Words, Warfare, and Victory

This is the manuscript of the  the fifth sermon in the "Watch Your Mouth" series.

But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.(James 3:14-16 NIV)

In military history, one of the most effective tactics an enemy can use is wiretapping or hijacking a communication system. If an adversary can infiltrate your radio frequencies, they don't just listen to your plans—they can broadcast false orders, spread misinformation, stir up panic, and cause the army to turn on itself in confusion.

We are in a spiritual war. And one of the primary strategic goals of the enemy of your soul is to hijack your communication system. Satan is constantly looking for a foothold in your life, and his favorite entry point is the gate of your lips. He loves nothing more than to take a mouth designed to reflect the glory of God and turn it into a microphone for hell.

If we want to maintain a strong spiritual foundation, we must be alert to how the enemy operates. We must practice regular self-reflection to ensure we aren't unknowingly advancing his agenda with our own words.

Scripture: 

Genesis 3:1-13 NIV [1] Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” [2] The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, [3] but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” [4] “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. [5] “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” [6] When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. [7] Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. [8] Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. [9] But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” [10] He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” [11] And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” [12] The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” [13] Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Text:

James 3:14-16 NIV [14] But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. [15] Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. [16] For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

This is week five of our series, "Watch Your Mouth," where we are examining the incredible, God-given power of the tongue.   I have one more to go and it will be “Thanksgiving in Your Throat”

Over the last four weeks, we have traveled quite a distance. We’ve discovered the raw dynamite hidden behind our teeth. We’ve learned that the mouth is simply the loudspeaker for whatever station is playing in the heart. We’ve discovered how to speak the language of faith-filled victory to our problems, and last week, we looked at how to transform our daily conversations into a beautiful ministry of grace and healing.

But today, we have to look at the battlefield.

In military history, one of the most effective tactics an enemy can use is wiretapping or hijacking a communication system. If an adversary can infiltrate your radio frequencies, they don't just listen to your plans—they can broadcast false orders, spread misinformation, stir up panic, and cause the army to turn on itself in confusion.

We are in a spiritual war today. And one of the primary strategic goals of the enemy of your soul is to hijack your communication system. Satan is constantly looking for a foothold in your life, and his favorite entry point is the gate of your lips. 

1 Peter 5:8 NIV Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 

Satan loves nothing more than to take a mouth that was designed to reflect the glory of God and turn it into a microphone for hell.

James 3:6 NIV says The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

If we want to maintain a strong spiritual foundation, we have to be alert to how the enemy operates. We must practice regular self-reflection to ensure we aren't unknowingly advancing his agenda with our own words.

Let’s look at how the enemy seeks to contaminate our speech, looking first at the blueprint of his deception in the book of Genesis, and then at the warning provided by James.

1. The Enemy uses Doubt, Distortion, and Division

To understand how Satan wants to use your speech, we have to go back to the very beginning, to Genesis chapter 3. Notice the very first words that ever came out of the enemy's mouth to humanity: 

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

Satan’s primary native dialect is distortion. He didn't flat-out deny God's existence; he just twisted God's words to introduce a toxic drop of doubt into Eve's mind. He took what God designed for protection and reframed it as restriction. (God provided an entire garden filled with abundance and gave humans free reign over all of it, with only one exception. The restriction was designed to shield humanity from the experiential knowledge of evil, brokenness, suffering, and death. It wasn't a denial of joy; it was a safeguard to maintain their innocence and unbroken relationship with Him.)

And notice what happened immediately after Eve listened to and agreed with that twisted speech. 

Genesis 3:6-7 NIV [6] When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. [7] Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

By verse 12 of that same chapter, human speech had been corrupted. 

Genesis 3:8-12 NIV [8] Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. [9] But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” [10] He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” [11] And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” [12] The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

When God asked Adam what happened, Adam didn't take responsibility. He opened his mouth and said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

In a matter of moments, speech went from pure worship and fellowship to blame, accusation, and division.

