Many a parent has said those very words to a child or a teenager who was feeling a bit rebellious or cocky and talked back or used a little profanity. As it turns out, they are words to live by.
The well-known proverb related to our words declares, “The tongue has the power of life and death” (Prov. 18:21). James, the brother of Jesus, said. “Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell” (Ja. 3:5-6).
James compares the tongue or our words to a small spark that sets an entire forest on fire. In the past few years, we have seen devasting fires in California, Nevada, and other western states that were set on fire either intentionally or accidentally by humans. Once the flame was ignited, there was no controlling it. The fire took on a life of its own, burned thousands of acres, destroyed homes, killed animal life and even human lives were lost. Words, once spoken, often take on a life of their own…people are wounded, relationships are severed, gossip is spread, law suites are filed, self-image is decimated, and lies are multiplied by those caught up in the negative power of words.
On several occasions, I have asked women who had been the victim of emotional and physical abuse by men, which was the worst part. They inevitably said the words, the accusations, and the names they were called left much deeper wounds than the bruises or the broken bones. Most of the marriage counseling I have done with marriages “on life support,” more often go back to things that were said than things that were done.
James says these hurtful destructive words “corrupt the whole body.” The word corrupt means to defile something so it cannot be used in sacred ways. It means to scar or stain in a way that cannot be remedied. Here is the thing. When we speak hurtful, inflammatory words, those word do not just hurt those we aim at, but they come back to defile us as well.
Jesus said, ““Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Mt. 7”1-2). Hurtful words always have a sense of judgment attached to them. I judge you to be my enemy. I Judge you to be a terrible or immoral person. I judge you to be worthless or unworthy of love. I judge you to be much less than me. Jesus said, when I judge others, that same judgment comes back to me. I believe that means in the spiritual realm, that when I judge others, Satan can bring that same accusation against me and gain a legal right to afflict me.
In that way, his presence and his demonic influence will corrupt me, scar me, and defile me. In addition, the pain I inflict on others will give him access to them through their own self-hatred; their own bitterness against the verbal arsonist that attacked them; their own belief that they are unworthy of love, or through their own unforgiveness toward the person who spoke words that destroyed their life. How many lives or careers have been destroyed through gossip and false accusations against a person who was actually innocent? Bearing false witness against another person is a major offense in the courts of heaven. Sometimes, we don’t strike the match but we fan the flame through our own willingness to spread gossip or slander. We are accomplices.
James goes on to say, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be” (Ja. 3:9-10). When we speak hurt, failure, loss, unworthiness, death, etc. over other people, our words constitute a curse. Because we have authority as followers of Christ, our own words can create demonic assignments against people…even children or spouses. It doesn’t matter that we were angry or were “just kidding.” The words go forth and, like a bullet, will destroy whether the gun was fired intentionally or not.
Concerning those who pronounce curses, the Psalmist said, “He loved to pronounce a curse—
may it come back on him. He found no pleasure in blessing— may it be far from him. He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water, into his bones like oil” (Ps 109:17-18). This text echoes the thought in James that destructive words will corrupt the body of the speaker because they, like judgments will return to the one who speak them.
The final sobering thought in this blog comes from the mouth of Jesus, who said, “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Mt. 12:35-37).
Ultimately, the Bible says what our mothers said, “Watch your mouth.” Words are powerful. They carry authority. The good news is that our words can impart life as well as death. James is clear that our mouths are to be springs of fresh water always giving life, not saltwater imparting death. It is just as true for the things we speak over ourselves, but my emphasis in this blog is the things we say over others. The devil’s strategy is to prompt us to speak angry, hurtful, condemning words over others and then to give us a justification for speaking those things. We think they “deserved” it or they made us do it or we couldn’t help it. If we couldn’t help it, scripture would not command is to control our tongues. Those hurtful, condemning, curses we speak over others are sin. They will return to us and we will have to give account.
If you struggle with your words (and we all do), repent and ask God every day to give you strength and self-control to let only life-giving words come out. Don’t excuse yourself. When you do, you are coming into agreement with the devil and your agreement gives him some authority over you. Ultimately, our words are windows into what resides in our hearts. Pay attention. Your words will reveal heart issues that you need to deal with in the presence of Jesus. May your words be full of grace, peace and life to all those around you.