In recent days, God has guided me to draw the church’s attention to the words that come from our mouths. Our words will always produce life or death, blessing or curse, healing or sickness. They are seeds that will inevitably bear fruit.
I have observed and heard Christians who, although they pray and worship on Sundays, use their words improperly on other days.
Your words and your faith should walk together!
Today’s message is based on the book of James. James is actually the half-brother of Jesus. Same mother and different father. James had the unique opportunity to observe his brother growing up. On many occasions, he observed Jesus’ speech, the things He said and the way He said them.
He listened to Jesus speak when He was provoked, when He was under pressure, when He was tired after a hard day of work, and he saw that Jesus’ tongue was always under control.
Now let’s read what James wrote:
“My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.” James 3:1-2 NKJV
The one who controls his tongue is a perfect man. Perfect means mature, Bridle means to control. A person that can control their tongue can control their body. Maturity is measured to a large degree by a person’s ability to speak the right kind of words.
Note what James said: The one who can control their tongue, can control their whole body. Whole body means that they can control its appetites, its desires, its passions, its inclinations and its weaknesses. The whole body can be controlled by someone who learns to control their tongue.
“Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles!” James 3:3-5 NKJV
The tongue is likened to three different things: a bit in a horse’s mouth, to a rudder on a large ship and to a flame that starts a massive forest fire.
Here you see a progression and escalation of the danger of our Words. A horse, a Ship and a forest on fire.
The horse is a metaphor for our body. A horse just has one rider. In the beginning, your mouth destroys only yourself. But a ship that is out of control can kill many. Then it escalates to an entire forest burning out of control, which can affect and destroy whole communities. Like the tragedy that happened this month in Brazil, many parts of Brazil have had no rain for 5 months and had a lot of fires that destroyed entire forests, loss of life, the loss of properties, animals, birds and all started from a small flame.
James said that the tongue is likened to a bit in a horse’s mouth. A person on a horse using the bit can control the horse, can make it stop, can make it go to the left or to the right.
In the same way, if we can control our tongue, we can control our body. What he said is: if you control your tongue your life will be in control.
“Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires”. James 3:4
A massive Ship has a small wheel and if you turn it you turn the rudder. The pilot, with just one hand, moves the massive ship. The ship responds as the pilot just moves the wheel.
Verse 4 said: “these large ships are driven by fierce winds” the word driven is the same word used in the gospels when a demon would drive a demoniac into the wilderness.
Fierce winds speak of trials, and troubles, it’s a picture of someone whose life is being driven by strong demonic forces into the rocks of illness, depression, divorce, despair, addiction and defeat.
I have a question. If that is you, would you like to see things turn? If that is your life today, would you like to see things turn for the better? Would you like to see things turn in the right direction? To turn from sickness to health, from anxiety to peace, from depression to emotional wellness, from chaos to harmony, from despair to hope? The ship can turn regardless of the winds that are trying to drive it. How do you turn the ship? By changing what you say!
“The words you habitually speak, which are connected to your insights, will affect your life more than any other words you say.”
If your life is not okay in some areas, turn the rudder. If your marriage is being blown by the wind onto the rocks of divorce, turn the rudder. Some of you have been driven by demonic forces of worry and anxiety onto the rocks of mental and physical breakdown. Turn the rudder.
If you want the ship to turn, you have to start working the rudder!
Some people say: I will start talking differently when things change. I will say: By Jesus’ stripes I’m healed when I feel better. I will say that God supplies my needs when I see the money.
Now imagine the massive ship being driven by strong winds into the rocks and the pilot doing nothing! He doesn’t turn the wheel.
You’re a shipwreck that is going to happen. Turn the rudder and the ship will turn.
CHANGE WHAT YOU ARE SAYING, AND YOUR LIFE WILL TURN.
Find a promise in the Bible, fill your heart with it and then let your lips agree with it. Speak in alignment with what God has said.
My beloved ones, it’s so clear and easy, if the winds are pushing your ship to rocks turn the rudder, if your horse is going to the cliff, what do you have to do?
