{"id":3135,"date":"2025-04-29T09:25:21","date_gmt":"2025-04-29T09:25:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thementoringproject.com\/?post_type=field_guides&p=3135"},"modified":"2026-05-15T10:48:46","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T10:48:46","slug":"freedom-from-anger","status":"publish","type":"field_guides","link":"https:\/\/thementoringproject.com\/fa\/field-guide\/freedom-from-anger\/","title":{"rendered":"#25 Anger in the Bible \u2014 How to Break Free and Find True Peace"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Part I: Understanding Your Anger<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Unmasking Your Anger<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Most of us see anger in one dimension: explosive, verbally attacking, and sometimes violent. But anger can wear many faces. It might be quiet and withdrawn, pouty and sulking. It can manifest as boundless and productive energy or be loud and obnoxious. To how to overcome anger biblically, we must first unmask it. So how can you know if you\u2019re prone to anger?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might be angry if, when you think of a particular person, you engage in mental arguments with them (which, of course, you always win) or focus on their less flattering qualities. This is often how we show to deal with hidden anger and resentment\u2014by letting it simmer in the mind. When you see them in person, you work hard to avoid them, always in an under-the-radar way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might be angry if you manifest certain physical symptoms, like migraines, gastrointestinal disorders, insomnia, or depression. There is a strong link between hurt and anger, and when it is suppressed, it often leaks out through the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might be angry if your productivity has fallen off or you have trouble concentrating even on simple tasks. This is a clear sign of how anger affects your spiritual life and mental focus. You might be angry if you\u2019re short with others (my wife calls it \u201cflaring\u201d) or are generally impatient with life\u2019s twists and turns. You might be angry if little children of any sort \u2014 your kids, grandkids, church kids \u2014 are a constant source of irritation. You might be angry if the quirks of others and especially your spouse\u2019s seem constantly vexing and produce predictable grumbling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, anger has many masks. So the first order of business is exposure, for it\u2019s impossible to treat a disease if you don\u2019t recognize the symptoms and the root causes of anger in the Bible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Classifying Your Anger<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Having unmasked our anger, we\u2019re ready to classify it, for not all anger is equal. There\u2019s a profound difference between righteous anger and sinful anger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God has made us with numerous emotions and affections \u2014 joy and sadness, love and hate, jealousy, passion, anger, fear. There are sinful and nonsinful versions of each one. People are often fearful without being sinful, but if it reflects a lapse in one\u2019s trust in God and becomes paralyzing and prevents one from doing one\u2019s duty, now it\u2019s sin. The Scripture enjoins us, \u201cBe angry and [yet] do not sin\u201d (Eph. 4:26). Clearly, anger in the Bible is not always viewed as inherently evil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, righteous anger is the proper response to all that is evil. Indeed, Phinehas was commended by God for his righteous indignation when he stopped the plague by impaling the Simeonite and his Midianite lover (Num. 25:1\u201315). Likewise, Samuel displayed righteous anger over Saul\u2019s refusal to obey the Lord and destroy the Amalekites when Samuel hacked to death Agag, king of the Amalekites (1 Sam. 15:32\u201333).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the chief apologetic for the existence of non-sinful anger is God himself. What does the Bible say about anger regarding the Divine? Scripture often speaks of God\u2019s wrath in punishing the wicked. And Jesus cleansing the temple: an example of righteous anger (Mark 11:15\u201319) shows us that anger can be motivated by a zeal for God’s holiness. Indeed, when Jesus returns, the wicked will hide \u201cthemselves \u2026 calling to the mountains and the rocks, \u2018Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?\u2019\u201d (Rev. 6:15\u201317).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it is possible to be angry and yet not sin, when does anger cross the line? When does it overflow its banks and wreak havoc both on others and on one\u2019s own soul?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sinful anger is anger that results in attitudes and actions contrary to the law of love, the second great commandment. Colossians 3:8 says, \u201cBut now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.\u201d Clearly, Scripture is talking about sinful anger by virtue of anger\u2019s associates \u2014 malice, slander, obscene talk. Ephesians 4:31 adds bitterness and clamor; all are grievous to the role of the Holy Spirit in controlling anger (Eph. 4:30). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Addressing Your Anger<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

So sinful anger harms our relationship with God and others. But isn\u2019t anger as common as a snowy day in Vermont? Do we really need to be concerned about little daily fits of anger? Is anger a sin that requires immediate attention?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Absolutely! Anger must be addressed thoroughly and quickly. Here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, Scripture gives dire and frequent warnings regarding sinful anger. The \u201cworks of the flesh\u201d include \u201cenmity, strife, jealousy, [and] fits of anger,\u201d and \u201cthose who [practice] such things will not inherit the kingdom of God\u201d (Gal. 5:20\u201321).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

