Victory Over The Tongue

Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue. 

 What shall be given unto thee? Or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue? 

(Psalms 120:2-3)

You just have to believe the Apostle, Paul, when he tells those that he is teaching and leading that he would not have them ignorant regarding God or the wiles of the enemy.  Yes, the tongue is powerful in its ability to destroy, but God never leaves us defenseless. Though the tongue is a powerful weapon that the enemy  takes advantage of, God has given us counter strategies to overcome the battle with the tongue. The only way to win this battle with the tongue is by application of spiritual counter strategies given us in God's Word.

→ GET YOUR HEART RIGHT WITH GOD:

The first step in gaining victory over the tongue is to get your heart right with God:

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)

Your mouth will speak what is in your heart. If your heart is not right, your tongue will reveal it. Use your tongue to get your heart right with God:

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth, the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:9-10)

We should always examine our self and pray as King David prayed:

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.   Psalms 51:10

→ RECOGNIZE YOUR RESPONSIBILITY:

Recognize you will be held responsible for the words that come out of your mouth: 

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.  For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. (Matthew 12:36-37)

And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant...  (Luke 19:22)

→ REALIZE YOUR WORDS REFLECT ON THE GOSPEL:

As long as you believe your tongue is not important, you will not gain control of it. You must realize your conversation reflects on the Gospel of Jesus:

Only let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ... (Philippians 1:27)

Because of this, you should set a good example by your conversation:

Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. (1 Timothy 4:12)

What comes out of your mouth is noted by the unbeliever:

Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them. (Psalms 126:2)

You can actually win others to the Lord Jesus Christ by your conversation:

Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. (I Peter 3:1-2)

→ KEEP YOUR WORDS FEW AND SIMPLE:

In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise. (Proverbs 10:19)

But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. (Matthew 5:37)

→ THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK:

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear; slow to speak, slow to wrath.  (James 1:19)

If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth. (Proverbs 30:32)

The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things. (Proverbs 15:28)

Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding. (Proverbs 17:28)

→ SEPARATE YOURSELF:

Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge. (Proverbs 14:7)

→ LEARN THE POWER OF PEACEFUL WORDS:

Peaceful words are more powerful than words of anger:

By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone. (Proverbs 25:15)

→ RECOGNIZE YOUR TONGUE IS A WEAPON:

Your tongue is a weapon you can use to overcome the enemy instead of being defeated by him:

And they overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. . .  (Revelation 12:11)

If you control your tongue, it will put to shame those who falsely accuse you:

Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.  (1 Peter 3:16)

→ TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR TONGUES:

With God's help, you can control the tongue.  But YOU must take action to control your own tongue. The following verses indicate action from YOU:

For he that will love life, and see good days, LET HIM refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile. (1 Peter 3:10)

To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. (Titus 3:2)

Speak Not Evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law; but if thou judge the law thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? (James 4:11-12)

Let Your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have... (Hebrews 13:5)

That Ye Put Off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that Ye PUT ON the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.  Wherefore Putting Away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor...  (Ephesians 4:22-25)

But now Ye also Put Off ...filthy communication out of your mouth. (Colossians 3:8)

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of Your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. (Ephesians 4:29)

Let all...evil speaking be put away from You... (Ephesians 4:31)

 ...Be Ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be Ye holy; for I am holy. (1 Peter 1:15-16)

Put Away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.  (Proverbs 4:24)

Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. (Psalms 34:13)

I said, I Will Take Heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I Will Keep My Mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. (Psalms 39:1)

Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me; and to Him That ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God. (Psalms 50:23)

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)

THOU Shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. (Exodus 20:16)

→ PATTERN YOUR CONVERSATION AFTER JESUS:

Jesus spoke gracious words:

And all bare Him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth, And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? (Luke 4:22)

He spoke words of authority about God:

And they were astonished at His doctrine: for He taught them as one that had authority and not as the scribes. (Mark 1:22)

There was no guile (sinful speaking) found in His mouth:

Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth; Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to him that judgeth righteously. (1 Peter 2:22-23) 

Purpose your tongue for good and not evil!



(Biblical Study)

10/15/16

06/18/19