From Whence Cometh Anger? “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. (Ephesians 4:26-27)
Anger From Birth
T he capacity or instincts for such emotions like happiness, fear, anger, and shyness are already created before birth. The specific way a child is nurtured helps to shape how these emotions are developed or overcome. Babies don’t need to learn how to get angry, but they do. Many times it takes sacrificial care from their mothers to pacify them. I mean you might have to put off all other chores to calm them down.
Secondly, anger can be nurtured through the negative influence of another person while growing up in an environment where there is always outburst of anger.
It is typically noted, that people who are easily angered come from families that are disruptive or dysfunctional, chaotic, and very critical; hence they are not skilled at emotional communications.
May God help us to curb this inborn anger that has since stayed seated within us inside a small portion of our brains before birth.
Some Are Angrier Than Others
What makes them so? The reason could either be genetic, physiological or socio-cultural. Some children are born irritable, touchy, and easily angered; these signs are present from a very early age. According to a psychologist Jerry Deffenbacher, PhD, who specializes in anger management, he stated that some people really are more ‘hot-headed’ than others; they get angry more easily and more intensely than the average person does.
There are also those who don’t show their anger in loud spectacular ways but are chronically irritable and grumpy. Not everyone that’s easily angered always curses and throws things; sometimes they withdraw socially, sulk, or get physically ill. People who are easily angered generally have a low tolerance for frustration-meaning simply that they feel they should not have to be subjected to frustration, inconvenience, or annoyance. They can’t take things in their stride, and they are particularly infuriated if the situation seems somehow unjust for example, being corrected for a minor mistake.
In some cases anger can be passed down much more spiritually in the family from one person to another. A daycare attendant reported one or two times to me, the energy level and display of anger of one of our sons who was just about three years old at the time. Just like an actor, he would hit his head on the wooden surface of the receptionist desk in a drama of anger without any tangible reason to do so. Those who saw this laughed and wondered where he got it from. But I think I do know where. He was just a chip off the old block. I have since learnt to caution our children to learn how to have control of themselves when situations tend to provoke the insurgence of this emotion.
Anger Can Be Contagious
Don’t hang out with angry people; don’t keep company with hotheads. Bad temper is contagious – don’t get infected. (Pro 22:24-25. MSG).
The word contagious should not be viewed only in describing the spread of an infectious decease. If happy people around us could make use of the enabling environment to make us laugh and grin, so do we also have negative circumstances where angry people could influence others to be angry too! The one who fails to build up a right positive image can easily be influenced consciously or unconsciously by others who commonly display anger outburst. The way parents always shout in anger at their children is likely the way their driver, cook or housemaids, and relations around them would always want to shout at their children, even in the presence of such parents; in fact the children themselves would lash out in anger against each other.
Incident #14: The Police! Carryover-Anger From Riots
Anger display is so rampant among students or other groups of persons who engage in public strikes where there are wanton destruction of property. Anger display among students can be very infectious.
I was born within a school environment, (YCT) where we had always loved watching hot headed students display their anger, against government and the school authority. And funny enough, I ended up as one of those numerous students who would hate police men. Even when there was no riot, the moment I happen to spot any policeman on my way, my level of adrenaline would fly with much hatred. And I would deliberately walk in front of the policeman while waiting for the slightest provocation. But, I thank God for being born again; and immediately the Holy Spirit drew my attention to it, I had to consciously pray against that ‘student-adrenaline aggression.
Incident #15: My Mum And I
I think it must have been during my early teenage years; I saw a woman shouting after her young and angry son. This boy ignored his mother’s call, turned deaf ears, and he stylishly gaped his legs like a bow, and walked away in anger. It never left me, and guess what? One day I did it to my Mum in front of some other people. I was angry over something and as I turned to walk away from her, she shouted my name three times and I ignored her. Immediately at that point I remembered what that boy did, and I squared my shoulders, gaped my legs in form of a bow and walked away. I had my sister laugh as she wondered what had happened to her brother. I know what it is now. I had unconsciously copied someone’s display of anger.
Physiological or Biological Changes (Adrenalin
Like other emotions, anger is accompanied by physiological and biological changes; when you get angry, your heart rate and blood pressure go up, as do the levels of your energy hormones-adrenaline. Adrenaline is a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands upon the command from centers in the brain. Its function is to convert glycogen stored in the body into glucose, in readiness for quick action in case of danger or when a lot of physical energy is required for strenuous action. Thus adrenaline is a pretty useful hormone. It makes sure that the brain and the muscles in the body get plenty of glucose when needed for action. But the questions one must ask are:
- What kind of action?
- How should it be directed to avoid damage/hurting someone? And
- Where/what/who should it be directed toward?
- Anger eruption is never without a stimulation of adrenaline.
A certain amount of adrenaline is needed to boost anger as a useful defense mechanism. It can give you a boost of energy to get you clear of danger, or provide added power to fight combatants. A certain amount of adrenaline therefore is necessary for our survival. Too much of it can get us into deeper trouble causing fights to escalate-hurting each other and even causing sleeplessness or lack of concentration. Psychologists call an adrenaline rush the ‘flight or fight response’.