James, writing to the churches to help them distinguish true faith from devil faith, admonishes them to \u201cbe quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God (James 1:19\u201320). This provides a foundational Christian anger management technique: listening more than speaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus also makes it clear in the Sermon on the Mount that unchecked anger breaks the sixth commandment, which prohibits murder: \u201cYou have heard that it was said to those of old, \u2018You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.\u2019 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, \u2018You fool!\u2019 will be liable to the hell of fire\u201d (Matt. 5:21\u201322).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anger is nothing to smirk at. Consider Cain and Abel: the danger of unchecked anger; it led directly to the first murder. A lifestyle of habitual anger marks even the most earnest professing believer as possessing devil faith and subject to God\u2019s eternal wrath. If your life is characterized by anger, you need to dial 911, for \u201cit is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God\u201d (Heb. 10:32).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But anger is often a besetting sin even for true believers. Why declare war on it? Because unchecked anger is a river overflowing its banks. James describes the angry tongue as \u201ca restless evil, full of deadly poison\u201d (James 3:8). When sinful anger fills the heart, \u201cmalice, slander and obscene talk\u201d invariably fill the mouth (Col. 3:8).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So sinful anger is a threat to your soul and a danger to your relationships. It must be taken seriously and addressed vigorously. That everyone occasionally loses their temper is no excuse for giving anger a pass. Finding freedom from chronic anger as christian requires a commitment to change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The good news is that it can be overcome. In fact, for the believer, it is being progressively overcome from one degree of glory to another (2 Cor. 3:18). But how? How to react to provocation as a Christian and overcoming a hot temper with God’s help are the next steps. In the next section, we\u2019ll consider four critical components to overcoming anger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discussion & Reflection:<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. How does this section shed light on your understanding of your own anger?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. In what situations do you find yourself most angry?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. What is the thing you get most angry about?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    \u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Part II: Can You Overcome Your Anger?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Power for Overcoming Anger<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    The power of God is necessary in all matters related to holiness, and our struggle with the sin of anger is no exception. But what is the source of that power? How does God communicate this power to hapless, helpless sinners like us? And what is the promised result of having God\u2019s power in our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Gospel: The Source of God\u2019s Power<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Romans 1:16 says, \u201cFor I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.\u201d The gospel is the power of God for salvation, for holiness, for overcoming the sin of anger, for everyone who believes. How does that work? Let\u2019s look to Romans 6:1\u20137 for the answer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
    <\/div>\n\n\n\n
    \n

    What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For the one who has died has been set free from sin.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Paul is saying that if you are a believer, you were united to Jesus in his sin-killing death by faith alone. This union with Jesus in his death is the best assurance that one day you will be united with him in his resurrection. But how were you united?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Holy Spirit: The Instrument of God\u2019s Power<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    When you came to Christ, an amazing thing happened. God\u2019s Spirit joined you to Christ in his death. He gave you a new heart. Specifically, he circumcised your old heart by removing the foreskin of sin that formerly dwelt there and controlled your heart (Rom. 2:25\u201329), and he empowered your new heart by inscribing God\u2019s law upon it, enabling you to walk in its statutes, albeit imperfectly (Ezek. 36:26\u201327, Rom. 8:1\u20134, 2 Cor. 3:1\u20133, Heb. 8:10).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He filled you with himself and thus initiated the process of filling you completely with the Triune God at Christ\u2019s appearing (Acts 1:4\u20135, 2:4; 1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 3:15\u201319). And the role of the Holy Spirit in controlling anger begins here, as He is the downpayment for your future inheritance and union with Christ in his resurrection (Rom. 5:9\u201310, 6:5; Eph. 1:13\u201314).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So God\u2019s Spirit is the instrument of God\u2019s power, freeing you from sin\u2019s dominion: \u201cFor the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death\u201d (Rom. 8:2). This is how we begin finding freedom from chronic anger as christian. So what\u2019s the value of your union with Christ in his death by his Spirit? Sin\u2019s power over you has been broken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Read that again: sin\u2019s power over you has been broken! The old self was crucified (Rom. 6:6). Sin no longer has dominion, for the one who has died is freed from sin\u2019s power (Rom. 6:7). As Paul says, \u201cBut thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness\u201d (Rom. 6:17\u201318).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Freedom: The Result of God\u2019s Power<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    The work of Christ as revealed in the gospel is the source of God\u2019s power in you, and the Spirit of Christ, who joins us to Christ by faith, is its instrument. And the result? Freedom! Freedom from sin\u2019s suffocating dominion. Listen again to Romans 6, this time verses 12\u201314:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
    <\/div>\n\n\n\n
    \n

    Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Sin\u2019s reign has ended. Believers are now free \u2014 not to sin, but to present themselves and their members to God for righteousness. There\u2019s a new sheriff in town and his name is Jesus, God\u2019s Son, and when he sets a person free, that person is free indeed from sin\u2019s mastery (John 8:36). Hallelujah! This is the ultimate Biblical definition of anger-management: replacing the mastery of emotion with the mastery of Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Romans 8:12\u201313 says this of the Spirit\u2019s work: \u201cSo then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.\u201d Notice Romans 8:13 is not a commandment, but a description of the normal Christian life. All true believers are progressively, by God\u2019s Spirit, putting to death the deeds of the body because they are no longer debtors to the flesh. As Paul said earlier, believers are \u201cnot in the flesh but in the Spirit\u201d (Rom. 8:9), for \u201cthe mind that is set on the flesh \u2026 does not submit to God\u2019s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God\u201d (Rom. 8:7\u20138).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But there seems to be a catch. If Christ truly sets us free from sin\u2019s controlling power, how do we explain the Romans 7 \u201cbeliever\u201d who still appears to be enslaved in some way to his sin? If we\u2019re truly free to respond to life\u2019s twists and turns with joy and not anger, what do we do with Romans 7:13\u201325?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In these verses, Paul seems to be describing a believer\u2019s struggle with sin:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
    <\/div>\n\n\n\n
    \n

    For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. \u2026 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. \u2026 For I delight in the law of God. (Rom. 7:15, 18\u201319, 22).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

    If this man has been freed from sin, how do we explain his inability to resist the law of sin which indwells him (Rom. 7:20\u201321)? Is this not clear evidence that believers, even the great Apostle Paul, are still somehow enslaved to their sin?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    However, a closer examination of the passage reveals that the Apostle Paul is describing his life before<\/em> Christ. We see this first in Paul\u2019s own description of himself. Romans 7:14 says, \u201cFor we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.\u201d Surely one who has been redeemed from slavery to sin cannot be sold under it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Paul continues: \u201cI have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing\u201d (Rom. 7:18\u201319). He continues: \u201cFor I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members\u201d (Rom. 7:22\u201323). The Romans 7 man is consistently defeated by and enslaved to sin, marking him as unregenerate, which follows Romans 6:1\u201323, 7:1\u201312, 8:1\u201317 and texts like John 8:36.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We must also consider the main point of the passage. Paul is seeking to exonerate the law as the cause of his death and instead, place that charge squarely on sin. The question that introduces the passage \u2014 \u201cDid that which is good, then, bring death to me?\u201d (Rom. 7:13) \u2014 controls all that follows. Paul is inquiring as to the cause of the unbeliever\u2019s condemnation, not the struggle of the believer\u2019s sanctification. And his answer is crisp: Condemnation \u2014 spiritual death \u2014 was caused, not by the holy, righteous, and good law, but by indwelling sin. The passage has nothing to do with the believer except to explain his bondage to sin before Christ set him free. His pathetic cry as an unbeliever: \u201cWretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body of death?\u201d is answered by God: \u201cThanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!\u201d (Rom. 7:24). Jesus Christ through his Spirit sets the prisoner of sin free (Rom. 8:2).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So Romans 7:13\u201325 describes a person enslaved to sin and justly condemned to eternal death. This person was not in the Spirit, but still in the flesh, desperate for deliverance and thankful that Jesus through his Spirit has now set him free from the law of sin and death. Had Charles Wesley lived in apostolic times, no doubt the Romans 7 man would have exalted in his freedom from sin\u2019s power singing: \u201cLong my imprisoned spirit lay, fast bound in sin and nature\u2019s night; Thine eye diffused a quick\u2019ning ray\u2014I woke, the dungeon flamed with light. My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Yes, the power of Christ\u2019s gospel through the agency of God\u2019s Spirit has set the prisoner free, but the residue of sin is strong. Like the odor of a dead skunk lying in the road, that sin, including sinful anger, stinks to high heaven. In the next section, we\u2019ll consider how to overcome anger biblically by looking at practical steps you can take to mortify sin\u2019s presence and dissipate its awful stench. This is the path of overcoming a hot temper with God’s help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Discussion & Reflection:<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    1. Did any of the above material challenge your view of anger \u2014 or any sin \u2014 in your life?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Can you articulate in your own words why you have hope for overcoming sin? <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      \u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Part III: Steps to Overcoming Anger<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      You are a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). You can confidently battle sin, for God \u201cis able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think \u2026 according to the power at work within us\u201d (Eph. 3:20). Praise God!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      But we still need to wield that power. Here are five practical steps to take in battling sin:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      1. Perceive your sinless Savior<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. Process non-sinful anger<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      3. Put off sinful anger<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      4. Put on love<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      5. Prepare for ongoing struggle<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        Step 1: Perceive Your Sinless Savior (2 Cor. 3:18)<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

