You have likely heard anger spoken of in two ways, carnal or sinful anger and righteous anger. Let’s put a fresh coat of paint on this subject. No more accurate than the old way (although somewhat more specific) but just a fresh way of looking at it. Doing this often wakes up a familiar subject in our minds.
Since this is the one we are not talking about, I want to begin with spirit anger. Spiritual anger, as the name implies, originates from a place within us that is connected to God and to good. It is often called righteous anger.
When you see the Paris Olympics mocking the Last Supper in a pagan way, the anger you experience qualifies. When you see a crippled or neurologically damaged child and, among other emotions, you are angered by the ravages of a fallen world... that too qualifies. But again, spiritual anger is not our subject today.
(If you have ever wondered if the anger you were feeling was sinful anger or righteous anger, here is a simple litmus test. You can go straight from spirit anger to prayer without having to begin with confessing and asking for fellowship cleansing. That’s because spirit anger is not a sin. Not so with sarx.)
I remember many years ago reading a study published when I was an undergrad. This study, the particulars long forgotten by me, asked adolescents to rank characteristics about their parents they wish were different.
The only specifics I remember about this study were the behaviors that made the top of the list. Two behaviors were virtually tied for #1: “I wish my parents would admit when they are wrong,” was one of the two. The other was “I wish my parents could control their anger.”
This is the anger I want us to look at. This is the anger associated with what the Bible calls our “flesh,” the fruit of our “old nature.”
When Scripture speaks to our flesh, the Greek word used throughout the New Testament is sarx (Greek = σάρξ). Sarx is an intriguing word which refers to our fallen human nature with all of its frailties and passions.
For example, when Paul tells us, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells,” he is talking about our sarx... our flesh... our natural state.
Sarx anger emanates from two related sources. Firstly, given that we are sinners, it will be selfish in some way. Secondly, since we are wounded sinners, it will be reactive, defensive in some way.
The book of Proverbs has a great deal to say about sarx anger. I want to share these with you. Together they form what we might called the syndrome of the sarx angry person.
We all know what it is to express sarx anger, because we all live in the sarx, the flesh. However, there is distinction between someone who commits the sin of sarx anger occasionally and someone who is characterized by it. Please keep this important distinction in mind.
That being said, here are 16 observations which make up the sarx angry syndrome, describing the chronically angry individual (all references are from the book of Proverbs):
It turns you into a reactionary
A fool’s wrath is known at once (12:16)
one who is quick-tempered displays folly (14:29)
“He has a short fuse.” “She has a quick temper.” These are the descriptors of a reactionary.
It is destructive
The words of the reckless pierce like swords (12:18)
Because sarx anger has an aggressive component.
We’ve been lied to. I’ve been hit with sticks and I’ve been hit with stones. Words hurt more.
It is self-deceptive
a fool is hotheaded and yet feels secure (14:16)
Sarx anger tells you that you are “standing up for yourself” when in reality you’re just coddling your ego.
It compromises self-control
but one who is quick-tempered displays folly (14:29)
wrath is like a flood (27:4b)
By dysregulating you emotionally, sarx anger leads to loss of control.
It generates conflict
a harsh word stirs up anger (15:1)
A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict (15:18)
Raging at someone is equivalent to slapping them. It results in them responding back in kind usually.
It wounds the recipient
a perverse tongue crushes the spirit (15:4)
wrath is cruel (27:4a)
Anger denigrates. In the words of Martin Buber, it treats the other person like an “it” and not a “thou.”
It is counterproductive
the rod of anger fails (22:8b)
Anger does not produce any positive outcome. Its fruit is always some kind of destruction.
It shows a lack of wisdom
The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger (19:11)
Realizing the damage to self and others from past anger builds wisdom in us as we learn it’s just never worth it.
It is addictive
A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty; rescue them, and you will have to do it again (19:19)
This is precisely why they have to be rescued “over and over.” Every episode reinforces the anger.
It makes one combative
but every fool is quick to quarrel (20:3)
Resident anger makes the fight mode of fight or flight a traveling companion through life.
It makes one petty
Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!” (20:22)
It is rare to find an angry individual who is good at forgiving.
It is unhealthy
Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles (21:23)
Anger is bad for both psychological and physical. When the soul is sick the body often cries out in pain.
It generates regret and guilt
He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow (22:8a)
A stone is heavy and sand is weighty, But a fool’s wrath is heavier than both of them. (27:3)
If bursting out in anger makes you feel better, you might be in need of a spiritual checkup.
It isolates you
Make no friendship with an angry man, And with a furious man do not go, Lest you learn his ways And set a snare for your soul (22:24-25)
No one craves the company of an angry person. Others may love you, but they won’t like you.
It exposes you to danger
Whoever has no rule over his own spirit Is like a city broken down, without walls (25:28)
Like a city without proper defenses, anger makes it possible for anyone and anything to “push your buttons.”
It makes one look foolish
A quick-tempered person does foolish things (14:17)
The emotion of sarx anger inevitably leads to behavioral displays that makes one look like a petulant child.
The biblical language is actually much stronger than that. “Fool” is the name throughout Proverbs for the person characterized by sarx anger, as the following verses show: 12:16, 14:16, 18:7, 20:3, and 29:11.
We are living in coarse days, dark days, turbulent times. Which means that aside from the inner sources of anger – our fallen and broken self – we daily face these outer sources. A vibrant, daily walk with Christ is our antidote for both sources.
But if you find that you carry with you the syndrome of sarx anger it would likely be helpful to you, not to mention your family and friends, if you explored the cause of this syndrome with a trusted professional.
Christians Who Thrive brings together timeless biblical truths with psychological wisdom that equip you to replace the pain and frustration you now carry with personal, spiritual, and relational experiences you long for. ©2026 Growth Resources LLC | Christians Who Thrive. All Rights Reserved.
😔 This message was for me today. It is so clear and so convicting. (I’ve been wrestling with an issue since last Sunday. An argument between me and another woman. I’d done the right thing, at least at first. I stood up for the defenseless and spoke truth. But then I kept going. I got angry. I defended myself. It weighed on me that night and all week; I’ve been weary and exhausted. Even as the Holy Spirit has nudged me to apologize, I keep asking, “For what?” Now I know.) Thank you for sharing this in such a compelling way.
This is cleanly laid out! Thanks for this, Mike & Susan.