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Power of Words
In most New Age and Eastern religions, there is an emphasis on the power of words. It has also been a part of pagan religions for thousands of years. However, as Christians, we must take care to discover truth from the scriptures rather than overlaying worldly philosophies or even our own ideas on top of scripture. Misconceptions become commonly held beliefs when our ideas are mingled with the word of God.
The word is pure. Mixing anything with purity creates impurity. For this reason, we must carefully examine what we believe or what we are being taught to see if an idea is drawn from scripture, or if the idea is presented with scripture and cleverly crafted with an explanation that implies it is a scriptural teaching. Even a sincere Christian can present a clever but false belief, if that is what they have been taught and believe it to be true. This very much applies to the teachings on our words.
Occasionally, Eastern philosophies will seep into the church and be mixed with Christian sounding terms, and will even take certain passages out of context to support the claim that the Bible teaches these things.
As we have seen, the Bible warns us to test the spirits to see if they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out. A false prophet is someone who claims to speak on God’s behalf. A book that was introduced in several local churches in my area has the following statement:
God created the universe by speaking it into existence. Seven times He said, “Let there be…” and there was! This ability to speak things into existence is how we are like God.
How does this match up with passages like 1 Corinthians 4:20?
For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.
Does God give us, the individual Christian, the power to create? Are we like God? If we master the spoken word will we be able to speak things into existence and be like the Most High? The lie that deceived Adam and Eve was the promise, “You will be like God.” The fall of Satan came through the confession of his mouth, “I will be like the Most High.” When man tries to usurp power or authority that belongs only to God, consequences follow.
The Bible gives us unmistakably clear instructions on how we use words, what power words carry and how we apply this understanding to our individual lives. Words are very significant and we’ll look at how the Bible addresses this later in this section. But first, let’s look at the meaning of words.
Do Words Contain Power?
A doctrine that is rapidly growing in popularity is that words are containers that we either fill with positive energy through speaking positively or words carry negative energy that will fulfill our negative confessions. This has been taught in New Age and mystical circles for thousands of years, but recently has been modified to make it palatable to Christians. Instead of using ‘positive energy’ or similar terms, New Age beliefs in the church substitute in the words like ‘faith’, ‘fear’, and ‘doubt’ as the substances that fill word containers.
Misconceptions of the power of words have led many people into the realm of superstition and fear. Many people live in fear thinking that they have created negative circumstances by a slip of the tongue. Others have bought into the original lie Satan used to tempt Eve into rebellion by claiming, ‘You will be like God’.
There are scriptures that address the power of our words, which we will look into as we go through this chapter, but first we will look at the misconceptions about the power of words that find their origins in religions that are contrary to scripture. Not one passage of scripture teaches or implies that words are containers. Nor does the Bible teach that our words change reality. On the other hand, there are many scriptures that refute this concept expressly. One of the clearest examples is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:3-4
3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.
Notice the confession of their mouths, “Peace and safety”, but what was created? Nothing, for sudden destruction came upon them. This scripture is speaking of the end times when the church has departed from the Lord, and the Day of Judgment has come. The false prophets will be speaking good words and comforting those who are in rebellion against God. As we saw earlier, we are blessed if we obey, and cursed if we disobey the commandments of God – regardless of the words we speak. We can say all the positive words we want, but if we are living contrary to God’s word, our positive words mean nothing.
The proclamation of peace, safety, and prosperity does not bring these things. Blessings come from the Lord as a fulfillment of His promises to those who obey Him. Misconceptions arise because people forget that all things come from the hand of God. We can’t look out to the universe for power, nor our own words. Both are forms of idolatry for they are replacing God with something created.
Let’s take a few moments to look at some examples that are wrongly used to teach that the Bible promotes the belief in the power of our spoken words. You may encounter these misunderstood examples, so it’s important to know what is actually being taught in scripture.
The Blessing of Balaam.
The story of Balaam is found in Numbers chapter 22. In the last chapter we touched on this story. It’s the time when the King of Moab hired Balaam to curse Israel, hoping they could be defeated. Three times the prophet blessed the nation he was hired to curse.