We will never control our anger outburst, if we do not treat this abnormal metabolic condition which gives rise to excess anger.
A person who has a negative self-image with excessive production of adrenaline will certainly be very vulnerable to committing horrendous crimes for no serious reason, just because he’s not able to control his anger outburst. Oh! How some husbands or wives have killed, maimed, or beating their partners over trivial issues!
When Something Else Rides On Anger
A man of great wrath will suffer punishment; For if you rescue him, you will have to do it again. (Pro 19:19)
Put some sugar on the table and you will probably be feeding a whole colony of ants from nowhere as they perceive smells with their long, thin and mobile antennae. The paired antennae provide information about the direction and intensity of scents. They also secrete and deposit chemical substances along food paths for others.
Anyone who continues to beg an angry partner who fails to control his/her anger during courtship, he/she might have to beg him or her more when married. And such may not be spared from his/her spouse’s anger.
- Failure to rightfully control anger likewise can cause/attract a foreign being called demon, or should I say, spirit of anger to induce a certain level of influence beyond the normal.
“… whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.”(Eccl 10:8b KJV)
I recall here an incident between my Dad and I (See incident #19, pg. 160). Much later, after the display of anger I became very calm and explained to one of my Aunties that I didn’t know what had come over me. I think I do know now (ever since I got born again) what it was that came over me-the spirit of anger;
“Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, For anger rests in the bosom of fools.” (Ecel 7:9).
Note the keyword “rest.” Some other translations render it as “dwell” which connotes, to abide or reside, n remain or rest attention (on); to continue long to inhabit, etc. So for anger to dwell or rest in the bosom of fools simply explains, that there has been a strong attachment or long time association with anger, thereby making such a person to always be quick to fly off the handle.
The result of this kind of anger is always very devastating. Why? Because there seems to be an external force-demon, that is riding on the negative attitude of that fellow. It will be totally contemptible for anyone to try and force some form of help to such a hotheaded fellow; except he reaps the consequences of his anger, he may not see any reason to control his anger. It may only take God’s intervention to quench such satanic onslaught.
“A hot-tempered man must pay the penalty, for if you rescue him, you must do it again.”
(Pro. 19:19 WEB)
An example is the horse, whose neck is already clothed with thunder and exhibits great pride in its strength. The bible explains how with so much energy and boldness it devours (covers) the distance with fierceness and rage, and runs towards the armed men. (Job 39:19-25). But it fails to realize that it’s not shielded, and then by the time it gets to the place of the battle which it has always delighted to be, it faces the consequences of death and much injury.
- For every negative attitude there is a corresponding demon spirit. Sin and bad habits are what demons feed or capitalize upon to gain strength against humans.
The scripture says in Psalm 37vs8,
“Stop being angry! Turn from your rage!
Do not lose your temper it only leads to harm”. (NLT)
How does the harm come? It comes when the edge is broken, and then satan takes the advantage. (Eccl 10:86 KJV)
God tells us therefore to
“Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil
[give no opportunity to him). (Eph 4:27 AMP).
We often hear or read about those who left a foothold for the devil, and ended up committing murder, some, killing even their partners, their children, relations, and destroying property.
Incident #16: Anger During Some Deliverance Sessions
The first incident that I had as a very young believer occurred in 1983: I prayed for a lady who complained about hearing some voices that tend to compel het to doing strange things. Certain manifestations occurred and she got up from her knees and said to me, I will tear your clothe. Upon hearing this, I immediately used the word of God and the blood of Jesus for my defense as quickly as possible.
Some years ago while praying in a deliverance session for a lady in company of her fiancée, some unclean spirits began to manifest in reaction to our prayers. She stood up from her kneeling position and pointed her hand at me saying, ‘If I lay my hands on you, especially you’ Immediately I heard this, I knew that the statement was not coming from this dear sister that we knew so well, but from the spirit of anger. In defense I quickly replied, “Her hands don’t belong to you; so you can’t use them in the name of Jesus”. As soon as I said this, her two hands sort of became numb and immediately dropped by her sides.
The third incident was when I visited a family where a 19 year old lady had told me that she knew me even before she had seen me physically; without any physical fight or offense, she faced me with a kitchen knife. It didn’t quite surprise me because God had warned me to be very watchful prior to that time. So, I quickly took authority and declared something like this, ‘Those hands don’t belong to you (you can’t use those hands) in Jesus name.” The result was my victory because at the name of Jesus every knee must bow. All hell and its host know this. But for the believer, this goes beyond mere knowledge. We should experience this by being totally submissive to God’s word. Many ministers of the gospel still commit great blunder by gathering the word of God only for casting out demons instead of improving their relationship with God and in developing their Christian conduct. What gives us an edge above satan is holiness and not charisma.
“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7).