When we use our mouths to twist the truth, to exaggerate a story to make ourselves look better, or to accuse and blame others rather than taking responsibility, we are speaking the enemy's language. We are letting the serpent whisper through our lips.

We often think of spiritual warfare in terms of dramatic, Hollywood-style manifestations.  But our text tells us that spiritual warfare is often waged in the casual, day-to-day conversations we have. 

Our text says that if we harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition, any wisdom or speech that comes out of that is "earthly, unspiritual, demonic."

James 3:14-16 NIV [14] But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. [15] Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. [16] For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

I know that demonic is a very heavy word but what our text really says is that if our speech is driven by a desire to tear someone else down (which is to envy) or to promote ourselves at the expense of others (which is selfish ambition), the source of that speech is coming straight from the pit of hell.

James 3:6 NIV The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

 So how do you know when your speech has been wiretapped by the enemy? 

Well look at 

James 3:16 NIV For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

• The enemy’s speech always produces disorder (confusion, chaos, broken relationships, and fractured churches).

• The Holy Spirit’s speech always produces peace, unity, restoration, and clarity

James 3:17 NIV But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 

If your words are consistently introducing chaos, friction, and division, it’s time to stop blaming the people around you. It’s time for some deep self-reflection to see whose agenda your tongue is actually serving.

3. We need to Evict the Enemy from Our Mouths

So, how do we shut down the enemy’s microphone? How do we close the door to this demonic influence?  Here’s how.

To evict him, we must practice the spiritual discipline of active restraint and radical truth.

James 4:7 NIV says Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 

• We close the door to gossip by refusing to listen to it or pass it on. 

Proverbs 26:20 says, "Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down." 

You can be the place where the enemy's fire stops spreading.

Ephesians 4:31–32 says "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and malice, along with every form of spite. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

• We close the door to vindictiveness  by choosing to speak words of forgiveness and blessing over people who have hurt us, utterly short-circuiting the enemy's plans for retaliation.

Slam the door on spite by actively extending the same forgiveness we received.

Conclusion

As we have said throughout this series taming the tongue is a battle we cannot win on our own. It requires us to regularly yield our weapons of warfare to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Your tongue is a weapon—and it will either be an instrument of righteousness in the hands of God, or a weapon of destruction hijacked by the enemy.

When someone hurts us, the enemy expects us to use our mouths to strike back with gossip, slander, or a sharp tongue. Instead, we should draw the Sword of the Spirit by speaking God's truth over the situation. 

Ephesians 6:17 NIV says Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

When the enemy prompts us to: "Tell everyone what they did to you," the Sword of the Spirit answers: "I choose to cover this in love and speak a blessing over them."

1 Peter 3:9 NIV Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 

By using our mouths to speak words of forgiveness and Scripture rather than matching the enemy's vitriol, we completely disarm the enemy. We aren't just defending ourselves; we are actively taking territory back from the enemy using the very instrument—our mouth—that he hoped to corrupt.

Let's decide today that the enemy's broadcast ends here. Let’s invite the Holy Spirit to place a supernatural filter over our minds and lips, so that when the enemy tries to inject doubt, division, or bitterness into our hearts, it finds absolutely no open microphone to speak through.

Let’s remember our filter THINK

• T – Is it True?

• H – Is it Helpful?

• I – Is it Inspiring (Does it build up)?

• N – Is it Necessary?

• K – Is it Kind? 

Let’s bow our heads as we pray for spiritual victory over our speech today.

Lord God Almighty, You are the Sovereign Commander of the armies of Heaven. We recognize today that we are in a spiritual battle, and we confess that we have often allowed the enemy to use our lips to spread his chaos, his doubt, and his division. Forgive us, Lord. We reclaim any foothold we have given to the adversary through reckless words, gossip, or ungodly anger. Holy Spirit, we station You as a guard over the door of our lips. May our voices be used exclusively to build Your Kingdom, to declare Your truth, and to bring unity and peace to everyone we encounter. Evict the enemy from our speech today, and let Christ be magnified. In the mighty and victorious name of Jesus, Amen.