It is sometimes taught that this is proof that our words have power; however, there is much more to this than the power of Balaam’s words. Failed prophecies only prove that a man has spoken presumptuously in the name of the Lord. God strongly condemns that prophet, and warns the people not to listen to any of his words. For this reason, God could not allow Balaam to make a false proclamation over Israel. A curse could not come to pass; therefore, God protected His previously spoken words through Balaam by sending an angel to warn him not to speak anything but what God commanded.
His lying words would have thrown confusion on what God previously said through this prophet. The curse would have done nothing to Israel, for it would have been a lie. But it would have polluted the words God had already given the prophet.
Balaam had no power to curse for God had already blessed. When King Balak was enraged because Balaam could not curse, the old prophet explains why in Numbers 23:
20 Behold, I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.
God has blessed and Balaam could not reverse it. This should give the Christian great confidence, for no man, spirit or even Satan himself can curse you if God has blessed. God has indeed blessed us as long as we stand in agreement with God’s word. The same was true for Israel. They were blessed in their obedience but cursed when they disobeyed. Both the blessing and the curse are seen in this account. First consider Numbers 24:10
Then Balak’s anger was aroused against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have bountifully blessed them these three times!
Let’s follow the chain of events here to gain an understanding of this subject. God first blessed Israel as He sent them to enter into the Promised Land. Balak was unable to curse them so he hired Balaam to curse them in the name of the Lord. God put a blessing in the mouth of Balaam and he pronounced three blessings upon Israel.
Since the doctrine of ‘power words’ or ‘word of faith’ claims that what we say must be fulfilled, the next thing that should have happened to Israel should be for them to inherit the blessing – right? Wrong. Immediately after Balaam blessed Israel, the very next verse unfolds a dramatic turn of events. Look at Numbers 25:1-3
1 Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab.
2 They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.
3 So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel.
Baal of Peor was the idol the Moabites worshiped. King Balak sent his most beautiful women to seduce the men of Israel and invite them to the sacrifices of their gods – statues created by their own hands.
If words create reality, or blessings come by the profession of man’s lips, Israel should have been blessed after the three blessings that came directly from the word of the Lord, but this is not what happened. A plague was sent into the camp and 24,000 people died because of the judgment of the Lord. The plague was not removed until those who sinned were judged and slain for their idolatry, and the people repented and returned to the Lord.
So you can see that the blessing was not created by the words of Balaam, but by the obedience of God’s people, for God said from the beginning that they would be blessed if they obeyed all that God commanded and cursed if they disobeyed.
Balaam could not curse the people but he showed King Balak how to make the people curse themselves – by sinning against God[1]. Balaam taught Balak that if he seduced the people with the Moabite women so that they were drawn out of God’s will, they would no longer be walking in God’s blessing. The power of the blessing or curse is not in the power of words, but in our obedience to God which puts us in His will so that we inherit His promises.
The message hasn’t changed since the beginning; if we walk in obedience, we will inherit the promises and God’s blessings, but if we rebel against God’s command we are cursed by our own sins.
The Blessing of Zedekiah.
In the previous example, we looked at a blessing that was overthrown by sin. Now let’s look at an example of four-hundred prophets, led by Zedekiah, proclaiming prosperity.
Let me give a little background. Ahab, the King of Israel, was a very wicked ruler. He refused to turn from his sins and even had his neighbor murdered so he could possess his property.
Ahab decided to go to war with a neighboring nation that had taken some land during a previous war, and try to reclaim it. He joined forces with the king of Judah and prepared for battle. As was the tradition, the two kings called prophets together to inquire of the Lord to see if they would be blessed in their war efforts. Four hundred prophets proclaimed prosperity in the name of the Lord, but the king of Israel recognized that none were truly prophets of God. He requested that a reputable prophet be called, so they sent for Micaiah. This is where we are picking up on the story. It’s a lengthy passage, but a very interesting read. Look at this account in 1 Kings 22:10-28
10 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, having put on their robes, sat each on his throne, at a threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.
11 Now Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made horns of iron for himself; and he said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘With these you shall gore the Syrians until they are destroyed.’ “
12 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the king’s hand.”
