Known by its Fruit - How Anger Manifests
“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.”— Ephesians 4:31
Up to this point, I’ve discussed the root of anger — how it springs from desires that are distorted by our sin, pride and a refusal to forgive others. Here’s part of the problem; how do we know when we’ve fallen into sinful anger? More often than not, we don’t recognize our anger as sinful. We justify our anger and protect the rotten root in our hearts. As sinners, we continually suppress the truth about ourselves and the motivations of our hearts, but Christ reigns supreme. By the mercies of God Himself, we are embodied spirits. Human beings are not just thoughts and emotions, but we live in alignment with what we believe. Jesus teaches in Luke 6:43-45, “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Bitterness, wrath and anger overflow from our hearts into sinful actions; clamor, slander, malice, etc. Behavior follows being and an angry heart will eventually lash out with angry actions or words. This is the movement from what we call the ‘inner man’ to the ‘outer man’. This is the change from a wicked root to bitter fruit that smashes relationships, hardens hearts and disorders right worship of God Almighty.
Let’s examine in greater detail how Scripture speaks about anger in both the inner man and the outer man.
Anger in the Inner Man
The inner life is where anger is conceived. Long before it spills from our lips or clenches our fists, anger lives quietly in our thoughts, our assumptions, and our secret judgments. A few examples are:
Bitterness – This is the slow burn of unresolved offense. It’s the refusal to let go, to entrust justice to God. It festers. Putrifies. Grows. It distorts how we see others, transitioning even our loved ones at times from friend to bitter enemy.
Wrathful Thoughts – These are the fantasies of revenge. The imagined argument where we finally “win.” The desire to see someone hurt like we’ve been hurt.
Envy and Jealousy – Anger often disguises itself in comparison. It reduces the accomplishments of others and elevates our own far above them. It reduces those around us to less than deserving, less than human and forgets that all that we have and all that we are is a gift handed down from our Father in Heaven.
Mental Obsession – Sinful anger doesn’t just visit our minds—it takes up residence. We rehearse conversations. We replay wounds. We keep the offense fresh because letting it go feels like losing control.
These are just a handful of what could be an exhaustive—and exhausting—list of anger. In Matthew 5:21–22 Jesus equates sinful anger with murder. His point is not hyperbole—it’s holiness. Unchecked anger may not result in spilled blood, but it reveals a heart already inclined to destroy.
Anger in the Outer Man
Like the proverbial beach ball pushed down in a swimming pool, we can guarantee that eventually, what lives in the heart makes its way to the surface. One wrong move, one careless gesture and that heart of anger comes boiling viciously out of our lips or with our hands seeking someone to wound.
Harsh Speech – Yelling, sarcasm, passive-aggressive comments—these can at times all be forms of verbal violence. They wound the listener and dishonor Christ.
Explosive Reactions – Throwing things, breaking objects, even physical altercations. Clenched fists, red faced and a pounding heart can all serve as early warning signs.
Self-Destructive Behavior – Some turn their anger inward. They self-harm. They isolate. They engage in punishing behaviors, all fueled by unresolved guilt or shame and seek to make themselves the altar upon which a sacrifice is made.
Silent Contempt – Not all anger is loud. The cold shoulder, the avoidance, the refusal to speak or reconcile—these too are fruits of the flesh.
A wise man, however, does not simply suppress his anger in fear. Interestingly enough, something that many people don’t think about is that when we simply suppress our feelings, we are pushing them down. They are being de (down) pressed (pushed). It should come as no surprise, then, that when someone pushes down any emotion for long enough and refuses to submit it to the Lord and repent that they become what modern Psychology calls ‘Clinically Depressed”.
How Then Shall We Live?
If any of these manifestations sound familiar—whether in the inner or outer man—take heart. Scripture teaches that the Holy Spirit convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness and judgment. He reveals sin and prompts us not to harden our hearts like Pharaoh, but to repent and believe the Good News of the Gospel. The real question is not, “Do I struggle with anger?” (We all do), but what will I do with it?
Start by asking:
What fruit is my anger producing?
Who has been hurt by it?
Where do I need to repent—and to whom?
What would it look like to submit this anger to Jesus?
Who can I talk to about this to receive counsel, discipleship and training in righteousness?
The fruit of sinful anger is bitter, but the fruit of repentance is sweetness to the soul. It restores relationships. It quiets the soul. It lifts the burden of needing to be judge and jury, and instead casts all burdens onto Christ, who alone judges with righteousness.