        This first step, the most important of the five, centers on the affections. Jonathan Edwards defined affections as \u201cthe vigorous inclinations of the soul.\u201d In 1746, in his magnum opus, Religious Affections<\/em>, Edwards asserted that, \u201ctrue religion, in great part, consists in the affections,\u201d rather than consisting mainly in the understanding. Today, we might say that real Christianity or true conversion consists mainly in the heart, not the head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Thomas Chalmers, the great Scottish preacher who lived nearly a century after Edwards, preached on \u201cThe Expulsive Power of a New Affection.\u201d In that sermon, Chalmers explains the process for overcoming worldliness: \u201cYou have all heard that Nature abhors a vacuum. Such at least is the nature of the heart; [it] cannot be left void without the pain of most intolerable suffering. \u2026 The love of the world cannot be expunged by a mere demonstration of the world\u2019s worthlessness. But may it not be supplanted by the love of that which is more worthy than itself? \u2026 [T]he only way to dispossess [the heart] of an old affection is by the expulsive power of a new one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        What is that new affection? It\u2019s a vigorous inclination for the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Thus, the first step in how to overcome anger biblically is to engage this new affection for Christ by applying the spiritual freedom we now possess. And what does that look like, engaging the new affection, applying that spiritual freedom?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n

        Behold Christ\u2019s Beauty (Ps. 27:4, 2 Cor. 3:12\u201318, Col. 3:2, Heb. 12:2)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u201cOne thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to [behold] the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in his temple\u201d (Ps. 27:4).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

        We were created to love and honor and worship our Creator. But something happened: sin. When Adam sinned, all of humanity was plunged into sin with its moral impotence, unable to worship or even see God. This is among the root causes of anger in the Bible\u2014a heart disconnected from its Creator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        But the gospel of Jesus Christ changed all that. Second Corinthians 3:12\u2013 18 describes our liberation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
        <\/div>\n\n\n\n
        \n

        Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

        In other words, \u201cI once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.\u201d Where the Spirit is, there is freedom to behold God in the person of his Son; freedom to fix our eyes on Jesus (Heb. 12:2); freedom to set our affections on things above (Col. 3:2). Though \u201cwe [still] see in a mirror dimly (1 Cor. 13:12),\u201d our vision has been sufficiently restored so that we can behold Christ with eyes of faith and worship our great Triune God through him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        So how do we behold him? This could be a field guide by itself. We behold him in creation, since all things were made through him; we behold him in the church, since all believers are indwelt by him; and most importantly, we behold him in the Scriptures, since all the biblical authors wrote of him (John 5:39\u201346). We behold Christ most clearly and comprehensively in his Word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
        \n

        Be Transformed into God\u2019s Image (Rom. 12:2, 2 Cor. 3:18, Col. 3:10)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

        We become what we behold, or as Greg Beale put it: we become what we worship.\u00b9 Beholding Christ, who is the radiance of God\u2019s glory, results in \u201cbeing transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another\u201d by the power of his indwelling Spirit (2 Cor. 3:17\u201318). Renewing our minds by setting them on the things above \u2014 principally God\u2019s Son \u2014 produces transformation into the image of our glorious creator (Rom. 12:2; Col. 3:2, 10). Gazing at Christ, our new affection, is the biblical formula for expelling sinful anger and putting love in its place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        But how does gazing at Christ practically help us with our anger? Two ways. First, as we behold our sinless Savior, we see righteous anger on display as we noted earlier. Jesus was tempted in all things as we are, Hebrews 4 reminds us, yet without sin. When we perceive his character, seeing the beauty of being angry yet without sin, we begin to move in that direction. We\u2019re being transformed into his lovely image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Second, as we behold our beautiful Savior, we are confronted with his desperation, voiced in his prayers to God for deliverance: \u201cIn the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence\u201d (Heb. 5:7). Perceiving, gazing, and beholding Christ leads us to a state of increasing desperation. Obviously, if Jesus was desperate for deliverance, how much more should that be true of us? So we learn how to pray when you feel angry, groaning for deliverance from sin\u2019s presence, which includes our sinful anger (Rom. 8:23).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Step 2: Process Non-Sinful Anger (Eph. 4:26\u201327)<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

        Anger is unstable. It\u2019s like spiritual nitroglycerin in the devil\u2019s hands. And often, timing is the only thing that separates sinful from non-sinful anger, since non-sinful anger can fester quickly. Thus the apostle\u2019s plea: \u201cBe angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger\u2026\u201d (Eph. 4:26).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        When Sue and I were first married I was working at mortifying my besetting sin of anger. I was greatly helped by a verse I was studying during our first summer of marriage. Colossians 3:19 says: \u201cHusbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.\u201d I knew that my harshness with her was a symptom of my anger toward her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        So Sue and I made a pact. We determined that we would not go to bed angry at one another. Not infrequently, we\u2019d be up late identifying any anger in the relationship. This is a vital Christian anger management technique. If it hadn\u2019t already turned sinful, we would address it quickly per Ephesians 4:26 before it turned toxic. If it had already turned, we would proceed to mortify it following step three below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        In the moment, you may not know if the anger is sinful or neutral. The point is you can\u2019t mess around with anger, even unmistakably righteous anger. Like swinging a golf club or preparing a feast, when it comes to anger, timing is everything. You must develop a sense of urgency to address anger, if possible, before it turns sinful and poisons both the relationship and how anger affects your spiritual life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Step 3: Put Off Sinful Anger (Col. 3:5\u20138)<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

