James 3:2 reinforces what affects our health, sense of wellbeing, and that of those around us ~ death or grace imparting words. All words come from our thoughts. When we live with the awareness that Jesus bore our iniquities, we must conclude that we are the responsible party of what comes out of our mouths.

The devil uses fiery darts to undermine and destroy our faith. Ephesians 6:16. When we walk in the Spirit, our shield of faith will be consistently up. The Holy Spirit will check our spirit when a fiery dart is lobbed. He will bring to our remembrance implanted truths that are hidden in our hearts.

Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…” What do you have in place as a governor or restraint over your thoughts? We become what we think. Proverbs 3:7-8 says to depart from iniquity, “It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.”

Job 21:23 in the Amplified says, “…(his veins are filled with nourishment), and the morrow of his bones is fresh and moist.”

I memorized Psalm 103 as a child. When I went to quote it recently, I decided to meditate on it. Iniquities is largely an OT word. My working definition is doing anything independent of the Lord. Verse 3 says, “Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases.”

The Holy Spirit took me back to James 3:6. It says, “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body…” The Greek word for iniquity is unrighteousness. 

Let’s pay attention to verse 2. In the Amplified it says, “For we all often stumble and fall and offend in many things. And if anyone does not offend in speech (never says the wrong things), he is a fully developed character and a perfect man, able to control his whole body and to curb his entire nature.” Perfect means mature.

Isaiah 53:6 says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

Picture yourself in a hurry. You don’t want to be late for your appointment. You drop an egg. It splats all over the floor. Do you react in fleshly frustration, or respond with grace in your heart?

At salvation two irrevocable gifts were imparted to us ~ peace and joy. They dwell in us. Walking in the Spirit trains us to respond rather than react in our flesh. Galatians 5:16 says that walking in the Spirit is resisting our flesh.

Adverse situations always pop in unexpectedly without warning. The enemy of our soul seeks to derail us. He does that through temptations to sin. When our hearts are trained to fix our eyes on Jesus, we will honor Him with our responses.

After I cleaned the mess I made from my spilled smoothie, I began to sing a new song with joy in my heart. Psalm 68:1 says, “Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered.” The enemy of our soul hates praise. Verse 4 says, “Sing to God, sing praise to His name…” Colossians 3:16 says, “…singing with grace in your hearts…”

I spilled half of the liquid for my smoothie. I said, “I’m sorry Lord that I wasted it.” Immediately the Lord said, “A mistake is not failure.” I thought about that as I was cleaning up my mess.

A mistake is not sin because sin is willful disobedience. Mistakes give us the opportunity to course correct. Sin is a choice, mistakes are a mis-step, or an error in judgment. I might be using a pattern to cut something out, but I went beyond a line I was supposed to stop at. 

You might be driving along and mistakenly take the wrong exit. You might be baking something and grab the salt by mistake instead of the sugar. Years ago a large family had finished their Thanksgiving dinner. They bit into their store-bought pumpkin pie, and it was too salty to eat. The baker made a mistake.

The question becomes, how are we supposed to respond to a mistake? The answer would be with grace. Often our reaction leads to sin, such as calling ourselves derogatory names, or taking it out on others through our explosive anger.

Honey-Laced Words: imparting grace to the hearers is the title of Chapter 5 in my book called Victorious Heart. Proverbs 16:24 says, “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.”

Proverbs 3:7-8 helps us understand something about our bone health. It says, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.”

Matthew 15:18-19 described inner defilement as, “…those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts…”

Here are some areas that cause inner defilement: pronouncements, bitter root judgments, negative thoughts, gossip. resentment, self-hatred, and self rejection. Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…” All toxic thoughts come from negative inner dialogues about ourselves, others, or our circumstances.

Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Christ-centered thoughts bear succulent fruit.

I was checking to see if I remembered the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. As I was going down each one I stopped at gentleness. Unless our lives are lived out under the control of the Holy Spirit, we will lack this fruit.

We are called to exemplify the Lord in every aspect of our lives. Is the character quality of gentleness evident in yours? Here is Strong’s definition: a disposition that is even-tempered, tranquil, balanced in spirit, unpretentious, and that has the passions under control.

Remember when Jesus described Himself in Matthew 11:29? It says, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” In Psalm 18:35 David wrote, “…Your gentleness has made me great.”

Psalm 45:2 says of the Lord, “You are fairer than the sons of men; grace is poured upon Your lips; therefore God has blessed You forever.” Gracious words come from a gentle spirit. Ephesians 4:29 admonishes us to, “…impart grace to the hearers.”

I am thinking of Titus 3:5. It says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.”

That brings me to Ephesians 2:2. It helps us remember where we came from ~ bound to satan’s slave block of sin. It says, “In which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.” A sin-filled lifestyle was all we knew.

Then verse 4 says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us.” Jeremiah 31:3 says, “…Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.”

Ephesians 1:7 says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Faith’s protection~obey His word. Psalm 119:9 says, “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” Verse 1 says, “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord!”

Colossians 1:11 was part of Paul’s prayer for the saints. That they would be, “Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy.”

As with Paul, God’s resurrection power works in us also to equip us with strength to do His work. He is the Worker, we are the recipients. He is the Initiator, and we are the responders. Hebrews 13:21 says, “Make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Our greatest weapon in contending for our faith is through our intimate communion with the Lord. Spending time with Him renews our strength. He knows our hearts. He points out our areas of weakness, and shows us how to course correct.

We only have one enemy and that is the devil. He uses all manner of deceptions to pull us off course. I have continued to meditate on Colossians 1:29. I have been asking the Holy Spirit to give me the practical application for Paul’s word striving.

Jude verse 3 says, “…I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” Contend means to struggle. Ah, now I have my practical application.

What attacks our faith? Doubts. Fear. Unbelief. Remember that not every thought is of our origin. The devil uses fiery dart lies to undermine and destroy our faith. James 1:8 says of one who doubts, “He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

Proverbs 14:12 and Proverbs 16:25 say, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” The suggestion may seem right, but it is the pathway to the devil’s entrapment. We need to walk in the Spirit for sharp discernment.

I love 1 Thessalonians 5:24. It says, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” Think of 2 Timothy 2:13. This is one of my anchor verses. It says, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” What a solid inalterable truth that we can cling to.

He is the One who does the work. Think of us as a glove and He is the Hand. He empowers us through His resurrection power. Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.”

The Greek word for works is energeo. Paul described it in Ephesians 3:7 of the revelation of the mystery that was given to him. It says, “Of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.” The Greek word working is the same as in Colossians 1:29. An empowerment of grace-strength to always abound in His work. 1 Corinthians 15:58.