James 1:19-Be Slow to Anger

May 7, 2024

James 1:19-Be Slow to Anger

This particular New Testament passage of Scripture out of the book of James was written by Jesus’ brother James. The previous verses prior to this one are disclosing to us the importance of loving our Heavenly Father even during trials and tribulations. James 1:12 reveals, “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

What we can see in this text is that there will be temptation that can bring forth adverse emotions out of you, but God says that if we endure those circumstances we will receive a crown of life. When we take a closer look at what the meaning of crown is we can see that it is: a prize that is given to the genuine servants of God and our Lord Jesus Christ. James, the brother of Jesus, begins his letter by calling himself a bondservant of God and our Lord Jesus Christ, James 1:1.

In order to see God’s Word activated in your life you have to be willing to humble yourself enough to become a servant of God just as James did. What that means is that you are willing to allow Jesus to be Lord over every area of your life with no compromise. The word servant means: one who gives himself up to another’s will whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing His cause among men.

That is a very specific definition and that is exactly what is expected of us as believers of Christ. We are to strive daily to live by the Lord’s perfect law which is His guidelines and stipulations on how we are to live upright in His eyes. To live a Godly life we have to ensure that we are doers of the Lord and not a hearer of the Word only.

I have a blog that covers exactly what that means: James 1:22-Be a Doer of the Word of God. Please take that time to read it over it is very important to have a clear understanding of what being a Doer of God’s Word entails.

The book of James gives us practical ways on how we are to avoid being caught in the rampant wickedness going on in the world today. One of the most common weapons that the enemy uses on us continually is bringing out human anger. When a person is filled with wrath hurtful speech comes out of their mouth even when they don’t truly mean what they are saying.

The Word of God is very clear regarding your tongue, Proverbs 18:21 states, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” In other words, you can speak life into a situation or you can speak death the choice will always be yours. The amazing thing is that as Christians we have the perfect gift, the Holy Spirit leading and guiding us on living righteously before the Lord.

We can see how anger has led people astray throughout the Holy Bible in the Old Testament and the New Testament. That is why the Lord gives us such a strong warning regarding wrath found in Ephesians 4:26 it discloses, “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath.” The Lord reveals to us how detrimental the wrath of man can be disclosing to us that it can easily cause one to sin.

Now let’s take a closer look at the primary passage of Scripture that I am highlighting out of the book of James.

James 1:19

“So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”

Here we can see that James is addressing his beloved brethren or “beloved brothers” that are in the faith. He is revealing very important information pertaining to the anger of man. The word “swift” being used here is the Greek word “tachys” which means: quick, fleet, and speedy. The word “hear” being used is the Greek word “akouō” which means: to attend to, consider what is or has been said.

The word “slow” being used in both instances in the last part of the verse is the same Greek word “bradys” which means: slow. The word “speak” being used is the Greek word “laleō” which means: to speak and not be silent. The word “wrath” being used is the Greek word “orgē” which means: anger, wrath, and indignation (resentment).

When we break down the key words out of this passage of Scripture we can determine that James is revealing to us that we are to be speedy and consider things that are being said before we reply. As Christians we are to be mindful of our responses refraining from anger, wrath, and resentment. We can never forget that we are ambassadors for Jesus Christ and the words that we say have to line up with God’s Truth.

James is giving us the tools that we need to prevent us from allowing the devil and his kingdom to have a “foothold” or “place” in our lives, Ephesians 4:27. The enemy will use anger as a wide open door to wreak havoc any chance that he can. That is why it is so important to remain in the Word of God studying, digesting it, and applying it to your daily life.

In those instances that you want to snap back and clap back, take a step back and evaluate the repercussions for the words that are about to come out of your mouth. Anger is one of those emotions that can easily get you caught up in a situation that could have been prevented had you been slow to speak and slow to anger. The enemy will tempt you to radiate those nasty emotions so that he can ensnare you in one of his traps. Do not give him that satisfaction!

Also, don’t forget to check out my other blogs:

James 1:22-Be a Doer of the Word of God

James 1:6-Have Faith with No Doubt

James 1:5-Ask the Lord for Wisdom

James 1:2-3-the Testing of Your Faith

Who is Jesus’ brother James?

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Fight Back

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Feed Your Spirit

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Renouncing

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Confess and Repent

Recognizing Spiritual Strongholds

What are Spiritual Strongholds?