        Putting off sinful anger is a more complicated process. You must first mortify the sinful anger itself, then seek to uncover and mortify the source(s) of that sinful anger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Mortify Anger Itself<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The first step to mortifying anger can \u2014 and should \u2014 be done fairly quickly, because anger festers very quickly. There are three components to mortify sinful anger: own it, confess it, and kill it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        1. Own It (Ps. 51:4)<\/strong> The various twelve step programs have one thing in common: A breakthrough occurs when the person finally stands in front of the group and owns his condition. The same is true with sin. The first step in mortifying your sinful anger is to own it: \u201cHello, my name is _______, and I\u2019m angry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        When it comes to owning sin, Psalm 51:4 has always spoken to me in a powerful way. By any reckoning, David committed some of the most heinous sins one can commit against another, including adultery and murder. In response to Nathan\u2019s rebuke (2 Sam. 12), David fully owns his sin. That ownership has two distinct aspects. First, he acknowledges that his sin was ultimately against God. What makes sin so utterly sinful is that it rebels against that which is so holy and beautiful. In Psalm 51:4a David says, \u201cAgainst you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.\u201d David saw God\u2019s judgment against him as just because David took full responsibility for his sin. This is the Biblical definition of anger-ownership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        2. Confess It (Matt. 6:12, James 5:16)<\/strong> Once anger is fully owned, it must be roundly and robustly confessed, both to God and, as appropriate, to man. It has been said that confession is good for the soul and bad for the reputation. Regardless, confession is basic to Christianity. In the Lord\u2019s prayer, for instance, Jesus teaches us to confess our sins, soliciting forgiveness from our heavenly Father: \u201cForgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors\u201d (Matt. 6:12).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Confess your anger first to God, then to others as anger usually, like a raging river, causes much collateral damage relationally. James 5:16 is on point: \u201cTherefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” This is one of the Biblical steps to forgiveness and letting go of anger. Confessing to others unleashes corporate prayer with the promise of healing from the sin of anger which so easily entangles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        3. Kill It (Eph. 4:30\u201331, Col. 3:5\u20138)<\/strong> By the time Paul issues the imperative to put away sinful anger in Ephesians 4:31, he has already grounded it in the glorious indicatives of the new creation. Thus, Paul is commanding the church to do what it has already been empowered by the role of the Holy Spirit in controlling anger to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Colossians 3 is similar. The passage assumes you have been raised to new life with Christ, having died to sin\u2019s power (Col. 3:1\u20134). Based on that freedom, you\u2019re commanded to mortify your anger: \u201cPut them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth\u201d (Col. 3:5a, 8). At this point it would be entirely appropriate to offer a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. You are about to mortify sinful anger, to put it away, to engage in the process of killing your sin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The Son has set you free! Free to say no to sin. Free to stop grieving the Holy Spirit. Free to prevent sinful anger from reigning in your mortal body. So let the killing begin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        But how? How do we put sinful anger to death? It\u2019s not as though I want to be angry. My anger just seems to have a life of its own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        You need to start by reminding yourself that you have a choice. You can choose not to be sinfully angry, even when you\u2019re justly angry. As the apostle exhorted, \u201cBe angry and [yet] do not sin.\u201d This is the difference between righteous anger and sinful anger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        It may seem that you have no choice because your choice muscle is atrophied after years of choosing sin. Your habitual knee-jerk reaction to disappointment and perceived injustices has been sinful anger, leaving the choice muscle flabby and out of shape. The muscle is waiting to be trained in righteousness. It needs regular exercise to excel at godly performance \u2014 in this case, choosing not to respond with bitterness, slander, or malice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The Holy Spirit does not mortify sin against your will. No, he works best with those intent on working out their salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12\u201313). And here\u2019s the good news: practice makes progress in most of life\u2019s endeavors, including the pursuit of holiness. The more you choose to exercise your freedom not to be angry, the easier that choice becomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Perhaps an illustration will help. Recently, while on vacation with my wife, I was flaring. As I confronted my sinful anger, it occurred to me that I was acting like I was still sin\u2019s slave, acting like the Son had not set me free from sin\u2019s power. Upon this realization, I simply exercised my freedom, choosing to stop responding to my circumstances with sinful anger, and instead thanking God for his providential program custom designed to make me holy (Heb. 12:7\u201311). This is overcoming a hot temper with God’s help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Because of our union with Christ in his death, and through the power of his indwelling Spirit, you (and all believers) are free to say \u201cno\u201d to a sinful angry response. This is how to react to provocation as a Christian. Each time you say \u201cno,\u201d the habit of anger is weakened, its stench dissipated. Every time you exercise your freedom, the new self within you is renewed just a little bit more into the glorious image of God\u2019s Son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Mortify Anger\u2019s Source<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        But saying \u201cno\u201d to sin is not enough. Often there\u2019s a systemic problem that causes anger to resurface over and over. To be more effective in putting away sinful anger, you must drill down into your soul. Frequently, you will discover another sin (or set of sins) that also needs to be put to death. This process is not unlike one of Jonathan Edwards\u2019 famous resolutions. Resolution 24 says, \u201cResolved: Whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, I will trace it back till I come to the original cause; and then I will carefully endeavor both 1) to do so no more and 2) to fight and pray with all my might against the source of the original impulse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        But before addressing more systemic problems, let me reiterate that the mortification of your anger does not depend on the discovery of source tensions. You are free to put away anger even if potential underlying issues remain a mystery or go unaddressed. But identifying the root causes of anger in the Bible can help you mortify more systemic sins that could be provoking sinful anger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        To trace back your sinful anger and identify the source problem, often a snake pit of sin itself, you must become a student of yourself, penetrating to the bedrock of your angry behavior. A helpful hint: A good friend, and especially a godly spouse, can prove invaluable with this self-analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The two most common sources of sinful anger are relational tensions and circumstances that go against your plans and expectations. Here we\u2019ll consider how to identify and address each one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        1. Relational Tensions: Clarify, Forbear, and Forgive (Col. 3:12\u201314)<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