Some people say: I’m waiting, God will do something! Maybe it’s God’s will’ that I go through this! ! No, turn the rudder! Change your words.
Let’s look now at what James said next:
“Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.” James 3:5-6 NKJV
Notice: The tongue defiles the whole body. All its desires, its appetites, its passions and its weaknesses are set on fire by the tongue.
And He said: and sets on fire the course of nature! It doesn’t just affect your body. It sets on fire the whole course of nature. That literally means the totality of your existence.
It can set your whole life on fire. Your words will destroy your marriage, your children, your business, your relationships, your health, your spiritual life. Some people have burned their marriage down by the words they’ve spoken. Some people have destroyed their ministry because of their criticism and gossip.
“The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.” Proverbs 18:21 NLT
Your Words are Seeds of your Destiny. Beware of your words, beware of your comments, beware of your criticisms, beware of your jokes because you will reap the consequences of your words!
“And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.” James 3:6 NKJV
It is set on fire by hell! What? What does that mean?
It means the devil is after your tongue! Satan wants to inspire your speech, because even if you don’t know the power of your words, he does!
James is giving us some insight into how spiritual warfare works and now let’s read 2 Corinthians
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” II Corinthians 10:3-5 NKJV
This is talking about spiritual warfare. The battleground of the ages is the human mind.
The way the devil works is to bring a suggestion, a thought that is contrary, that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. We need to learn to capture our thoughts. Take hold of them. And ask, wait a minute, where did those thoughts come from?
What’s the origin of these thoughts? Is this consistent with the scripture?
Maybe your thoughts have to do with the way you’re raising your kids, the way you’re handling your money, and maybe the way that you believe in some doctrines. There are many people in church that have some strongholds in their minds!
Some people have their thoughts and they go speaking to everyone about their thoughts! But this is not what the scripture teaches.
I need to take that thought captive. If I give room in my thinking, what happens is, it escalates and has a progression. It starts with a thought, and if we don’t capture the thoughts that are contrary to the truth of God’s Word, it escalates into an argument.
This word ‘argument’ is the Greek word “λογισμός” (logismos) – it’s a fallacy, a lie that for you seems like truth.
Now this argument begins to make sense in our minds. (Even though it’s against the Word of God).
We have given it room and because you did not cast it out, it elevates and further becomes a stronghold. A stronghold is a position from which the enemy can work.
Paul the apostle in Ephesians speaks about this spiritual warfare.
“Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11 NKJV
The wiles of the devil are the strategies, the tactics of the devil and verse 16 he speaks about the most important “above all”
“above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” Ephesians 6:16 NKJV
What kind of darts? Fiery Darts. What are the fiery darts of the wicked? What is Satan’s strategy? What are his tactics? The fiery darts are thoughts and suggestions that are contrary to the knowledge of God and His Word.
I have seen it constantly in the church. People have an idea and think they are right and go using their tongue to speak, criticising their brothers and sisters, criticising their leaders, their spouse, their church, their company, and they are only destroying their lives.
If you don’t take your thought captive and get rid of it, it will grow into an argument. From there, it becomes a stronghold.
Those fiery darts are thoughts and that fire will drop down to your tongue. Ultimately, that’s what the devil is after! He wants your tongue to be set on fire by hell, but it starts with your thoughts. That is his target, he is after your tongue.
The Devil wants your tongue and God wants to use your tongue as well. Please don’t underestimate the power of your words.
Words that come from a heart and get connected with the tongue can change things for worse or for better.
“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” James 1:19 NLT
God gave you two ears and one tongue! Think twice before you speak once!
I am always counselling and discipling people, and what I see is that people do not listen! I am teaching them, trying to get their attention, but they are preparing their excuses to speak and do not listen.
What they want is to defend themselves, to say they are right, and they lack the humility to say: I was wrong, forgive me, I will improve, I will correct it! But they always want to justify their mistakes.
Be quick to listen but slow to speak!
Your words are seeds of your future! May the Holy Spirit help us through His power to use our words to glorify God and change our future.
God bless and keep you