Communication Protected with Spiritual Armor

Think about how James 3 describes the tongue. If we aren’t careful, our communication can come under the power of Satan rather than empowered by God.

… no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. (James 3:8)

It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. (James 3:6)

Communication Can Come Under the Power of Satan So Put On Spiritual Armor

Misunderstandings, hurtful words, gossip, and slander have been used by Satan to split churches apart. So often, it all begins with the words we used. — “Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.” (James 3:5)

Satan delights in throwing fuel on that small spark. What we said, even simply how we said it, can release an avalanche of anger and resentment in people. If left to fester, we “give the devil a foothold” (Eph. 4:26-27). He has an inroad to wreak all sorts of havoc.

Need God's Power of Spiritual Armor to Tame the Tongue The key, then, is to keep our tongues from throwing off even a small spark, but how do we do that if “no human being can tame the tongue” (James 3:8)? It takes God’s power. We must “put on the armor of God” (Eph. 6:10-17).

As humans we may struggle to communicate properly but as believers, we can pull on divine power. — “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life …” (2 Pet. 1:3)

Communicate with the Breastplate of Righteousness in Place

Let’s start with the breastplate of righteousness (Eph. 6:14). Since “the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Lk. 6:45), we must guard our hearts for the right words to come out of it (Prov. 4:23). The breastplate of righteousness must already be “in place” before we open our mouths. Since the breastplate is part of God’s armor, we’re relying on His power to guard our hearts which in turn tames the tongue. The tongue must thus come under God’s control to be tamed.

His righteousness provides the standard for the kind of words that should come out of our mouths, those that lead to truthful speech (2 Cor. 6:7) and peace (Rom. 14:17-19; Eph. 4:3), words that build up rather than tear down. — “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Eph. 4:29)

Communication Protected When Wearing the Helmet of Salvation

Closely tied to our heart is the way we think. Scripture tells us that as a person “thinks in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7, NKJV). A helmet protects our head, thus our brains. The helmet of salvation, then, is God’s way to protect our thinking. When we align our thinking with our salvation, who we are in Christ, our perspective changes. We no longer merely think about ourselves. Jesus set us free so we can get beyond self-centered thinking and serve others in love (Gal. 5:13-14). That affects how we speak to one another.

The focus of our thinking changes in alignment with our salvation when we put on the helmet. When God’s desires fill our minds, we tend to communicate in ways that follow His heart. — “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” (Col. 3:1-2)

For More on These Topics:

Communication Protected with Spiritual Armor

Communication Can Come Under the Power of Satan So Put On Spiritual Armor

Communicate with the Breastplate of Righteousness in Place

Communication Protected When Wearing the Helmet of Salvation

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