        Relational tensions with family and within the church lead the way in reasons why we get angry. From my pastoral experience, these tensions can be broken down into three categories: tensions from misunderstanding, tensions from amoral differences, and tensions from actual offense and sin. To successfully trace back your sinful anger, the best path is to consider any recent conflicts and then try to analyze the reason for the conflict. You\u2019re mad for a reason and identifying that reason will help you to resolve the systemic problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The first step to resolving relational tensions is simple: talk it through with the other person involved. Sometimes you will discover that it\u2019s all been just a big misunderstanding. Once that misunderstanding is clarified, anger dissolves. No harm, no foul, no reason to be angry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The second type of tension involves differences on issues that may be quite important to one or both parties, yet do not necessarily involve sin. It may be politics, approaches to child-rearing, or differing views on cleanliness or punctuality. What\u2019s the antidote? Forbearance. Not holding the non-sinful differences of others against them. Colossians 3:12\u201313a says it well: \u201cPut on then, as God\u2019s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another.\u201d This is how to show to deal with hidden anger and resentment\u2014by choosing patience over irritation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The third tension causes the most pain. Your sin of anger may be rooted in a wrong done to you, perhaps an offense that has never been rectified. You\u2019re nursing a grudge, and it\u2019s poisoning all of your relationships. What\u2019s the antidote? Forgiveness. Colossians 3:13 continues: \u201c\u2026and if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.\u201d These are the Biblical steps to forgiveness and letting go of anger. Forgiveness means choosing to treat the debt owed as already paid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        2. Contrary Circumstances: Submit to God\u2019s Will (Heb. 12:7\u201311, James 4:7)<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

        Our systemic struggle may not be primarily relational, but circumstantial or, more accurately, providential. Life just isn\u2019t going as planned. This may concern your health, career, or broader concerns like the economy. In every case, God\u2019s plan was not our plan. So how do we address anger sourced in a struggle with God\u2019s will?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        We begin by seeing the circumstance, no matter how traumatic, as from the providential hand of a wise heavenly Father. Hebrews 12:7\u201311 says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
        <\/div>\n\n\n\n
        \n

        It is for discipline that you endure. God is treating you as sons… For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

        Until we acknowledge our sovereign God as the architect of our difficult circumstances, we\u2019re tempted to see them as merely human transactions filled with injustice. This leads to anger with God, and the link between hurt and anger becomes a chain of bitterness. But when we accept that the Lord disciplines the one he loves, we can begin to put away our anger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n

        James 4:7 says it succinctly: \u201cSubmit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.\u201d God\u2019s power in the gospel has freed you to submit to your Savior in all circumstances. This is a primary how to overcome anger biblically strategy.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

        Step 4: Put On Love (Col. 3:14)<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
        \n
        <\/div>\n\n\n\n
        \n

        \u201cAnd above all these things, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony\u201d (Col. 3:14).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

