“He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.” (Prov. 16:32)
There is nothing more powerful than our spirit, and few things can cause more harm than a bad spirit. A bad temper can ruin relationships. Wars have been fought between nations because the leaders could not control their tempers. Therefore, the Bible says that one who has control over his temper, by ruling his spirit, is “better than the mighty.”
One meaning of the word “mighty” refers to a mighty hunter. (Gen. 10:8-9) says, “Nimrod..began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD…” A mighty hunter can conquer the wildest of beasts, yet, the person who “ruleth his spirit” is said to be able to conquer something even better than a hunter.
Our text verse says you are “better than the mighty” if you can do two things:
FIRST—Be Slow to Get Angry.
Some people have a very short fuse and live as if every little thing can will set them off. Someone has said, “He who angers you controls you” and there is a lot of truth in that statement. (James 1:19) says, “let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:”
SECOND—Rule Your Spirit.
“and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.” In other words, a person who can rule his own spirit is mightier than one who can conquer an entire city. Wow! That is mighty!
Today, Satan may use someone to try and anger you or make you lose your temper. Don’t let them control your spirit. Ask God for the strength to not lose your temper and lose your testimony. Ask Him to help you be “better than the mighty.”