13 Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Now listen, the words of the prophets with one accord encourage the king. Please, let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak encouragement.”
14 And Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, whatever the LORD says to me, that I will speak.”
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19 Then Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left.
20 “And the LORD said, ‘Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner.
21 “Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will persuade him.’
22 “The LORD said to him, ‘In what way?’ So he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the LORD said, ‘You shall persuade him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.’
23 “Therefore look! The LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has declared disaster against you.”
24 Now Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, “Which way did the spirit from the LORD go from me to speak to you?”
25 And Micaiah said, “Indeed, you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide!”
26 So the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah, and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son;
27 “and say, ‘Thus says the king: “Put this fellow in prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction, until I come in peace.” ‘ “
28 But Micaiah said, “If you ever return in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Take heed, all you people!”
Whose word prevailed? The four-hundred prophets proclaiming in one accord: peace, safety and success? Did the unity of the prophets prevail by their positive confession and faith filled words? No, the word of the Lord spoken by one man proved to be true.
How could one man’s word overcome the positive confessions of four-hundred? It couldn’t. It does not matter what we proclaim to be true; it only matters what God proclaims to be true. Like any other form of idolatry, positive, faith filled words cannot prevail to produce good or bad. These words are merely the creation of man.
Ahab was judged because of his wickedness, and even the encouragement of the masses speaking in the name of the Lord could not change the judgment against him. He was cursed because he disobeyed God and even the blessings of four-hundred ‘prophets’ could not change the curse into a blessing. So you can see that when God blesses, no one can curse and when God curses, no one can bless.
God’s word will stand and He has already revealed how we are blessed – the one who fears the Lord and walks in His ways will be blessed.
The Blessing of Hananiah.
I want to use one more example before we move on. This example is unique because a true prophet, Jeremiah, agreed with the words of a false prophet, but it did not make the words true.
Israel had continued in its descent away from the Lord. God warned the remaining cities of Israel that they must turn away from their idols or God would remove them from the land. Even until the end, God continued to promise that He would deliver Israel from the hand of Nebuchadnezzar if they would turn from their sins and return to the Lord. The people continued to turn to both Baal and the Queen of Heaven[2] for deliverance until finally God removed His protection and sent the armies of Babylon to overthrow the nation.
By this point in history, all of Israel has been captured and taken captive except the region of Judah. God proclaimed that He would overthrow the city and send them as captives to Babylon and as the cities around them fell, the people greatly feared. God sent Jeremiah to prophesy to the people, and God had him put a yoke around his neck to represent the bondage and servitude the people would experience when Babylon overthrew the city if they didn’t answer His call to repent from idolatry. Soon those claiming to be prophets began to proclaim positive confessions for Israel. One of the strongest examples is found in Jeremiah 28:1-4, 6
1 And it happened in the same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, who was from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the LORD in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,
2 “Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.
3 ‘Within two full years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the LORD’s house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon.
4 ‘And I will bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah who went to Babylon,’ says the LORD, ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’ “
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6 and the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! The LORD do so; the LORD perform your words which you have prophesied, to bring back the vessels of the LORD’s house and all who were carried away captive, from Babylon to this place.
Take notice that Zedekiah in this passage is not the same person in 1 Kings we just read. This is a common name and the Zedekiah in Kings is the son of Josiah. In this passage, Zedekiah, is the son of Chenaanah. Not the same person.
Here we see another prophet proclaims good news and deliverance, but is he contradicting the Lord?. Hananiah even went as far as to remove the yoke that God had commanded Jeremiah to wear. He broke it in pieces as he announced that the Lord had proclaimed deliverance from Babylon. Hananiah even went as far as to claim that all the people already taken captive would be freed, and all the gold and silver taken would be returned. The people rejoiced at this word and even Jeremiah said, “Amen” – or may it be so. Yet this contradicted the true word of the Lord. Look at Jeremiah 28:12-17
12 Now the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, after Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying,
13 “Go and tell Hananiah, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD: “You have broken the yokes of wood, but you have made in their place yokes of iron.”
