James 3: 5-6 – The Demon in Your Mouth

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.

STOP!

Do not proceed until you have calibrated your brain to think like James.

Each of us speaks from a unique point of view. As much as we would like to think that everyone agrees with us on this or that topic, the fact is that no one agrees with you on everything. God made us so that we are each unique and dependent on Him.

Yes, there are a lot of things we have in common. But there are more things we disagree on. The challenge with reading the Bible is not to fit the words of the Bible into our world view, but to get our heads around God’s view. I suspect that he purposely wrote the Bible the way he did to keep us on our toes.

In today’s passage, James talks about the tongue as if it had a mind of its own. I am certain that he understands the tongue is part of the body. He knows that the tongue reflects what is in our hearts. Yet isn’t it nicer that he points to our tongue as the Bad Guy instead of pointing to us directly? And honestly, doesn’t the tongue seem to take on a life of its own whenever we open our mouths?

If we join with James and think of the tongue as a separate thing, it helps. It helps us to think of the tongue as a part of the body that needs to be kept under close watch. If we think of the tongue as something separate, we can manage it better.

In fact, from a spiritual standpoint, James is right. The tongue is flesh. The spirit is not flesh. Thinking of the tongue as a kind of demon that can lead us into hell gets our attention. He is right. The tongue is a kind of fire. It is an arsonist waiting to ruin your life and the lives of those around you.

In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, chapter 3, he outlines the kind of people we should avoid. Many of the characteristics he mentions are associated with the tongue. Attributes like being boastful, abusive, slanderous, without self-control, and rash are all associated with the tongue. Paul says that these people have “a form of godliness but [deny] its power.” He then advises, “Have nothing to do with such people.” If your tongue is like that, I think James would advise us to have nothing to do with our tongue. That brings to mind the words of Jesus:

“Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.”

(Matthew 18: 7-8)

I suspect that the same advice applies to the tongue. It is something to think about.

Application: Pay extra attention to the words that come out of your mouth. Does your tongue obey you, or is the demon in your mouth in control?

Food for Thought: What advice do you have for someone who has a tongue and wants to avoid hell?