The Ministry of the Mouth

This is the manuscript of the  the fourth sermon in the "Watch Your Mouth" series.

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:29 ESV)

There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. (Proverbs 12:18 ESV)

We will look at the profound impact, spiritual responsibility, and legacy of our words. Moving from understanding the raw power of speech to practicing its stewardship, this message challenges believers to evaluate whether their everyday communication is building up or leaving lasting scars.

Rather than treating speech as a matter of simple etiquette, the sermon emphasizes implementing a "holy fast" or a tight scriptural rein to stop the flow of destructive patterns like gossip, criticism, grumbling, and lying.

To operate in a true ministry of the mouth, individuals are called to intentionally shift the balance away from constant correction toward biblical affirmation, validation, and encouragement. The message introduces a constructive speech filter, prompting us to ask if our words are wholesome, timely, and necessary to meet the specific needs of the listener. Ultimately, the sermon teaches the deep spiritual anatomy of silence—demonstrating that choosing to hold one's tongue and wait on God is often the ultimate expression of trust in His sovereignty.

Scripture

Ephesians 4:17-30 ESV  [17] Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. [18] They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. [19] They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. [20] But that is not the way you learned Christ!— [21] assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, [22] to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, [23] and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, [24] and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. [25] Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. [26] Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, [27] and give no opportunity to the devil. [28] Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. [29] Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. [30] And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 

Introduction: The Purpose of the Instrument

It is a blessing to be back together today for week four of our series, "Watch Your Mouth," as we dig into the life-altering, biblical wisdom in this series of sermons. 

Over the first three weeks we have treated our speech with the seriousness it deserves. We looked at the explosive power behind our teeth. We discovered that our mouth is just a loudspeaker for our heart. And last week, we learned how to change the dial off the channel of fleshly defeat and onto the channel of covenant victory.

When we use our words with integrity to actively speak life, advocate for equity, and voice appreciation, we are making conscious "spiritual deposits" that break chains of discouragement and build up the people around us.

We are going to look at the profound impact of and honoring how God uses willing vessels, regardless of their title, gender, or status, to bring His fathering heart, His structure, and His identity to a broken world. 

If you were to buy a top-of-the-line, precision-engineered medical scalpel, you wouldn't use it to scrape rust off an old car bumper. You wouldn't use it to pry open a can of paint. Why? Because it is a specialized instrument designed for a noble purpose: to heal, to repair what is broken, and to assist in saving a human life.

God did not give you a mouth simply to yell at the television, or vent your frustrations after a long day. He engineered your vocal cords for a much higher, noble purpose. He designed your mouth to be an instrument of covenant ministry, because your words can shape a person’s concept of themselves—and their concept of God the Father—for the rest of their lives.

Let's take a look at our text today, first from the Apostle Paul in the book of Ephesians, and then from the wisdom of Solomon in the book of Proverbs.

Text:

Ephesians 4:29 ESV Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 

Proverbs 12:18 ESV [18]  There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

1. The Quality Control of the Kingdom

Let's look first very closely at Paul's command in Ephesians 4:29. “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

He starts with a strict, boundary-setting prohibition: "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths..."

The Greek word used for "unwholesome" here is sapros. In the ancient marketplace, this word was used to describe rotten fruit, spoiled fish, or decaying wood. It is stuff  that has lost its utility, smells foul, and spreads contamination to anything it touches.

Paul is saying that when a Christian uses their mouth to speak words of malice, harsh sarcasm, tearing criticism, or slander, it is the spiritual equivalent of serving a plate of rotten, foul meat to the people around them. It poisons the environment.

But then notice the filter Paul establishes. He says the standard for what leaves your lips is that it must be 'only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs.

