This past week—especially in light of the murder of Charlie Kirk—has made one thing abundantly clear: There is no neutrality. It is Christ or chaos.
Scripture teaches that Jesus is Lord of all. He has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18). He is King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16), perfectly good and perfectly loving—which means His will for the world is good, just, and life-giving. His way is not only right, it is best.
This reality means that no one can sit on the fence. Jesus Himself said, “Whoever is not with Me is against Me” (Matt. 12:30). There is no neutral ground. We are either bowing the knee to Christ or standing in rebellion. If we are not consciously seeking to think His thoughts after Him and obey His commands, we are—whether we realize it or not—following another standard. It might be the cultural consensus, some other religious system, or simply our own preferences. But all of that amounts to rebellion against Christ.
And rebellion never leads to peace or flourishing. If Christ is the source of Light, Life, and Truth, then turning away from Him is to turn toward darkness, death, and falsehood. When we reject God’s Law and God’s Christ, we are left with no fixed standard of good and evil—only human opinion. And when “everyone does what is right in his own eyes,” Scripture says that chaos and oppression soon follow (Judg. 21:25). “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death” (Pro. 14:12).
The murder of Charlie Kirk is just one of many reminders that when a culture collectively turns away from Christ, chaos and bloodshed follow. Lies replace truth. Violence replaces peace. Power replaces justice. The shedding of innocent blood becomes commonplace. But we must not lose heart. Even in this dark hour, we are seeing encouraging signs that Christ’s Kingdom is advancing—including from the highest places of power. It is astonishing to hear our nation’s leaders publicly share the gospel and acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord from the White House—even Vice President J.D. Vance. Christian nationalism is not just a slogan, a rumor, or an internet meme—we are watching the nations confess Christ in real time. The King is at work.
Righteous Anger: A Duty, Not an Option
Even though God is clearly doing great good through great evil, the evil of this moment has made most of us very angry—and rightfully so. Anger is not a bad thing. Anger isn’t merely a negative emotion or uncontrolled rage—it’s a response of care, concern, and love when something we value is threatened. But given the root of anger, along with the fruit of anger, it can be righteous or sinful. God Himself is slow to anger, but He is angry at sin every day, and yet never sins Himself (Ps. 7:11). And He commands us, “Be angry and do not sin” (Eph. 4:26).
Failing to be angry at real evil is itself a failure of love, and therefore a sin. Godly anger is a necessary response to injustice, abuse, blasphemy, and the murder of the innocent. If we shrug at wickedness, we are failing in covenant loyalty and love—we are sinning. As baptized sons and daughters of the King, we are called to judge with righteous judgment (John 7:24), to hate what God hates and to love what He loves.
But righteous anger is not an excuse for personal vengeance. True godly anger aims to destroy sin, not people made in God’s image (that doesn’t contradict the death penalty that God commands as a punishment for certain sins). It leads to reformation, not retaliation. It moves us to pray and sing the Psalms, cry out for justice, protect the weak, confront sin wisely, and take action to put things right.
Guarding Against Sinful Anger
Jesus calls sinful anger “murder in the heart” (Matt. 5:21–26). This anger is not rooted in what God loves or hates, but in pride or idolatry. And even if the root never bears the fullness of the fruit, it is still sin. We must put that kind of anger to death, not nurse it. Here are some ways to guard against sinful anger and cultivate righteous anger instead:
- Saturate Yourself with the Word
Fill your heart and mind with Scripture. Read it daily, meditate on it, memorize it, teach it to your children, and pray it back to God. Pray not just for circumstances to change but for your heart to be warmed by the glory of Christ and transformed by the gospel of Christ. Root yourself in the life of the church, under the preached Word, at the Lord’s Table, and in fellowship with the saints. Read solid Christian books that will help you understand and apply God’s Word. Go to the Word again and again. - Practice Humble Listening
Be quick to listen and slow to speak (James 1:19). Many flare-ups come from misunderstanding or assuming the worst. Listen carefully, clarify before responding, and look for what God might be teaching you in every situation. - Repent Early and Often
Confess your sin—especially sinful anger—quickly to God and to those you’ve wronged. Repentance should be as common as breathing in a Christian household. Keep short accounts. - Rest in God’s Sovereignty
Remember that your heavenly Father is orchestrating all things for His glory and your good (Rom. 8:28). When plans are interrupted and expectations are disappointed, it is not chaos—it is providence. Trust in God’s good sovereignty and submit your pride to His plan. After all, we are Reformed Christians. We believe God is totally sovereign. Let’s act like it. - Pursue Meek Strength
Meekness is not weakness; it is Spirit-controlled strength. Righteous anger builds up what is good and tears down what is evil; sinful anger simply tears down what is good. Be discerning enough to know the difference and strong enough to restrain yourself. Being an angry hothead who has no control is a sign of weakness, not strength. Be strong. - Direct Your Aggression
For men, masculine strength and even aggression are not bad—they are God-given. But men must aim them at the right target. And in the day and age of the internet and the like, so many of us get little to no physical exercise. So for men and women, seek to engage in physical labor, exercise, and disciplined activity so your energy is spent building rather than tearing down. Go run. Go for a walk. Go to the gym. Go work in the yard. This will help alleviate a great deal of aggression, for men especially. Men, it is good to go to bed exhausted. We are meant to work hard, to lead, provide, and protect. If you have enough energy to be hotheaded, perhaps it’s because you need to work harder in some area, or simply get your aggression out through some sort of physical activity. Don’t bottle it up. Direct it in a healthy direction and get it out. - Pray and Sing Your Anger
The Psalms teach us how to pray our anger—even our imprecations—before God. When we put our anger on God’s altar, we refuse to take vengeance into our own hands and trust Him to act (Rom. 12:19). - Pursue Accountability
Don’t fight this battle alone. Seek out mature believers who can pray for you, counsel you, and hold you accountable. “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Prov. 27:17). Be transparent. Be honest. Be teachable. - Put Sin to Death by the Spirit
Romans 8:13 is not a suggestion: if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the flesh, you will live. You are not a slave to anger. You are in Christ. Repent, believe, and obey—again and again. Stop giving in to sin. Stop it! And do the right thing instead. Trust and obey. In Christ you can. - Number Your Days
Life is short, and you are not promised tomorrow. Treat your family, coworkers, and neighbors as you will wish you had when you stand before Christ. Every moment matters. Live in light of eternity.
