An Untamed Tongue
ICS Daily Devotions
James 3:5-8 (NKJV) 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.For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind.But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
In the above Scripture, James could not emphasise enough the destructive power of words if we do not tame our tongue. He said the tongue is a fire that brings a world of iniquity or sin. It defiles the whole body as if it is set on fire by hell. This fire can spread very quickly if it stays untamed.
Ephesians 2:2-3 (NKJV) in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
The tongue has deadly poison and is evil. Therefore, it can spit out poisonous words influenced by demonic spirits, which if not controlled, can be very destructive. This is consistent with what the Apostle Paul said, that when we once walked in darkness—in the flesh and its desires, we were under the influence of the prince of the power of the air. In other words, there is a spirit that works in the sons of disobedience, affecting the way we speak and behave. When we walk in the flesh, we don’t control what we say because we only think about ourselves, rather than how others will feel.
We have all been at the receiving end of harsh and unkind words. At times, we might even be guilty of speaking such words to others. However, we need to tame our tongue by changing what comes out of our mouths. Let’s not speak any unwholesome talk, but only what is helpful for building up others according to their needs and to benefit people (Ephesians 4:29).
James emphasised the need for us to have a real walk with God and live a transformed life instead of it being just a mere religion. A transformed life is living from the inside out and allowing the new creation to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to bridle our tongue and reign in the flesh. A transformed life will involve speaking and living differently from our old lifestyle. It should witness a change in our speech to one that is seasoned with salt and grace.
Sermon Series: Cell Group Campaign 2023
