the door wherever anger is.
Weymouth’s Translation says: “If angry, beware of sinning.”
Williams’ Translation says: “If you do get angry, you must stop sinning in your anger.”
Knox’s Translation says: “Do not let resentment lead you into sin.”
Ephesians 4:26b says, “Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.”
Knox’s Translation says: “Never go to bed angry.”
The New English Bible says: “Do not let the sunset find you still nursing it.”
This all sums up the fact that it is very needful for the saints to pray out from under their hurts, wounds, bruises, agitated feelings, “disgust” and all unholy and improper tendencies, dispositions, and attitudes, and to do it quickly. It is a certain fact that if we do not do this and allow those things to linger, they will produce roots of bitterness and result in sin in our hearts.
When discussing a word or given phrase or principle connected with a particular dominant word, we must endeavor first to discover the varied meaning of that word.
Anger is defined in the World Book Dictionary of which Clarence L. Barnhart is Editor in Chief, as the feeling one has toward something or someone that hurts, opposes, offends, or annoys; strong displeasure. Another definition which is classified as obsolete is “grief, trouble.”
Webster’s Dictionary of Synonyms defines anger as denoting the emotional excitement induced by intense displeasure. It refers only to the emotional reaction; the word itself suggests no definite degree of intensity and carries no necessary implication of outward manifestation.
Ire is given as a synonym of anger. It suggests greater intensity than anger, unqualified, and usually, but not necessarily, a display of that feeling in looks, acts or words.
Rage is another synonym. It adds to anger the implications of lost self-control and of violent boiling over of feeling; it often connotes a sense of frustration, or temporary derangement of the mind, or determination to get revenge.
Fury is another synonym. It indicates overmastering destructive rage verging on madness.
Indignation is another synonym. It implies depth and intensity of anger, often righteous or generous anger, aroused by that which one considers mean, shameful, or otherwise unworthy of a man or men.
Wrath is another synonym. It may imply either rage or indignation as its emotional basis; but in addition to either of these, it also often implies a grievance and a desire or intent to avenge or punish, or to get revenge.
In Romans 12:19-21 we read, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” We see here that where one’s anger runs into some of these unholy tendencies and reaches the point of frustration, vengeance or desire for revenge or to see one punished; it is already out of bounds for a Christian and running into sin. We are instructed here to just keep our hands off and let God have His way in the execution of vengeance upon evil doers. But as for us, we are to show kindness and do good unto our enemies and just let God decide who deserves vengeance and to what extent.
Phillip’s Translation says: “Never take vengeance into your own hands, my dear friends.”
Moffit’s Translation says: “But let the wrath of God have its way.”
Goodspeed’s Translation says: “But leave room for God’s anger.”
Montgomery’s Translation (The New Testament in Modern English) says: “But leave the field clear for God’s wrath.”
Knox’s Translation says: “Allow retribution to run its course.”
All of this makes it clear that there is a line beyond which Christian people must not go, and to go beyond that line is certainly sin. Also, we can stand in the way and hinder God in executing judgment on evil doers by taking things into our own hands and executing vengeance upon an individual in our own behalf. What we should do in such cases is follow the example of our Master and commit ourselves into the hands of Him who judgeth righteously I Peter 2:23.
However, in all the various degrees of anger and the different definitions of the word anger, there is a place for saints to exercise anger and we would not be worth much to the cause of God and right without it. But we are admonished in the text to be careful in such cases not to go beyond that range of anger that is suitable for saints and give place to the devil and run into sin.
Again the World Book Dictionary draws a distinction in the use of the term angry. 1. When the angry feeling is stressed, and 2. When the directing of the anger upon a person is stressed. This is an important difference in this discussion.
One may feel highly displeased and deeply grieved and much troubled (angry) over some meanness, injustice, harshness, or cruelty in word or action by one person toward another. This would be justifiable and we should feel grieved and displeased (angry) at those things. One would not be worth much to God who would not be exercised in grief and displeasure by such things. But when one turns this same disposition toward the individual who did the wrong and burns in their resentment and anger toward the person until wrath is kindled and we desire to see him punished or vengeance executed upon him; that is a destructive anger and we should rise up in opposition to it and cast it from us before it be our ruin.
In Proverbs 24:17-18, we read, “Rejoice not when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles or is overthrown; lest the Lord see it, and it be evil in His eyes and displeases Him, and He turn away His wrath from him (to expend it upon you, the worse offender) ” Amplified Bible. Adam Clarke says this appears to be the sense of this text and also quotes another eminent authority, Cloverdale, as applying it in the same way. so, it appears evident that we can hinder the execution of judgment and vengeance by God Himself and even bring judgment upon ourselves by holding a wrong attitude toward any person. An anger of this kind will breed malice and bitterness which are strongly condemned by God’s Word.
Some may say, “I have a righteous indignation against the principle of the thing but not toward any person.” Well, good. That is right and justifiable. But let us apply a little test to that and see. If it is the principle of the thing you are offended at, you will feel just as grieved and hurt (angry) when you see some mean or unjust thing done to another person as if that thing were done to you. But if you can see someone do a mean or unjust thing to another person and just pass it off and say, “I am not going to meddle with anything that does not concern me,” then let someone do the same thing to you and get all agitated about it, upset, and your peace disturbed; that is just your feeling sorry for yourself. It is not the principle or thing at all, but this is ME and they just ought not to do ME this way.
In conclusion, let us summarize. It seems certain from the Scriptures that there is a certain kind of anger that is justifiable and we could not be true to right principles without being stirred at certain things in certain ways.
In Mark 3:5, we read of Jesus, “…When He had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts,…” Here Jesus had anger. But we could never imagine His having carnal resentment and behaving according to the way some humans do when they become angry. Just try to imagine His getting red in the face, shouting obscenities at the people, and throwing His hands around and threatening the people. We could not even imagine such a thing. His anger in this case consisted in His being grieved, or hurt, at the hardness of their heart, obstinacy and unbelief. This should affect all of us in the same way.
In Colossians 3:8, we are commanded to “put off anger, wrath, and malice.”
Ephesians 4:31 says, “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger be put away from you.”
Ephesians 4:27 is the finish or conclusion of verse 26. It says “Neither give place to the devil.”
The 20th Century New Testament says, “And give no opportunity to the devil.”
Goodspeed’s Translation says, “You must not give the devil a chance.”
Phillip’s Translation says, “Don’t give the devil that sort of foothold.”
The New English Bible says, “Leave no loop-hole for the devil.”
If we allow the sparks of displeasure, anger, and indignation to linger in our hearts and minds and smolder there until some circumstance or provocation fans them into a flame, we certainly are giving place to the devil; and sin lieth at the door and will rise up and take us and cause us to act or speak in unkind, bitter and hurtful ways. The only safe way for us is to commit our ways unto God and pray out from under our hurts, wounds, and offenses quickly; cast out all anger and have victory over every unkind feeling and thought toward any person. Our attitude must be love toward all men including our enemies. But at the same time we are to have and hold a resentment and anger toward the devil and all of his works.
