The Christian must be very careful how they live. This includes making intentional choices about what they watch, what they hear, and what they think. The Christian, over a period of walking with the Lord, should see these areas of their lives transform, becoming less as it was in their Before Christ (BC) days.
The Christian is also called to be careful of what words they let pass through their lips. The Bible teaches that words have great weight and the power to determine not only one's destiny but the future of others. As such, there is a responsibility to speak those words with godly wisdom.
A chief way to achieve this is to recognize that the tongue, which is one of the chief occupants of the mouth, may be small in size but mighty in effect. James 6:3 - 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.
It is easy to naively ignore the capacity of a small tongue to set a person's entire life astray. The scripture, nevertheless, highlights a progression. Hell sets a tongue on fire, producing flames that spring forth to burn its targets. And that sets a person's life on fire. The whole body follows into this evil flame, becoming corrupt.
This is what satan wants. It wants a Christian's tongue to be a weapon it uses to spread gossip or slander another's character, blaspheme God, and insult leaders - all things the Bible has stringently warned God's children to avoid.
Beyond this, there is a more sinister objective that satan has in getting people to lose control of the rudder of life that is their tongue. James 6:9-10 - 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.
The devil is powerless, having lost authority over humanity, hell, and death when Christ died and resurrected. As a result, it desires to use people to achieve its goal of stealing, killing, and destroying (John 10:10). And one way this is achieved is when Christians allow hell to set their tongues afire, discharging flames that not only engulf the target of such indiscipline but also the person who submits their tongue to satan's devices. The person who speaks this way speaks against a person whom God, in His wisdom, decided to create in His image. A person whose flaws God knows. A person God is likely reaching out to and patiently molding for His purpose. And instead of cooperating with God's plan for that person, a Christian will allow their tongue to become a weapon of attack that only serves the devil's plans.
We often say, "I didn't know" or "I didn't mean it that way" after using our tongue unwisely. However, if you are reading these words, you do know better from this day. You also now understand the following: we are all going to give account for every word we've spoken on the day of judgment. Matthew 12:36 - But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken (BSB).
Jesus taught this to His disciples thousands of years ago. We Christians are His disciples today and we must put His teachings into effect in our lives, no matter how tough it is. Don't worry about what others are doing or not doing, focus on yourself and your need to obey Christ by guarding your tongue. The Lord will help you as you do.