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15 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Hear now, Hananiah, the LORD has not sent you, but you make this people trust in a lie.
16 “Therefore thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will cast you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have taught rebellion against the LORD.’ “
17 So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.
In the book of Jeremiah there were countless prophets in Judah proclaiming good news, but they were all false proclamations. When God speaks, what has been said will come to pass. Two months after God foretold of Hananiah’s death as judgment, he died. All the prophets and the people proclaimed peace, safety and prosperity, but none of their positive confessions changed the course of the future – Babylon still came.
Jeremiah wanted to believe this word to be true, because he wanted to see Israel return to the safety of God’s protection, but his agreement didn’t change the word of the Lord. In that culture, when someone said something you agreed with, you proclaimed, “Amen,” which means, “May it be so.” It’s like saying, “I agree and hope your words are fulfilled.”
There indeed was a way to escape judgment. God promised deliverance if the people would return to His word. Instead they chose to trust in their own ways, in the false prophets, and in the gods of the pagan culture around them.
Why trusting in words contradicts God.
Here is the problem with the positive confession doctrine. What is being taught is that our words can create a blessing, regardless of our obedience or spiritual condition. This dangerous doctrine teaches people that they can rebel against the commandments of God and live according to their own self-centered desires, and still be blessed if they proclaim good news and believe their own words. They become their own prophets and their own god. The same is true for the similar doctrine of so-called ‘seeds of faith’.
I listened to a religious radio station that promised that seeds of faith planted into their ‘ministry’ would produce results in the donor’s life. I listened to people call in and make donations so that God would give their children the supernatural ability to pass final exams; husbands and wives ‘sowed’ financial donations to improve their marriages; donations were given to gain success in business, and the promises go on and on.
Students are given false hope that they can pass a test without studying if they give God money through a radio station? Can a marriage be built by a financial donation without making any changes in their behaviors? Can we buy God off buy a donation regardless of our spiritual condition or obedience to His word? There is an example in the scriptures where the words ‘money’ and ‘the gift of God’ is used in the same statement. Look at Acts 8:20-22
20 But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!
21 “You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God.
22 “Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.
The blessings of God cannot be bought with money or spoken into existence by our own mouths. Nothing spiritual can be created by human effort. Look again at Jesus’ statement in John 3:6
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Anything that has its origin in the flesh is flesh and cannot be of the Spirit. The flesh cannot produce the things of the Spirit. This is true for your words and for your works. Speaking words of faith cannot make God act, nor can sowing seeds by human works make God respond to our man-produced faith. This passage shows the results of the so-called seeds of faith sown by the superstitious belief that God must obey our will if a request / demand is made with money:
Galatians 6:8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
This passage is not telling us to sow money or possessions. Sowing in the Spirit is to invest your life in the Spirit. Jesus said that unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it produces fruit.[3] Jesus then went on to say that when we love our life we lose it. Sowing in the Spirit is dying to yourself and living for the Lord.
Giving should be an act of surrender and trust. When I trust God with my finances, I will be willing to let go of money instead of hording it. Faithful giving is a reflection on my spiritual maturity – not something that produces spiritual maturity. We give because we see the value in funding ministries or meeting needs. Giving out of guilt or obligation, or as an attempt to manipulate God into giving us something in return, is an act of the flesh.
Fruit and the results of our efforts are not physical, but eternal things. Giving comes from the heart of a life surrendered to Christ. It is not how we become obedient to Christ. God may indeed give us good things in life, but these are not our reward. If they were, we would be shortchanged in heaven.
The true blessing is obeying through dying to the flesh and by walking in the Spirit. Anyone who walks in obedience by faith will be blessed even if the world curses. We obey out of faith – trusting God and believing His promises.
The Spirit of God works within us to draw us into obedience by faith, and we either obey and inherit the promises of God, or trust in the flesh and are outside of God’s promises. Words do indeed have a role and in the next few sections we will examine the passages that teach us the real power of words.
The Power of the Word is the One Speaking.
