Is it a sin to be angry?
The Bible distinguishes between anger itself and sinful anger: “Be angry, yet do not sin.” Anger at evil can be righteous, but it easily curdles into bitterness, so it must be handled with care.
Anger is an emotion God himself feels toward injustice and evil, and Jesus showed anger at hard hearts and at the misuse of the temple. So anger is not automatically sin.
Yet Ephesians 4:26 warns, “In your anger do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your anger.” Anger held overnight festers into resentment and gives the devil a foothold.
The wise path is to feel anger honestly, aim it at what is truly wrong, and surrender it quickly — slow to anger, quick to forgive, “for human anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires” (James 1:20).
Original BibleDawn answer · reviewed 2026-06. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.