        At the heart of worship is loving and adoring and beholding our great God. Love as sacrifice is a common theme in Scripture. The most extended and practical expression of sacrificial love is seen in Romans chapters 12\u201315. Romans 12:1 says: \u201cI appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Thus, \u201cto present your bodies as a sacrifice\u201d is another way of saying \u201cto put on love.\u201d Practically, Romans 12 exhorts us today to put on love by employing our grace gifts for the good of the body. Is there anything more Christlike than returning evil with a blessing? This is how to react to provocation as a Christian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Relationships marked by purity, reconciliation, and sharing correspond to the commands of anger in the Bible (Rom. 13:8\u201310). We must be quick to confess and quick to forgive. Putting on love means accepting one another\u2014it requires a non-judgmental spirit toward those things not bound by Scripture. It\u2019s hard to be angry with someone for whom you\u2019re sacrificing and laying down your life. It\u2019s hard to be angry when you put on love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Step 5: Prepare for Ongoing Struggle (1 Pet. 5:5\u20139)<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

        This sacrifice, this putting on of love, fills the vacuum produced by putting off sin. Yet even with all this killing of sin, sin\u2019s presence remains. This last step combines expectations management with spiritual warfare. Scripture reminds us that the battle with sin and Satan is ongoing: \u201cBe sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith\u2026\u201d
        (1 Pet. 5:8\u20139).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Sin\u2019s power has been broken, but the residue remains. This is why you must understand how anger affects your spiritual life if left unchecked. We must be ready for an ongoing struggle to the death. But we mustn\u2019t despair, for \u201che who is in you is greater than he who is in the world\u201d (1 John 4:4). This highlights the role of the Holy Spirit in controlling anger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        We can continue to offer ourselves to God by offering sacrifices of praise and prayer. When we sing, \u201cMy chains fell off, my heart was free,\u201d we reinforce the truth that no longer are we slaves to sin but slaves to God. This is finding freedom from chronic anger as christian. Offering a sacrifice of prayer is another privilege. With sin\u2019s presence so pervasive, we desperately need God\u2019s help every day. We should learn how to pray when you feel angry, asking for strength to continue to mortify sin by his Spirit. We must pray without ceasing, for our great God is willing and \u201cable to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think according to the power at work within us\u201d (Eph. 3:20). This is the key to overcoming a hot temper with God’s help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Part IV: Obstacles and Hope for Overcoming Anger<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        Obstacles<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

        Our steps are clear, our victory sure. Still, when facing a lifelong battle against a ruthless adversary, it\u2019s no surprise that there will be obstacles to putting sinful anger to death. Most obstacles stem from the impediments already introduced in this field guide: confusion over our freedom in Christ, lack of clarity concerning the emotion of anger, and failure regarding our approach to anger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Perhaps the biggest obstacle is confusion regarding our freedom in Christ. Often, we fail to truly believe that sin\u2019s power has been broken, that the old self has been definitively put off and the new self put on by virtue of our union with Christ by faith. Passages like Romans 7 appear to somehow qualify that freedom, leaving the believer confused and lacking the confidence to continually put off sin and put on righteousness.\u00b3 But, as we have seen, when rightly understood, such passages serve to reinforce the freedom from sin\u2019s power already secured for us by God\u2019s Son. This is a crucial element of the Biblical definition of anger-management: knowing you are no longer a slave to your temper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Lack of clarity about the difference between righteous anger and sinful anger is another obstacle to overcoming anger. As we\u2019ve seen, all emotions have a neutral, amoral base that can, if managed poorly, turn sinful. Years of jumping quickly from amoral anger to bitterness and even verbal abuse dulls our ability to discern the difference, and perhaps even tempts us to deny that a distinction exists. Training our hearts to be angry and yet not sin requires clarity and time. It is helpful to study proverbs about anger to see how the wise man restrains his spirit while the fool gives full vent to his spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        We can also fail in our approach to mortifying anger by failing to deal with anger in a timely way or failing to address the root causes of anger in the Bible. More basic, we can fail to take unqualified responsibility for our sinful anger. And we can fail to adopt a ruthless, zero tolerance approach toward anger, as is fitting for something that so grieves the Spirit within us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        But perhaps our biggest failure is to stop hoping for what God has promised. Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before him (Heb. 12:2). And we\u2019re urged to do likewise, to \u201cset our hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 1:13). But what is that hope, that joy? And what keeps it from being merely wishful thinking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Hope<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

        \u201cBlessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God\u2019s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time\u201d (1 Pet. 1:3\u20135).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        What is our hope? It is nothing less than a promised inheritance, an eternity in God\u2019s presence when sin is finally killed (Rev. 21:9\u201327), death finally vanquished (Rev. 21:1\u20138), and our marriage to the Lamb finally consummated (Rev. 19:6\u201310). Romans 8:28\u201330 and 35\u201339 beautifully communicate that hope:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
        <\/div>\n\n\n\n
        \n

        And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? \u2026 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

