Have you ever sat down to think about what the saying, “There is power in the tongue,” means? Apostle Paul encouraged us to let our speech be full of grace. Chapter 3 of the epistle of James also emphasized the need to tame the tongue. With the mouth, we can sow seeds of discord or bitterness; with the mouth, we can destroy or build; with the mouth, we can bring ruin upon ourselves or bless ourselves. All these can be done without the move of a single finger. This why the tongue is considered a very powerful organ. Someone once told a joke that God knew how dangerous the tongue could be which was why He guarded it with 32 soldiers (the teeth) and a huge gate (the lips). So, what is it about this tongue?

To begin with, the manifestation of the authority of a believer lies in his tongue. The authority Christ Jesus has given us by seating us in heavenly places with Him is not manifested till we use our mouths to proclaim it. Job 22:28 KJV says “…You shall decree a thing and it shall be established…” This means that our authority comes into full display through the words of our mouth. Therefore, we are certain that our words, especially as believers, carry power. If we know this, why do we then make careless statements? “Oh, I feel like I can die right now.” It seems like a harmless statement, probably expressing a certain emotion from the speaker but the word of God makes us understand that this is more than just mere words, it is a decree. As children of God, because of the authority we carry on our heads, when we speak, all of the heavens and principalities and powers hear the sound of our voice and move with that decree. Do not use your tongue to declare negative things disguised as jokes, it is a decree and it will be established. [Mark 11:23; Matthew 4:4; 2 Corinthians 4:13; Ephesians 2:6]

The average unbeliever would affirm the fact that words of the mouth carry weight. Looking at it from an unspiritual angle, psychologists say that when we speak things out, we speak them to hearing of our brain. This simply means that when you say something about yourself, your brain is listening and takes note of those things. Why do you think people wake up and speak out daily affirmations? They want their brains to note positive things. Likewise, if you wake up daily and keep speaking negative things about yourself and the situation you are in, you can never see the positive in it and then you trap yourself to the negativity you exposed yourself to by reason of your confession. The Bible helps us understand that the words of a man ensnare him. Very simply put, this means that your own words can set you in a trap. Jesus Christ told us that for every careless word spoken, we will give account. He said that our words will either bring us justification or condemnation. The tongue is powerful enough to bring a person to ruins. [Matthew 12:36-37; Proverbs 6:2 KJV; Proverbs 18:21]

Generally speaking, as humans, we get what we say, whether directly or indirectly. The more you declare yourself a success, the more you see yourself succeeding. I believe that as believers we should understand this better. We believe that we can decree positive things and watch them manifest because of the authority we have but we cover up our negative confessions with “it’s just a joke” “I did not really mean it.” Too quickly, we forget that it is God who needs our faith to act. The devil is just there waiting for us to slip or err so he can run with it. He is waiting for you to just jokingly say “I can never be successful” so he can ensure that’s what happens, he does not need you to believe what you said. He is cruel enough to make your passing joke your reality. For this reason, Scripture warns us that “death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits” Proverbs 18:21 ESV. We have the power to give life and bring life with our words (tongue) and we can also bring upon ourselves and others around us, death with that same tongue.

Remember, when we even by mistake, confess or speak anything negative especially concerning ourselves, we open up an avenue for the enemy to attack us. Ordinarily, for we believers, it is very difficult or even impossible for the enemies to attack us in the sense of wanting to destroy us. This is because we are seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus, far above principalities and powers. However, when we begin to decree negative things, it’s like giving them a staircase to climb to gain access to us. How? Scripture says decree a thing and it shall be established, if you make negative decrees, only one person can bring it to pass and that is the devil because God is good and all that He does is good. So, when you listen to songs even gospel songs, ensure that you are conscious of your confessions. In all your joking, ensure that your jokes are not words that could set your life on fire. There is power in your tongue and in as much as we have been given authority by Jesus Christ and the word is powerful enough to back up that authority, the expression of it, is in the words of the mouth. So, tell me, will you exercise this authority by speaking evil words from your mouth or will your words truly be seasoned with grace?  [Ephesians 2:6; Job 22:28]