“If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless” (James 1: 26)

I. How to control the tongue

A. Learn to ________

(James 1: 19)—“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

• Listening controls the tongue. We all suffer from the “fast mouth syndrome.” The more angry we get, the faster we talk, the louder we talk.
• Prov. 25: 15—“A soft answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

B. Surrender to the ________

(James 3: 3-4)—“If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.”

• The tongue connects the spirit world with the natural world. It is the “rudder” of a mighty ship.
  
  • I can connect my tongue to my “spirit” (filled with the Holy Spirit) and change my world into beauty, grace, harmony, love, and healing.
  • I can connect my tongue to my soul (influenced by demonic powers) and destroy my entire world around me.
• The first thing that happens when I am filled with the Holy Spirit is I surrender my tongue to His will. He knows that it can be my deadliest enemy so He immediately empowers my tongue with supernatural power.
• The “spiritual” tongue is:
  • Kind (Prov. 31: 6)
  • Healing (Prov. 12: 18)
  • Powerful (Prov. 18: 21)

C. Control the _________

(James 3: 5-6)—“How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.

• The tongue of ________

  • The tongue of fire is when Satan uses our tongue to gossip, slander, and complain.
  • Gossip is “confessing other people’s faults!”

• The tongue of _________ (James 3: 8)

  • The tongue of poison is when Satan uses our tongue to lie and deceive (Rom. 3: 13). Satan is a “liar,” the “father of lies” and it is his “native language” (Jn. 8: 44).

• We must correct an untruth the moment it escapes our lips so Satan cannot use our tongue as a pipeline to deceive.

• The tongue of _________ (James 3: 9-10)

  • Profanity is when I surrender my tongue to Satan to control people. Usually the person with the foulest mouth is the leader. Profanity has a spiritual power about it to control and destroy.
  • Satan’s cursing at the cross (Mt. 27)
  • Blasphemy (vs. 39)—“Those who passed by blasphemed Him” (blasphemo, to rail on, speak evil of)
  • Mocking (v. 41)—“The chief priests mocked Him” (to make fun of like a child)
  • Reviling (v. 43)—“The robbers reviled Him” (to abuse with words)