While pagan beliefs trust in the power of the word itself, the Bible teaches that power is in the one speaking the word. The words themselves only have the power to convey meaning, but the authority behind the one speaking determines how, and if those words are carried out. Here is a wonderful example of this principle in Matthew 8:5-10
5 Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him,
6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”
7 And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.
9 “For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!
Jesus praised the centurion for his faith because he understood that Jesus had the power and the authority over all things. Jesus’ authority gave Him the power to just give the command and it would be done. To explain his faith in Jesus’ power, the centurion used the example of his own chain of command that gave him authority. He was a soldier under the Roman military, and his position gave him the authority to just say the word and those under him would do as he stated.
Since Jesus had the authority over everything, all Jesus had to do is say ‘be healed’ and it would be done. It was not the words themselves, but the power and authority of the one saying the words. The centurion’s words ‘go’, ‘come’, and ‘do this’ did not make things happened through the mystical power of the word itself, but rather the authority of the man caused what was spoken to be done. His servant could say the exact same words and nothing would happen because he lacks the authority.
If it was the words themselves, the centurion could have just spoken the words with his own faith and healed his own servant. By Jesus’ testimony, this man had more faith than any in Israel. Yet that faith didn’t give power to the centurion.
The true authority was in Jesus and the centurion explained his complete faith in Christ. By Jesus’ affirmation, no one had yet shown this much faith in Israel. This includes the disciples who had been given much authority already and had done wonders in Christ’s name. The disciples succeeded because Jesus gave them the authority to do what He sent them to do. This centurion knew he had the authority to fulfill his role as a high ranking soldier, but didn’t have the authority to heal. But he also knew Jesus did.
We can see how authority works in everyday life. Sometimes I hear my children bickering. One will order the other to do something, and she will say, “You can’t tell me what to do.” But if I say to go do something, they do it. I have the authority to instruct my kids, but they do not possess authority over each other – unless I give it to them. Even when I give the older children authority over the younger ones, I am the one who enforces that authority.
In the same way, we can say the exact same words as God and it has no power at all for we do not have the authority to back up our words. We can proclaim His authoritative word, but not our own. When people rebel, it is against His word, not our power. Consider this passage from Luke 4:33-36
33 Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice,
34 saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are — the Holy One of God!”
35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him.
36 Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, “What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.”
Was it the words that had power according to this passage? No. Jesus spoke the word with authority and power. The apostles had the power given to them by God through the Holy Spirit to command demons to come out of those afflicted but when the Jews who did not have the God given power tried to do the same, they were unsuccessful.
Acts 19 tells the account of seven Jewish exorcists that tried to cast out a demon in the name of Jesus. They commanded the demon to come out in the name of Jesus, but the spirit mocked them by saying “Who are you?” The spirit then overcame them when the possessed man arose and beat these exorcists, so that they fled from the house naked and wounded.
Words themselves have no power; it is the authority of the one speaking that gives power to the word. Look at the source of the power of words as described in Hebrews 1:1-3
1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
It is not the word that holds the power to create the world and continue to uphold all things – it is His power. The word of Jesus’ power is what has made all things and keeps them in order. If you take His power out of the word then the word has no power by itself. You can try to speak anything into existence, and nothing will happen. Even if you believe with all your heart, you could use the exact same words that God used in Genesis and nothing takes place.
We can have all the faith in the world and speak ‘faith filled words’ and nothing will happen because the power of your words cannot prosper without the word of His power. If the power is not in you, you cannot have the word of your power. Look at this passage from Ecclesiastes 8:4
Where the word of a king is, there is power; And who may say to him, “What are you doing?”
It doesn’t say, ‘where the word is, there is power’. The focus is on the king, for his word has authority behind it. Let a king speak the word and his subjects scramble. But let a subject speak the word under their own authority and see what happens. Without power, words mean nothing.
There is only one source of ‘power words’ that can be spoken. The word is God’s alone. This can be given to the man appointed by God to proclaim God’s word, but the authority still comes from the Lord. The power to create belongs to God alone. The word of His power is just that – His power. You will never have power like God; you will never be like God; you will never be a creator.
