To overcome anger you must get to the source of your anger. Whenever you are hurt or offended by someone, you are immediately tested as a Christian, and the war for your soul is vicious. You can surrender ground to Satan’s control, or resist the devil and he will flee from you. You surrender part of your soul [mind, will and emotions] whenever you respond to people or God in bitterness, greed, or in immorality. “Don't go to bed angry. Don't give the Devil that kind of footholdin your life. Did you used to make ends meet by stealing?Well, no more! Get an honest job so that you can help others who can't work. Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth.Say only what helps, each word a gift. Don't grieve God. Don't break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don't take such a gift for granted. Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk.Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one anotheras quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.” (Eph 4:26-32 from THE MESSAGE) Strongholds will quickly be built!

Remember, strongholds are false ideas excusing or justifying your actions. 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 AMP states: “For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, 5[Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed one), 6 Being in readiness to punish every [insubordinate for his] disobedience, when your own submission and obedience [as a church] are fully secured and complete.”

Let’s use David, the famous king of Israel as an example. Before he became king, King Saul did everything to stop him from succeeding him. While David hid and wandered throughout the land avoiding Saul’s army, his followers were always short of supplies. David was desperate, and happened upon a rich man named Nabal. This man had many flocks and David gave ground to Satan through his greed for this man’s sheep and supplies. Foolishly David broke God’s law by coveting Nabal’s property, and committed the sin of idolatry by expecting supplies from Nabal rather than trusting God to provide for him. Instead David took it upon himself to protect Nabal, without Nabal hiring him, and then demanding payment for his services. When Nabal refused, David was angry and bitter! In a rage he followed his false idea that he could take by force what he thought was rightfully his. This stronghold consumed him and he was on the path to murder Nabal. Abigail, Nabal’s wife came before David and gave him what he wanted. But, this left the stronghold in David’s mind.

Skip forward in time to David being king of Israel. His troops were away battling their enemies and King David looked out over his city and saw one of his subjects taking a bath. Still believing he could take what is his by force, David decided he had the right to take this beautiful woman as his prize. While he broke many of God’s laws [do not covet your neighbor’s wife, do not commit adultery, and do not steal], he even murdered Uriah to cover the fact his wife was pregnant by David. His iniquity was great!

A year after this fiasco, Nathan the prophet went to David telling him an evil man stole someone’s sheep. David flew off the handle and in an angry outburst ordered this man killed. David knew that the Law only required a sheep thief to pay back four times the amount of loss. David was an angry man because under the surface an accumulation of guilt built up inside David. He was harsh and out of control, a sure sign of an anger problem [remember Part 1].

When bitterness and wrath take hold of you it becomes a bigger problem than you are. You can resolve to control your temper but it will not work. You may feel sorrow and guilty, but that alone will not remove this stronghold. You may beg the one you offended to forgive you, but that will not free you from anger.

Now you will have to get very serious about your problem. First take responsibility for your anger. Stop justifying, explaining, or blaming others for your anger. Anger is far deeper than a soul problem [mind, will and emotions], it is a spiritual problem. Remember, the “fruit of the Spirit is... self-control…” “For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart [Heb 4:12 AMP]”

Further we are instructed to “Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind) [Eph 4:31 AMP]. Therefore anger is wrong and must be stopped completely. Now here is where the true test of spiritual life is proven. The Spirit of God gives grace[desire and power to do God’s will]. If you are born again this is not an impossible feat. If you do not have God’s power within, you are enslaved to your lust, bitterness, and greed.Right now, you can be honest and admit your sins, beg God for forgiveness, and turn from all disobedience. Become His slave and follow Jesus Christ as your ruler.

Now to help see how wrong anger is, take a look through the eyes of those you have hurt through your anger. Ask them how they felt when you exploded at them. Let them explain their hurts from your sharp words, raised voice and the feelings of rejection. Obviously, you need to humbly ask them for forgiveness with no excuses or blame.

Next, you must realize that when anger comes it is an emotion that is sounding an alarm of past guilt.You are being warned to correct a wrong response that you made in the past. “When angry, do not sin; do not ever let your wrath (your exasperation, your fury or indignation) last until the sun goes down” [Eph 4:26 AMP]. As God warns, do not allow your anger to stir you up into doing evil; correct your response before you even sleep! If you are not careful, new strongholds will be created such as, “He/she will never change, and the only answer is divorce!” There is a different way, God’s way!

Now when the alarm sounds, act quickly! When someone steals your reputation by slandering you, and you get angry, quickly think back to when you spoke ill of someone. That guilt was quietly building up inside your mind and spirit. When your time is stolen by someone who keeps you waiting, and while you are still angry, stop and remember if you have stolen time from your boss at work by not doing your job. When someone fails to show you respect, ask yourself, did I show my parents respect and honor, regardless of what they did or did not do? As you can see, your past is haunting you. You must go back and clear your conscience completely. By making a list of all the people you offended and then going to them admitting your wrong attitudes, words, and actions. This will benefit you and them. Humbly ask them to forgive you and never blame them for anything!

The next thing to understand is “iniquity.” This is the way we express our self-will in contrast to God’s will and ways. Our parents pass on to us their ways or iniquity through our cultural upbringing and way of thinking. Our iniquities are so engrained in us that we cannot see the problem with our self-willed way of life. It is our culture and family traits. For example, racial prejudice is passed on by parents to children. Anger and hatred are passed on from previous generations [See Exodus 20:5-6]. Therefore you must acknowledge the iniquity of your forefathers to be freed from certain anger building up tension inside you today. Confess the sins of your fathers and renounce the same evil that you have embraced from them.

Now regain the ground of your soul [mind, will and emotions] that you gave over to Satan through your iniquity and your forefathers sins. Will power will not free you from this anger. Paul warned, “...we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities…” Every time the sun goes down and you held your bitterness and wrath you have given Satan the legal right to torment your soul. You will see the destructive emotions of depression, oppressive habits, phobias [fears], etc. controlling you.

First confess your sins that have caused your anger! So start by forgiving any person who you blame that has caused you your pain. The tormenting emotions that you have gained through your sin are God’s punishment. “’Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”[Matt 18:33-35 (NLT)] Now, go back and confess your past sins that have caused your build up of guilt. This is the only way to put away your anger. Next, remember any sin makes you deserving of God’s eternal wrath. Therefore, claim and accept Christ’s blood sacrifice for your crimes. He willfully died in your place. The Bible says, “They [Christians] overcame him [the devil] by the blood of the Lamb [Jesus], and by the word of their testimony…” [Rev. 12:11]. Now legally Satan has no right over you, and you must ask God to take control and drive Satan from your soul. You need God’s wisdom to pull down the false ideas that Satan used against you. The steps are:

1. Confess each sin that God reminds you of [1 John 1:9]

2. Claim the blood of Christ for your cleansing [1 Peter 1:18-19]

3. Ask God [verbally] to regain your lost ground [Psalm 23:3]

4. Tear down strongholds with truth [2 Corinthians 10:4-5]

5. Transform your thinking with [truth] God’s Word [Romans 12:2]

6. Completely forgive those who have offended you [Matthew 6:10-15]

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