The Spirit of Anger
Robert Wurtz II
Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare (Proverbs 22:24-25 ESV).
A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression (Proverbs 29:22 ESV).
Wine causes mocking, and beer causes fights; everyone led astray by them lacks wisdom (Proverbs 20:1 ISV).
There are times when anger is a legitimate reaction to circumstances or behavior. When the religious leaders challenged Jesus because he healed people on the Sabbath day, He looked upon them angrily (Mark 3:5). There was no sin or compromise in His reaction. We could cite numerous examples of legitimate anger, but our passages above deal with another anger altogether.
A man of anger or a woman of anger, as in Proverbs 22:24-25, is a hothead. They are easily incensed, like a time bomb waiting to go off. Undoubtedly, their anger is earthly, sensual, and demonic (James 3:15). There is nothing natural about it. It is demonically inspired and designed to cause heartache, pain, and destruction. They yield themselves to anger, not knowing they are giving the devil a place in their life (Ephesians 4:26-27).
A “Free High”
Anger is a “free high” to some people, or so they have told me it is. A God-given emotion can become sorely abused and misused. I’ve known young men to subject themselves to raging and violent music. It’s almost like someone opened up an IV injection of hate and rage right into their soul. They attended concerts where they rage near the stage and slam into each other like raving lunatics. We used to call it slam-dancing in the 1980s.
I’ve known middle-aged men to read or listen to volatile news and commentary designed to stir outrage. They came to work and were already in a bad mood. Why? Listening to volatile programs all the way to work. They come in complaining about everything and don’t have the discernment to know they are yielding to demons and spreading their venom (Romans 3:13).
High-Strung
When I was a child, our family didn’t serve God or use Biblical terminology, so someone given to anger or rage was called “high-strung.” It didn’t take much to set them off. Sometimes, people do this foolishness for attention. They go around knocking things and slamming doors, so we all know they’re “mad.” Hearing them shooting off at the mouth or road raging wasn’t uncommon. Sadly, they were often over their heads and were beaten up by someone who didn’t tolerate or overlook them.
A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression (Proverbs 29:22 ESV).
Some people are angry and then look for a reason to be mad. Let that sink in. I call it a “spirit of faunching” or a “spirit of anger.” Their victimized family, always walking on eggshells, may know they are a walking time bomb, so they do everything possible not to set them off. But it’s useless. They come home from work, demonized, faunching around the house and looking for something to trigger them. What they need is rebuked, but usually, they do these things to people who are weak or passive.
Imagine someone getting angry at work or school and coming home that way. If they are given to anger and can’t discern their own emotions, they will pick a fight over something, anything, no matter how petty it is, to fuel the rage that started elsewhere when their boss yelled at them or if they didn’t get recognized for something they had done in class. This type of behavior is disgraceful and worthy of God’s judgment.
Don’t Be That Person
Proverbs 22:24 tells us not to befriend such people and do not go along with them. Why? They will rub off on you and may even expect you to be angry with them. They are angry and will also tell you things to make you angry. If you don’t get mad, they will get angry at you, too. Anger loves company.
What is worse is knowing your friend behaves this way, and you condone or play along with it. They don’t have to be rude or violent. Some people are what I call “passive-aggressive angry.” They never lose their temper. They move slowly and carefully but just as destructively. We become partakers of their transgressions when you and I see, tolerate, and participate in this behavior.
Alcohol and Anger
Wine causes mocking, and beer causes fights; everyone led astray by them lacks wisdom (Proverbs 20:1 ISV).
Have you ever heard the expression, “That was just the liquor talking?” God doesn’t believe that, nor does He excuse behavior done while intoxicated (1 Samuel 25:37-38). What happens when you mix alcohol with someone “high-strung” or “faunching?” Disaster!
But you don’t have to be drunk to behave like that. Angry people are angry for their own reasons, which can be intoxicating. Proverbs says this behavior causes many transgressions. Drunk people release their inhibitions and say and do things they ordinarily wouldn’t. So do people who are given to anger. Their behavior is destructive and contagious. Avoid them like a plague. If that’s you, repent before it’s too late.
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