God has plainly stated that beside Him there is no other gods that have been formed nor will there be any after (Isaiah 43:10). Anyone who claims to be a god or even follows those claiming to be gods are called abominations to God (Isaiah 41:23-24). God alone has the word of power. In fact, all power and authority belongs to God. Consider these passages:
Psalm 62:11 God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God.
Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.
Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
The word of power belongs to God alone, but the authority that gives words their power belongs to God, and anyone God chooses to grant authority to. Even the Antichrist is given authority from God (Revelation 13:7).
The authority of the apostles were given by God for the purpose of building up the church (2 Corinthians 13:10), and the authority of the believer is given to us by Jesus Christ for the purpose of making disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). My words have power to accomplish what I say when I am in a position of authority that can back up those words.
There are many scriptures that reference the words of our mouths but not once do we see the Bible giving us the power of God with our words. We are never given the power to create or prophesy our own will into existence. Words have meaning, and the power to communicate is the only strength behind the word itself. Beyond that, we must have the authority to back up our command.
Let’s take a few minutes to look at what our words accomplish.
Words Build or Destroy.
The real power of words is twofold. Words affect the hearts of the hearer, and words become the confession of our own heart. Let’s first look at how it affects others.
Proverbs 18:21
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
This passage is frequently used by those who teach that we have the power to create with our words; however, this passage doesn’t remotely imply that we are creating anything or speaking anything into existence. Let’s look at this in light of Proverbs 15:4
A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
Let’s also tie this into Proverbs 12:18-19
18 There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health.
19 The truthful lip shall be established forever, But a lying tongue is but for a moment.
The message being communicated is that the words we say will either build up or tear down. Words cannot create prosperity or curses, other than the meaning behind the words. If I say harsh words or speak cutting words that wound those around me, my words destroy. Kids who grow up under parents that belittle or insult them, grow up with emotional wounds. These scars are carried into and throughout adulthood. Many adults struggle with damage caused by words which assaulted them in childhood.
Children also wound each other with cutting words as they mock those who are overweight, unattractive, or have a physical problem. These words cut deeply and cause others to die inside. Each of us should be diligent to guard our words, and then speak out when we see others being wounded with words. The old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” is false. A broken bone heals, but the wounds from words sometimes last a lifetime.
Words that encourage and build up another person gives new life and vigor to them. A seminary professor told the story of a classroom experiment that illustrates this well. Two students were scheduled to deliver a fifteen minute message for the class to evaluate. Unknown to the two students, the class had been instructed to give encouragement to the first student and discouragement to the second, in order to illustrate how we can affect others by our non-verbal communication.
The first student delivered his message and the class smiled, nodded, took notes, said, “amen”, and showed him great support. By the end of his message he was fired up and preaching with great confidence. When the second preached, they frowned, looked at their watches, drifted to sleep and looked either annoyed or bored. The second student struggled to deliver his message and then stepped down from the podium in shame. The young man fought back tears as he scurried to his desk. Only then was he informed about the experiment.
Our actions are unspoken words, and can also be just as harmful. A roll of the eyes, angry stare, and even a look that says, “You’re so stupid,” can cause just as much damage as words. These also break down or give life. The truth is that the experiment above will have consequences. Even after finding out the scene was staged, the scorned student will fight through insecurities until he finds enough success to overcome the failure.
What’s true for body language is true for words – and even more so. If we say cruel or harsh words, we break the spirit of others with the words of death from our tongue. If we build up another with words of encouragement, our tongue is a tree of life to that person. Consider this passage from Matthew 5:22
But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.
Let’s consider what is being taught through this illustration Jesus gave. It is not identifying someone’s action as foolish that is being condemned, for Jesus often referred to those who disobeyed the truth as fools. It is not the word fool that puts us in danger of judgment. Look at the entire message of this verse. The word ‘Raca’ means, “You are an empty headed person, or someone without sense”. So when we look at the three problems being addressed here it is clear that this is the process of tearing someone down.
To be angry without a cause is to degrade someone and to despise them as we imply their lack of human value. We’ve all seen this. Someone just doesn’t like another person, and they show anger without any real reason.
