The Word of the Lord to you today is that you can change the entire course of your life by bringing your tongue under the control of the Holy Spirit. If you are living in discouragement, failure, or defeat in any area of your life, you can change it by changing how you speak, restraining your tongue, and speaking forth life, blessing, and words of faith. Here is the next strategy:

Strategy Two: Keep your tongue from evil. God requires us to discipline and bring our tongues into submission and under the control of the Holy Spirit. It does not happen automatically. We are commanded: “Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit” (Psalm 34:13, TAB).

King Solomon warned: “Do not allow your mouth to cause your body to sin” (Ecclesiastes 5:6, TAB).

The Apostle Peter said: “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech” (1 Peter 3:10, NIV).

Like King David, we must purpose in our hearts that we will not sin with our mouths. David said, “I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress” (Psalm 17:3). He also said, “I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me” (Psalm 39:1). The word keep is translated from a Hebrew word which means to guard or protect. You must guard your tongue and keep close watch over the words you are speaking. You must restrain your tongue and refuse to yield to the flesh by speaking evil, vain, or idle words.

We are to guard our tongues from any form of evil speaking or vain talk. We must set a watch and keep a sharp lookout for any sign of the enemy using our tongues to sin against God. Satan's objective is to gain control of your tongue and use it to destroy you. Every time you yield your tongue to criticize, backbite, gossip, lie, slander, or spread discord among other members of the body, you are yielding your tongue to Satan!

Paul told the Ephesians: “Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word, nor unwholesome or worthless talk (ever) come out of your mouth; but only such (speech) as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be blessing and give grace (God's favor) to those who hear it” (Ephesians 4:29, 31-32, TAB). Paul said we are to speak blessing instead of cursing!

Have you made a strong determination within your heart to keep your tongue from evil? Are you carefully watching the words coming out of your mouth? If not, this is the day to start!

I will not let any foul or polluting language, or evil word, or unwholesome, worthless talk come out of my mouth. I will speak only what is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others or what is fitting to the need and occasion.