Your Tongue; An Unruly Evil

But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 

James 3:8

The bible speaks extensively of the power of the tongue.  What happens in the mind affects the tongue and the tongue affects the spirit, soul, heart, and body. We all at some point struggle with our inability to keep silent things that should not be said aloud.  Without a doubt, we'll say something that we did not mean to say.  It could be a comment made in the midst of a verbal dispute or even debate or it could be an argument, or maybe something said behind someone’s back, or even words spoken to someone that just didn't come out right.  Without a doubt, our tongue will hurt someone else and cause us trouble.    Spiritual warfare includes the battle with the tongue.

Read what the Bible says about the tongue in James 3:1-13. These verses reveal that although the tongue is a little member of our body, it is very powerful. Through the tongue the whole body can be defiled. The tongue can never be tamed by man. Only when we yield our tongue to God can control be maintained over it. But even then, it will never be completely tamed. We can never relax our guard over the tongue believing we have totally conquered it.

The Bible compares the tongue to:

          A fire:                                                                            James 3:5

          A burning fire:                                                            Proverbs 16:27

          A world of iniquity:                                                    James 3:6

          A beast that needs taming:                                       James 3:7-8

          A fountain of either fresh or bitter water:             James 3:11

          A tree bearing either good or evil fruit:                 James 3:12

          An unruly evil:                                                            James 3:8

          Deadly poison:                                                            James 3:8

          A sharp razor:                                                             Psalms 52:2

          A sharp sword:                                                           Psalms 57:4; 59:7, Psalms 140:3

          A deep pit:                                                                   Proverbs 22:14

The Bible says the tongue is powerful because of the effect it has on others. The tongue actually has the power to bring death or life:

Death and life are in the power of the tongue. . . Proverbs 18:21

The tongue is powerful because of the effect it has on us. We can snare our self with our own words:

Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth; thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. Proverbs 6:2

The tongue is powerful because our words can separate us from God:

Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us? Psalms 12:4

Our tongue is closely related to our heart, body, soul, and spirit. For example, if Satan has control of our heart, he has control of our tongue:

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies;  These are the things which defile a man. . .  Matthew 15:18-20

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil; for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.     Luke 6:45

Satan uses the things we say to cause a breach (opening) into our spirit:

A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit. Proverbs 15:4

By evil communication we create a breach through which Satan enters to war against our spirit. Satan also uses our lips to affect our soul:

A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.   Proverbs 18:7

Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.  Proverbs 21:23

Through the tongue, Satan affects our whole body:

And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity; so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of Hell. James 3:6

Our tongue affects our whole life:

He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life; but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.  Proverbs 13:3

Satan seeks control of our tongue by tempting us to speak:

√     COVETOUS WORDS:

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have; for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.  Hebrews 13:5

√    IDOL WORDS:

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.   Matthew 12:36

√    FOOLISH WORDS:

The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge; but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness.   Proverbs 15:14

√    UNPROFITABLE WORDS:

Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.   2 Timothy 2:14

√    FABLES AND COMMANDMENTS OF MEN:

Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. Titus 1:14

√    EVIL ABOUT THINGS YOU DO NOT KNOW:

But these speak evil of those things which they know not. . .    Jude 10

But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption.  2 Peter 2:12

√    FLATTERING WORDS:

For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness; God is witness.   1 Thessalonians 2:5

√    ENTICING WORDS:

And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.  Colossians 2:4

√    MURMURING, COMPLAINING, AND BOASTING WORDS:

These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.  Jude 16

For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 2 Peter 2:18

√    VAIN WORDS:

They speak vanity every one with his neighbor. . .  Psalms 12:2

√    PROUD WORDS:

. . . with their mouth they speak proudly.  (Psalms 17:10)

√    BOASTFUL WORDS:

How long shall they utter and speak hard things? And all the workers of iniquity boast themselves.   Psalms 94:4

√    WORDS WHICH TAKE GOD'S NAME IN VAIN:

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.  Exodus 20:7

√    CURSING AND BITTER WORDS:

Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.   Romans 3:14

√    LIES:

The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.   Psalms 58:3

Let the lying lips be put to silence, which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.   Psalms 31:18

√    SLANDERING WORDS:

Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son. Psalms 50:20

√    MALICIOUS WORDS AGAINST OTHERS:

Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deed which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words. . .  3 John 10

√    WHISPERING WORDS (GOSSIP):

A froward man soweth strife; and a whisperer separateth chief friends.  Proverbs 16:28

√    TALEBEARING WORDS:

A talebearer revealeth secrets; but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.  Proverbs 11:13

√    BACKBITING WORDS:

He that backbiteth not with his tongue  nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.   Psalms 15:3

√    DISSEMBLING WORDS:  Dissembling words cause division:

He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him.  Proverbs 26:4

√    CONTENTIOUS WORDS:

A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.   Proverbs 18:6

√    WORDS OF STRIFE:

Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.             Psalms 31:20

√    WORDS OF DISCORD:

A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.  Proverbs 6:19

√    DEVOURING WORDS:

Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.  Psalms 52:4

√    FROWARD AND PERVERSE WORDS:

Put away from thee a froward mouth and perverse lips put far from thee.  Proverbs 4:24

√    EVIL AND DECEITFUL WORDS:

Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit.   Psalms 50:19

Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth . . .  Psalms 140:11

√    MISCHIEVOUS WORDS:

They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.   Psalms 38:12

√    FILTHY WORDS:

But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.   Colossians 3:8

As you can see, the list is extensive of the damage the tongue can cause in us and by us.  But, don’t be disheartened,  know that God has counter strategies to obtain victory over the tongue!   

To temper your tongue, allow God to rule in your heart.

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