Having a critical spirit toward someone is also being angry without a cause. To call someone Raca, or a fool, is to devalue that person. To mock someone, make fun of them, use bitter sarcasm, or express a critical spirit toward another is also devaluing and I believe falls under the condemnation of this passage.
We often do this to our spouses and other family members and do not recognize the harm we are causing that person, and the displeasure God has expressed against our behavior. None of the things stated in this passage are addressing someone’s misbehavior or foolish choices, but instead is devaluing someone as you tear them down. You can be in danger of God’s warning of judgment without using the word ‘fool’ if you are wounding someone’s spirit with other words that communicate the same meaning.
To criticize for the purpose of correcting and building up in the right way is not condemned. Though it can be if our criticism is bitter and degrading. It is the destruction of another that God is judging. This is explained further in these two passages from 1 John:
1 John 3:14-15
14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.
15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
1 John 4:20-21
20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
Our tongue reveals whether we are in life or death, just as Proverbs states. If we tear down those around us, we are not walking in the love of God, and indeed can’t claim to be in the love of God. The power of the tongue is to build up or destroy others.
We are commanded to build up and are also commanded not to destroy. This holds true for our spouse, children, church members, and anyone we encounter in life. If we do not bring our words under guard, we are the cause of our own woes, as well as being responsible for how our words affect others. This is explained in Proverbs 21:23
Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.
The words of our mouth are tools to build up and tear down. These also produce what we sow. There is a produce of our words, but it isn’t what we are creating, it is what we are nurturing and bringing to maturity in us. In Galatians 6:7-9, the Bible says that our sins or good works will produce fruit of either righteousness or death. This also applies to our words. They are the works of righteousness or the sins of the flesh. How we live out our life through our words determines what fruit we bear.
The Fruit of our Lips.
Before leaving the topic of the power of words, I would like to look at one more passage that is misunderstood and some use mistakenly to teach that we create with our words. Look at Proverbs 18:20
A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth, From the produce of his lips he shall be filled.
Again take note of the fact that this passage does not claim that you are creating anything with the words you speak. So what is the produce of our lips? When you are interviewing for a job, what is the first thing the interviewer evaluates about you? It is your communication skills.
Each year when companies are surveyed by recruiters to find out what they like and dislike about potential employees, the number one issue for almost every company is communication skills. Lacking in these skills has been a complaint about the up and coming workforce for some time. High school and college students have been steadily losing the ability to communicate effectively for decades.
The book of Proverbs is filled with both spiritual advice and practical advice for daily living. What you speak with your mouth reveals both what is in your heart and what is in your mind. With your mouth you build up relationships or tear down the channels of communication. Those who express themselves wisely will benefit from the words of their mouth. This is explained further in these passages in Proverbs:
Proverbs 22:11
He who loves purity of heart And has grace on his lips, The king will be his friend.
Proverbs 20:15
There is gold and a multitude of rubies, But the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
The spiritual condition of your heart will come out in your mouth. If you are walking in God’s wisdom, this will affect the way you live and the way you speak. Through wisdom, God has promised to bless, honor, and prosper our lives. If you have wisdom, it will always come out in your speech, and those who live by the wisdom of scripture will be rewarded with the promises of God. Those who truly have godly wisdom will speak what is right and will eat the fruit of their words that are based on wisdom.
As is the case with every spiritual gift, this comes directly from God and not from our intellect or human understanding. This is beautifully explained in Proverbs 2:6-9
6 For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;
8 He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice, Equity and every good path.
When we discuss wisdom, it is the wisdom God gives to us. It is a gift of God that we must receive and live by. I encourage you to read the entire chapter of Proverbs 2. It begins with receiving God’s word, treasuring it in our heart, and then seeking to understand it by crying out to the Lord for the power to discern the truth – as we continue to seek it.
Once again, it isn’t you attaining a higher level, but it is you humbling yourself in obedience knowing that God will answer. He steps into your life of faithfulness and imparts His wisdom, understanding, and knowledge of holy things into your heart.
The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, but the mouth of fools pours out foolishness.[4] Whenever the Bible speaks of being ‘wise’ or ‘having wisdom’, it is always in reference to the wisdom of God. There is a worldly wisdom that is foolishness with God, but the wisdom we are talking about is the wisdom given by the Spirit of God through the instruction of scripture.
