Righteous Anger – When It’s Good to Be Angry
Anger doesn’t always wear a villain’s mask. Some of the godliest men and women throughout church history—pastors, prophets, missionaries, reformers—have been angry. Angry at sin. Angry at injustice. Angry at the trampling of God’s name. And rightly so. Scripture makes it clear that not all anger is sinful. In fact, is we never feel angry with the brokenness and wickedness of sin, we need to tread carefully. Notice what the Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 4:26-27, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.”
Is all anger sin? Absolutely not! Anger, when rightly directed and carefully stewarded, reflects something of the very heart of God and compels us to seek justice and restoration. So what does righteous anger look like?
1. Righteous Anger Reflects God’s Character
God is slow to anger, but He is not void of it.
“God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.” — Psalm 7:11
The Lord’s anger is never petty, impulsive, or self-protective. It flows from His holiness. He is angry at sin because it destroys what He loves. When we bear His image rightly, we too will feel appropriate grief and anger when God’s justice is trampled, when the innocent are oppressed, or when the name of Christ is mocked.
2. Righteous Anger Is Grieved, Not Just Outraged
Jesus displayed righteous anger when He drove the money changers out of the temple (John 2:13–17). But what’s often overlooked is how grieved He was by the hard-heartedness of those around Him.
“He looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart…” — Mark 3:5
Righteous anger is not gleeful in rebuke. It doesn’t seek shame for the sake of shame, it seeks to bring correction to brokenness. So much of what passes as “righteous anger” today—especially in online spaces—is actually self-righteous indignation masquerading as virtue. True righteous anger never divorces truth from love.
3. Righteous Anger Seeks Restoration, Not Revenge
Anger that honors God will always point toward restoration and repentance—not the satisfaction of personal vengeance.
“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God…” — Romans 12:19
Even when we are right to be angry, we are not right to act as judge, jury, and executioner. Righteous anger knows its place under the Lordship of Christ. It speaks truth—but does so in love. It confronts—but with the goal of reconciliation. It grieves sin—but does not sin in response to it.
How Can I Know If My Anger Is Righteous?
Try a few diagnostic questions:
Do I do well to be angry?
Am I angry because God’s glory is being dishonored, or because my pride has been bruised?
Do I desire repentance and healing, or retribution and humiliation?
Have I slowed down to pray and listen—or have I rushed to speak and to act?
Would a godly friend or elder affirm that this anger honors Christ?
These are the kinds of questions that bring our anger into the light of the Gospel—where it can be refined or, if necessary, repented of.
