Sermon: I’m Angry God

Ephesians 4:26-27 and James 1:19-20

Jacob Anderson

May 3, 2026

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Pastor Jason Lowe is quoted as saying, “We live in a time when the slightest offense can lead to a social media firestorm. It’s a culture that moves swiftly to “cancel” those who fail to follow the shifting cultural norms of the day.”

 

Proverbs 14:17 “A quick-tempered person does foolish things.”

 

That perfectly defines those in our world today; they are quick to embrace anger, and even quicker to act foolishly, and violently.

 

Ecclesiastes 7:9 “Do not be eager in your spirit to be angry, for anger resides in the heart of fools.”

 

Do not look for a reason to be angry! There are plenty things in this world to make you angry, just don’t go looking for them. Instead seek peace in your life.

 

Galatians 5:19 – 21”Now the deeds of the flesh are obvious, 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”.

 

Paul calls “Outbursts of anger”, a work of the flesh, and then he goes on to say, “I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

 

“Is it wrong to be angry?”

 

Ephesians 4:26 – 27 “In your anger do not sin, do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”

 

We will get angry, it is inevitable, we are human, and as human’s we will never be perfect.

 

“In your anger, do not sin.”

 

Simply put, anger is not sin, but anger leads to sin.

 

Anger that is not dealt with, can fester in the heart and become resentment, rage, even hate.

 

Paul then says to the Ephesian church, “Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry.”

 

The longer you hold on to it, the harder it is to get rid of it.

 

Before you lay your head down and go to sleep, either confess your anger to God, or make amends with the person you are angry with.

 

“Do not give the devil a foothold.”

 

Even if you are a Christian, and you love Jesus with all your heart, if you allow anger to fester in your heart, then the devil can exert influence over you.

 

Romans 12:19 “Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God's wrath. For it is written: ‘Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.’”

 

If you feel anger in your heart, deal with it immediately, don’t hold onto it, don’t allow it take root inside of you, because if you do, then the Devil is one step closer to destroying your life.

 

James 1:19 – 20 “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”

 

James gives us three tools we can use to keep us from giving the devil a foothold in our life.

 

First, “Everyone should be quick to listen.”

 

Most angry feelings, are a result of misunderstandings.

 

We begin to think, I’m right and your wrong, I’m smart and you’re dumb, I’m good and you’re bad.

 

Second, James says, “Everyone should be slow to speak.”

 

Our mouths lead of us into more trouble than our feet ever have.

 

James 3:6,8 – 10 “The tongue is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of our life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. No man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, this should not be!”

 

James describes our mouths with some very strong terms; a fire, wicked, a pollutant, a restless evil, and full of deadly poison.

 

This is why we should be, “Quick to listen, and slow to speak.”

 

And here is James’ end game, “We should be slow to anger.”

 

What does James not say? He doesn’t say never get angry, but he says be slow to anger.

 

“Because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”

 

Did he say don’t get angry, no.

 

Did he say, anger doesn’t produce the righteousness that God desires, no.

 

Instead, he said, “HUMAN ANGER doesn’t produce the righteousness that God desires.”

 

Jesus was angry when he entered the temple and flipped the tables of the money changers, and made a whip and drove people out of the temple.

 

Why was Jesus’ anger righteous, but in most cases our anger is not, because Jesus’ anger was what I call righteous indignation. He was offended that people were defiling His Father’s house.

 

Human anger is about me, but righteous anger is about God.

 

Human anger puts my feelings first, but righteous anger puts God’s righteousness first.

 

The more we strive to be like Jesus, the more we will practice righteous anger, and forget the smaller trivial issues that may arise in our daily life.

 

Anger is not a sin, but anger leads to sin, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires in our life.

 

“In your anger do not sin, do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. For everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”