As you can see, when the Bible speaks of the fruit of your lips, it isn’t your power to create or alter reality. It is a call to measure your words carefully, for you will eat the produce of your words, both good and bad. Your words testify to the focus of your life and the types of works ruling your heart.
Words justify or words condemn.
As mentioned earlier, words are the confession of our heart. Words communicate our understanding of truth, and testify for or against us. Consider this passage from Matthew 12:36-37
36 “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
37 “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
According to Jesus, the words we speak will be brought into account when we all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, for our words reveal what is in our heart. Our words testify to our knowledge of right and wrong, but they also testify to our faith. Consider this passage from Romans 10:9-11
9 If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”
Do the words we say save us? No, this passage doesn’t say this. We believe and then confess with our mouth. Not just mere belief as in head knowledge, but belief unto righteousness. It’s a transforming faith that we then confess with our mouth. It’s the testimony that we believe on Jesus Christ, and the message of the gospel. Saying a prayer does not save anyone, for if we don’t believe, it is not a confession.
Anyone can say a sinner’s prayer but their life is not changed until someone first believes in their heart, repents of their sins and then confesses Jesus as Lord as a profession of their submission to God’s call to their heart.
I said a sinner’s prayer when I was a child because I was told that if I said it, I would go to heaven. It wasn’t until I heard the message of the gospel many years later that I recognized the truth, heard God’s call, and then answered that call. As a child, my words did nothing to change my life, for there was no call of God, and no surrender of my heart. Fellowship with God came many years later when the call was of God and I wasn’t being manipulated into making my own confession.
An emotional message can stir a response, but until it’s God’s call in our hearts, any response remains the work of our own flesh and cannot redeem our souls. The words of our mouth justify only when our words testify that we have indeed surrendered to Jesus as Lord as an answer to His drawing. According to Jesus, no one can come to Him unless he is first drawn by the Father.[5] The Spirit proceeds from the Father to call into our hearts, draw us to Him, convict us of sin, and then transform us into a new creation.[6]
The power of salvation is not in the words of our mouth, but in Christ. The word of God calls us to salvation, and then we confess what God has revealed in our hearts through hearing the word.[7] We then confess in agreement with God, believing His word that Christ redeemed us from sin and salvation has come. My words are dependent upon the power of Christ. His Spirit calls me to salvation, proclaims my deliverance, and then I believe His word, knowing He has the authority to perform what He has promised. My confession is a testimony of faith, not the power to save myself through words.
Misunderstanding this is what causes people to fret over words, and believe that they must say the right prayer. Don’t trust in the words, trust in Christ. Putting our trust in anything else is also idolatry. We don’t put our faith in words, but in God.
To confess our sins is to agree with the word of God that our actions are wrong and that His word is right. Just as you cannot confess Christ without believing in His salvation and agreeing that He is Lord, you cannot confess your sins without agreeing that God’s word is true and that you are forsaking your sins and turning away from them as you turn toward Him. Confessing always involves repentance – answering God’s call to turn away from your ways. Look at Psalm 12:3-4
3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, And the tongue that speaks proud things,
4 Who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; Who is lord over us?”
Why does God criticize those who believe that the power of their words will cause them to prevail? Simply put, God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. Wanting to create with the power of our own lips is rooted in the heart of pride. Human nature desires to be like God. And even over God. A proud heart says, “I have the power to prosper my own way,” but the humble acknowledge their need. The humble look toward God for their deliverance and He blesses. Here is the truth about how we prevail: Psalm 34:7-10
7 The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.
8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
9 Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.
10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing. Good doesn’t come from our words, but from the hand of the Lord, to those who walk in His ways. True prosperity is found in surrender to God’s will as we trust in His goodness.
[1] Revelation 2:14
[2] Jeremiah 7:18-19, Jeremiah 44:17-30
[3] John 12:24
[4] Proverbs 15:2
[5] John 6:44
[6] John 15:26, Galatians 4:6, John 16:8, John 3:3-7, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 John 3:9
[7] Romans 10:17