10 Bible Verses To Calm Down Anger & Controlling it

When you’re trying to live a godly life, learning to control your own anger and navigate situations where others are angry is key.

It will not only protect you from being controlled by your negative emotions but will also keep you in God’s purpose for your life.

Fortunately, that’s what we’re going to discuss in today’s post - I will particularly share the best bible verses on the issue. Anger can hurt relationships and can cause a lot of problems in your personal and professional life.

Thankfully, the teachings found in both the Old Testament and the New Testament provide valuable principles for managing and addressing anger in a way that aligns with a Godly perspective.

Psalm 37:8- Avoid getting angry

“Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.” -

If there’s one thing this verse reminds us, it’s the importance of being able to control your own anger. It reminds us that we will eventually succumb to evil if we continue to lean into anger all the time.

Written by King David, the whole of Psalm 38 particularly teaches us that we shouldn’t be jealous of and angry at wicked people who seem to always get their way.

This will only make us resentful and tempted to sin. Instead, we should focus on the righteousness of God and have faith that He will come through for us in our time of need.

Ultimately, this is one of the characteristics of a wise man.

Proverbs 15:1 - Keep your temper in check

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger”

In this verse, King Solomon reminds us about the power of the tongue and a gentle answer. He particularly emphasizes how much damage a harsh word can cause.

After all, such words have been known to end relationships and even start wars - they tend to stir up anger and conflict.

That’s why it’s important to be able to control your tongue, especially when dealing with people who already have anger issues.

While this requires a lot of self-control, it is necessary. It’s therefore not surprising that Proverbs 15:2 emphasizes that the soothing tongues of the wise bring knowledge instead of foolish things.

Ecclesiastes 10:4 - Control your frustration

“If a ruler’s anger rises against you, do not leave your post; calmness can lay great offenses to rest”

Few things are as difficult as remaining calm and steady as an angry person takes out their frustrations on you. Things get particularly difficult when the person is your boss or leader in some other way.

But hard as it is, God’s word recommends that this is how we are supposed to handle such situations. Ecclesiastes 10:4 doubles down on this advice by telling us that this move can diffuse the situation and bring peace.

This isn’t the only piece of scripture that encourages us to be calm in conflict and turmoil though. In Romans 12:17, Paul reminds us to never repay evil with evil.

Ephesians 4:26 - Choose to remain calm

“In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry”

In this verse, the apostle Paul advises the Ephesians to not let the human emotion of anger lead them to sin. This scripture reminds us that although anger is a God-given emotion, we should not let it control us.

Instead, we should control it. One of the first steps toward this is to not hold on to your angry feelings until the end of the day - the sooner you let go of anger the better.

This will keep you from getting resentful over time.

Proverbs 14:29 - Practice anger management

“Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.”

This is yet another powerful verse from King Solomon. It clearly shows the link between patience and wisdom - it particularly teaches us that a person’s wisdom yields patience.

And that this patience can be expressed as slowness to anger. As such, being quick-tempered displays folly. After all, patience is even a fruit of the holy spirit and is linked to love (Galatians 5:22-23).

So embracing patience will help you not only with anger management but also with loving others better.

Proverbs 15:18 (NIV) - Make a conscious effort to stay calm

“A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel”

If there’s one thing that this verse teaches us, it’s that anger produces strife. This is particularly common when you’re dealing with someone with uncontrolled anger who also loves engaging in ignorant arguments.

If you’re not careful, you can end up arguing with such a person for hours or even taking out your unresolved anger on the next person. That’s why it’s so important to be patient and have great understanding.

These will help you know when to give a soft answer and avoid unnecessary trouble.

They will also help you stay away from difficult people who throw fits of anger - even Proverbs 22:24 warns us to stay away from a hot-tempered person.

Ecclesiastes 7:9 - Opt for a peaceful response

“Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools”

Like the other verses in Ecclesiastes, this one aims to teach us how to live well and find meaning. In this particular verse, King Solomon teaches us the importance of being patient and not having a quick temper.

The verse before this one even says that patience is better than pride. It’s therefore not surprising that anger is said to lie at the bosom of fools.

Since a wise man is usually also patient (Proverbs 19:11), it makes sense that a quick-tempered person would do foolish things.

Ephesians 4:31-32 (NIV) - Cultivate patience instead of anger

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you”

If there’s one thing that the word of God is clear about, it’s that He wants each one of us to have a pure heart. This means that God desires us to love and forgive our dear brothers and sisters, even when we have angry feelings.

It’s therefore not surprising that the apostle Paul advises the Ephesians to let go of anger and any form of malice in Ephesians 4:31-32. After all, even God’s anger, as righteous as it is, leaves room for forgiveness and mercy.

Were it not so, none of the children of God would acquire eternal life. After all, we have all sinned and are only saved and redeemed through grace (Romans 3:21-26)

Proverbs 19:11 - Embrace peacefulness over anger

“A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense”

In this verse, King Solomon goes beyond showing us the wisdom behind patience - he links these two to a willingness to forgive.

This makes so much sense if you consider that the fear of God is wisdom and that He himself is forgiving (Proverbs 9:10). This means that to be the Lord’s servant is to be forgiving and turn away from the anger of man.

Remember, even our Lord Jesus forgave people, even in situations where he had every right to be angry. He even forgave the people who crucified him and asked God to forgive them as well.

While it’s not human nature to forgive those who hurt us and let go of the resulting angry emotions, we should always strive to do so.

Luke 17:4 - Forgive and stay calm

“Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”

Here, the apostle Luke is relaying the advice that Jesus gave the disciples before he went on to heal the man with leprosy. In this verse, he encourages them to forgive their beloved brothers and sisters as much as possible.

Now I don’t know about you but this feels like a heavy task for me and many of the people I know.

While it is undoubtedly a good thing to do, it requires a lot, especially when a loved one is the one who keeps hurting and betraying you. If you’re not careful, you can easily end up resentful while pretending that you’re actually forgiving others.

That’s why it’s important to ask God to bolster your faith and walk with you on this journey.

What does the Bible say about righteous anger?

The Bible refers to righteous anger as grief over sin. It is sometimes called the anger of God and springs forth from a place of wanting justice.

It is what Jesus felt in Mark 3:5 when he decided to heal a man’s shriveled hand on a sabbath despite the judgment of others. He was angry that other synagogue goers were more concerned with how it looked if he healed someone on the holy day rather than helping those in need.

Jesus also had this kind of righteous anger when he found people buying and selling items at the temple and drove them out (Matthew 21:12).

It’s therefore not surprising that God expects Christians to hate evil schemes and have righteous anger towards them (Psalm 97:10).

What are the consequences of anger in the bible?

When it comes to righteous anger, the bible is clear that it serves to correct others and seek justice for victims. This is true even when God is angry at our sins.

One of the clearest shows of this is when God was angry at Jonah for trying to run away from his purpose.

But keep in mind that God still forgave Jonah when he changed his mind and did the right thing, indicating that God is merciful even in his anger.

Unfortunately, human anger that isn’t rooted in any righteousness isn’t merciful, nor does it have positive consequences. This type of anger is usually rooted in sin and earthly desires.

For instance, when King Saul became jealous of David, he got angry and wanted to kill him.