        God\u2019s covenantal faithfulness to save his people is our hope, not only in overcoming sinful anger but sin in general. What does the Bible say about anger in the light of eternity? It says that it will one day be replaced by perfect peace. God has promised that all who were foreknown will be glorified, and nothing can thwart that plan; nothing can separate the sheep from the love of their Good Shepherd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Our future \u2014 the so-called \u201cnot yet\u201d \u2014 is certain. We have complete assurance that we shall be saved from sin\u2019s presence and from the wrath to come (Rom. 5:1\u201311, 8:18\u201339). But what locks in that \u201cnot yet\u201d promise is the \u201calready\u201d of Romans 5:12\u20138:17. These verses assure us that God has already saved his people from sin\u2019s penalty and particularly sin\u2019s power. Consider all that God has already accomplished in the believer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        1. We already are no longer in Adam but in Christ (Rom. 5:12\u201321).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        2. We already are no longer under law but under grace (Rom. 6:1\u201314).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        3. We already are no longer slaves to sin but to righteousness (Rom. 6:15\u20137:25). This is the key to finding freedom from chronic anger as christian.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        4. We already are no longer in the flesh but in the Spirit (Rom. 8:1\u201317).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        5. We already are delivered from the body of death, which represents sin\u2019s power (Rom. 7:24, 8:2).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

          We have assurance regarding God\u2019s deliverance from sin\u2019s presence in the future because we\u2019ve already experienced God\u2019s deliverance from sin\u2019s power in the present. Our final victory over sinful anger, therefore, is assured. Our hope is secure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          In 1975, God was pleased to save me from my sin while I was a student at Ohio State. That fall, I learned that Jesus came to die for my sins and that whoever believed in him would be saved. When I surrendered my life to Christ at the end of that year, I experienced John 8:36; the Son set me free, not only from sin\u2019s awful and eternal penalty, but from sin\u2019s paralyzing and debilitating power. As the hymnist wrote, \u201cMy chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth and followed Thee.\u201d Immediately, the Holy Spirit within me began mortifying the deeds of the body and I began to walk in newness of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          It occurs to me that you may be reading this field guide thinking that you\u2019re a believer, though still enslaved to sin, or even knowing that you\u2019re not a believer. A regular pattern of sin in your life might indicate that sin\u2019s dominion has not yet been broken. Habits of sexual sin like pornography, of substance abuse with alcohol or marijuana, of anger and its ugly associates \u2014 any and all habits of sin should be reason enough for sober examination (1 Cor. 6:9\u201310, 2 Cor. 13:5, Gal. 5:19\u201321).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          But here\u2019s the good news: Jesus still receives sinners, even church-going types. Don\u2019t let him say to you on that day, \u201cI never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness\u201d (Matt. 7:23). Come to Christ today and let his Spirit cleanse you, forgiving sin\u2019s penalty and breaking sin\u2019s power. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Rest completely in his work and enjoy true freedom, for \u201cif the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          It\u2019s been some fifty years since I began to put my sinful anger to death. And it would be a lie to say that I no longer struggle with it. That\u2019s the nature of besetting, constitutive sins. In fact, at times, I have allowed an angry spirit to hold sway. But by his grace, I have continued to make progress in my long-standing battle with sinful anger. Allow me to share a story that may encourage you in your own battle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          After 16 years of marriage, I received a most coveted award in the form of my wife\u2019s annual, custom-made, year-celebrating Christmas ornament, which she made for each member of the family. Until then, Christmas had been a hard time for me. To be sure, I love to give gifts to others, especially my wife and children. But I hated being forced to do it, particularly under the guise that we were somehow celebrating Christ and his birth. So for the first 16 years of our marriage, Sue had to endure a Scrooge-like husband throughout the Christmas season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          But in 1997, I made peace, accepting that Christmastime was more of a family holiday than a religious one (Gal. 4:12). This allowed me to lean into the season with genuine Christmas cheer and no sense of hypocrisy, which proved to be the significant source of my sinful anger. My Christmas countenance went from grumpy to gracious. And my 1997 ornament? A Santa hat with the inscription: \u201cMost Improved.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Over nearly five decades, God has continued to help me mortify not only the sin of anger, but many other sins, as he continues to conform me into the beautiful image of his own dear Son. To God be the glory, great things he has done!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Endnotes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
            \n
          1. G. K. Beale, We Become What We Worship: A Biblical Theology of Idolatry <\/em>(IVP Academic, 2008).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          2. This is the ESV alternative reading to James 5:16b.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          3. Galatians 5 is a related passage whose misinterpretation has caused much confusion. For a helpful exegesis of Galatians 5:16\u201318, see Augustine\u2019s commentary on Galatians.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

            About the Autho<\/strong>r<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

            WES PASTOR<\/strong> is founder and president of The NETS Center for Church Planting and Revitalization. NETS was started in 2000 by Christ Memorial Church, which Wes planted in 1992 near Burlington, Vermont, and pastored for over thirty years. Wes and his wife, Sue, have five married children and eighteen grandchildren.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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