15When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. [simple_tooltip content=’12 After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.
13 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14 And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.
15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables.’](John 2:12-15)[/simple_tooltip]
Jesus brought the message of “love your enemies” to the world and demonstrated it in such a way that some people have forgotten instances like this, when Jesus clearly showed anger.
Anger can be a godly emotion. Ephesians 4:26 tells us to “be angry and sin not.” There is a righteous type of anger that is not sin. However, Ephesians 4:26 goes on to say, “Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” That doesn’t mean it is all right to be angry during daylight as long as we repent by bedtime. Rather, it speaks of how to handle this righteous type of anger. We are never to let it rest. We are not to put it to bed, but we are to keep ourselves stirred up against the things of the devil.
Throughout the Bible we are told to hate evil [simple_tooltip content=’You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.’](Ps. 45:7[/simple_tooltip]; [simple_tooltip content=’104 Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way…
116 Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; and do not let me be ashamed of my hope.’]119:104,116[/simple_tooltip]; [simple_tooltip content=’I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me.’]Prov. 8:17[/simple_tooltip]; [simple_tooltip content=’Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.’]Rom. 12:9)[/simple_tooltip]. When we see the enemy kill, steal, and destroy, it should make us angry! The key to distinguishing between a righteous anger and a carnal anger is recognizing who or what is the object of our anger. Godly anger is directed at the devil with no consideration of self, but carnal anger is self-centered and directed at people who hurt or offend us in some way. [simple_tooltip content=’For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.’](Eph. 6:12)[/simple_tooltip]
If you are angry with anyone today, forgive them and turn them over to God. But if you are furious with the devil for hurting or harming you or someone else, you are in full agreement with Jesus. Remember that He hates all evil. For that reason He defeated Satan and all the demons [simple_tooltip content=’Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.’](Col. 2:15)[/simple_tooltip], and He has purchased total peace and victory for you.
