The Tongue's Power – James 3:1-12

James emphasizes the destructive power of the tongue, highlighting how it can be a fire that consumes and how it can cause harm.

 A. The demonstration of a living faith in controlling what we say.

1. The Power of the Tongue. (vs. 3-6)

"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! 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.”  (NKJV)

a.      The Tongue must be disciplined vs. 3

James enforces his teaching on a disciplined tongue by using the illustrations of the horse and the bit (vs.3) the ship and the rudder (vs 4), the fire and the wood (vs.5,6), the untamed animals (v.7) , the fountain and the water (vs11) and the tree and the fruit (vs12).

b.      The Tongue is a Boaster  - vs. 5

Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! (NKJV)

The word “boasts” (to speak in exaggerated or excessively proud terms of one’s possessions, skills, or superior qualities, brag, talk big” – (Collins)

c.       The Tongue is a Fire vs. 6

“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.”  (NKJV) 

So the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. A

Great forest can be set on fire by one tiny spark.  Our tongues get us into trouble more than anything else! In the Christian Church the tongue would be the cause of more hurts and divisions than anything else.

“In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is worth little. The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of wisdom.”  (Proverbs 10:19-21)  (NKJV)

d.      The Tongue is a Rebel  vs. 7,8

“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.” (NKJV)

Man is able to do that with all kinds of creatures – he tames them to do incredible feats. Television, films and circuses are forever showing to us the feats of animals taken from the wilds, but now are tamed and trained to do wonders. But man himself – there is a little part of him he cannot tame. 

“But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly (unrestrained – Young’s; dispose to disobedience or indiscipline” – (Collins)  evil, full of deadly poison.”  (“venom” – Young’s)

e.      The Snare of being Double-Tongue  vs. 9

“With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.“  (NKJV)

Now that we are Christians we have yielded our life over to God.  As we progress on in the things of the Lord, we often find that our tongue wants to revert back to its old nasty way. It does not want to come under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It does not like being disciplined.  It has been our means of protection, defence and attack. So we become double-tongued just as James is saying: “we bless God and we curse men.” We sweet talk and we slander men.  That is not the Christian way. (Rodney)

Application: Your word should never have to be doubled. Each one should be a person of their word. What we promise should be kept. 

f.       We Must  Bridle the Tongue vs. 11-12

“Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? vs.12  Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.” (NKJV)

i)        An unbridled tongue affects our spirit.

ii)       It causes us to fall.

 The Prophet Isaiah came into a beautiful walk and relationship with God after he allowed God to touch his mouth and lips. Isaiah’s whole life was changed, cleansed and forgiven by God. The result of this cleansing of lips was that he responded to the call of God by saying, “Here am I; send me.”  Our mouth is the voice of our heart.  (Rodney)

Application: We need to ask the Holy Spirit of fire to cleanse us like Isaiah.  As the tongue is a fire that burns a forest, we need another tongue of the Spirit to control our tongue. (see above image) That is why God has given Spirit filled believers an ability to speak in other tongues. This is one of God’s way of helping us master the tongue. We control the tongue by worshiping and praising God. We praise His Name by our tongues and glorify God. 

 Conclusion:  We see that the heart and the mouth are directly linked. The condition of our heart determines the way we speak – it cannot be hidden. Lord, heal our tongues.