Written by Tracy Figley | CEO Strong Tower Christian Media
When I’m driving down the road in a hurry, which is typically the case, and someone pulls right out in front of me and goes two (mph), I get angry. I like to think of it as righteous indignation but my wife reminds me, it’s much closer to road rage! The term “righteous anger” is found once in the Bible, Romans 12:19 but it is only associated with God. So, what is righteous indignation or anger? It’s not selfish anger or anger due to inconvenience, like I experience in the car.
But according to scripture, it is possible for Christians to practice it. In Ephesians 4:26 we read: And don’t sin by letting anger control you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry. Then James 1:20 states: Human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.
It seems like the key to righteous indignation is found in my motives. Why am I angry? And the object of my anger. Is it something that makes God angry as well? In the Ephesians 4 passage, I find that it is possible to be angry without sinning but I can’t hold on to that anger.
We know that God is angry at evil! Often times it destroys the people that He created and loves. So, when I look at the object of my anger, is it the people who are doing evil or is it the source of that evil?
The comedian Flip Wilson coined the phrase “the devil made me do it” and while that statement may be true, Flip said it to avoid accountability. I am accountable for what I say and do but, if I’m going to be angry with evil I need to focus that anger on the source, and sometimes I can forget that.
Ephesians 6:12 reminds me; For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies. But against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
Satan loves it when we believe that another person is the enemy. Then we fight with each other and he can stoke the anger from the shadows. I want to quit doing that and expose him as the source of the evil actions and the true enemy of God and His children.