Turning Anger into Godly Action
Righteous anger is not merely about tearing down what is wrong—it should result in building something good. Here are practical ways to channel righteous anger into faithfulness:
- Pray and Sing the Psalms (Especially the Psalms of Justice)
Don’t just complain—cry out to the Lord. Pray Psalms 2, 10, 94, and 140–143. Plead for God to bring justice, protect His people, and convert or overthrow the wicked. And sing the same. Don’t just sing hymns, but sing the Psalms as well. They are battle cries. Worship is warfare. So slam the bettering ram against the gates of the enemy by singing out at the top of your lungs from the bottom of your heart. - Repent and Reform Your Household
Make sure anger drives you to holiness, not hypocrisy. Examine your life. Put away the anger, lust, laziness, and compromise that would undermine your prayers. Reform how you lead and love your family. Don’t be angry over the sins of others when you’re practicing the same. - Stand Publicly for the Truth
Speak boldly but respectfully about the goodness of God’s Law, the dignity of life, and the evil of murder. Write letters, attend vigils or rallies that honor Christ, post Truth rather than rage online. Be ready to defend yourself and others. The command that forbids murder also demands that we protect life. So treat others with dignity and respect, defend yourself and others, and when necessary, don’t seek out personal vengeance, but seek justice through the judicial system. - Work for Justice Locally
Support righteous causes in your community. Show up for city meetings. Speak up for the unborn, the oppressed, and the voiceless. Get involved in building a more just community, brick by brick. Vote. Rally. Run for office. Or just be present locally through where and how you work, where and how you live, and where and how you play. Build businesses, communities, schools, and families that display to the world what love, faithfulness, and righteousness truly look like in action. - Disciple the Next Generation
Channel your anger into long-term Kingdom work. Educate your children, teach them courage, raise them to be culture-builders who will stand come what may, especially when their faith is tested. And don’t just tell them, show them—be an ongoing demonstration of faithfulness. - Be Present and Faithful
Worship every Lord’s Day. Take the Supper. Sing loudly. Gather with the saints. Live life with the saints. Build up the saints. Be consistently present, transparent, and involved. These ordinary means of grace are how God advances His Kingdom—and how He turns our anger into joy and hope. So don’t be the person who is always absent. Be the person who is always present. Be consistent.
The Fight That Makes Hell Tremble
C. S. Lewis once said, “My prayer is that when I die, all of hell rejoices that I am out of the fight.” This is the kind of life we are called to live—one that so faithfully stands against evil, so persistently preaches Christ, and so tirelessly builds the Kingdom that the enemy celebrates our absence when we are gone.
In that light, the murder of Charlie Kirk takes on a sobering significance. Many on the godless left are rejoicing that he is gone—and that should tell us everything we need to know about which side he was fighting on. His death should not make us retreat in fear but rise up in faithfulness. Let the enemies of Christ hate us for the same reason—because we refuse to yield, because we are advancing the gospel, and because we are storming the gates of hell until they fall.
Joyful Zeal, Not Bitter Rage
Finally, understand that righteous anger is not sour or bitter. It is fueled by joy. Christ’s zeal for His Father’s house was not a joyless rage but a holy delight in what is good and a holy hatred for what is evil. If your anger leaves you cynical, hopeless, or perpetually sour, it has become sinful. Let your anger be confident, prayerful, even cheerful—because Christ is King and justice will be done. If we are to be angry and not sin that means that we must not lost our hope or our joy.
Conclusion
Church, the murder of Charlie Kirk is an evil that rightly provokes our anger. But let that anger drive us to holiness, courage, prayer, and faithful action. Do not waste your anger. Let it lead you to worship, to proclaim Christ’s Kingship, and to build a better world for your children. We are witnessing a moment where even our nation’s leaders are speaking Christ’s name publicly—a sign that His Kingdom is leavening the whole loaf. This is no time to retreat.
Be angry—but do not sin. Turn your outrage into intercession, into reformation, into culture-building faithfulness. Christ is Lord. Trust Him, obey Him, and walk in the power of His Spirit. Choose Christ, not chaos.