Let’s read that verse again “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

A couple of weeks ago I gave the folk in Bible Study a filter to use before we speak.  It is the THINK FILTER:

• T – Is it True?

• H – Is it Helpful?

• I – Is it Inspiring (Does it build up)?

• N – Is it Necessary?

• K – Is it Kind? 

If what you are going to say fails even one of these criteria, then don’t say anything. 

Now I realize that this  requires a total shift in our perspective. 

Most of the time, when we speak, we are thinking about our needs—our need to be right, our need to express our anger, our need to vent. But the Kingdom standard for speech is driven by the needs of the listener, not the speaker. 

Before you speak to your friend, your child, your coworker, or your brother and sister in Christ, you need to run your words through this filter.    Is it true, is it helpful, is it inspiring, is it necessary, is it kind.  

2. Words as Spiritual Medicine

In the second half of our text Solomon contrasts two types of speakers:  Look at the second scripture in our text today;

Proverbs 12:18 ESV [18]  There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Think about that imagery. Reckless words are like a sword wielded by a blindfolded man. Every time they swing their mouths, they are cutting people open. They’re slashing at their confidence, piercing their joy, and stabbing their friends in the back. Even if they try  to laugh it off and say, "Oh, I didn't mean anything by it, I was just telling the truth, in love" the damage is done. The bleeding is real.

But then Solomon shows us the alternative: "the tongue of the wise brings healing."

Your mouth can function as a spiritual pharmacy. When you cultivate a wise, Spirit-led tongue, your words carry active, therapeutic ingredients.

• A word of sincere validation can act as an ointment on a wound of rejection.

Proverbs 16:24 ESV[24]  Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.

Modern medicine consistently proves that stress, anxiety, and depression—often triggered or worsened by verbal abuse or emotional isolation—have tangible physical consequences on the body. Godly words are therapeutic. When you speak life over someone, you are injecting spiritual medicine that brings psychological and physical relief.

• A word of biblical encouragement can serve as a dose of strength to someone paralyzed by fear.

Proverbs 12:25 ESV[25]  Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.

• A word of gentle truth can act like a surgeon's scalpel, cutting away a dangerous lie so that healing can begin.

Proverbs 27:6 ESV[6] Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

You have the power to alter the emotional and spiritual climate of someone's day just by the words you choose to speak. You are either bleeding people dry with your swords, or you are binding them up with your medicine.

3. Depositing Grace into the Soul

Look again at the final phrase of Ephesians 4:29:

Ephesians 4:29 ESV Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 

Ephesians 4:29 NIV translation says “that it may benefit those who listen.” 

The word "benefit" or "grace" here implies a deposit. 

Imagine making a deposit to your bank account.   When you do that qwalking up to a bank teller window or today the ATM. or electronically to make a deposit, you are adding value, leaving that account richer than it was before you acted. 

When you talk with someone you have either left a deposit in their soul or made a withdrawal from it.

Here is what it looks like to intentionally make deposits in the people around us:

• For a Family Member: When you say, "I notice how much heart you put into everything you do for us, and I truly value your integrity," you just made a meaningful deposit.

• For a Friend: When you look at them and say, "I see God’s hand on your life, and I am incredibly proud of the person you are becoming," you just made a huge deposit.

• For a Neighbor: When you tell them, "I appreciate the care and kindness you bring to our community; it truly makes a difference," you just made a lasting deposit.

Every daily interaction gives us the choice to leave someone richer, stronger, and more whole than we found them.

But when we focus only on what's wrong, when we nag, criticize, and belittle, we are constantly making withdrawals until the people around us are spiritually bankrupt, emotionally exhausted, and running on empty.

Conclusion & Invitation: Commissioned to the Ministry of the Mouth

God has called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light. And in doing so, He has commissioned us into ministry. You might not stand behind a pulpit like this one, but you stand in a pulpit every time you sit at the dinner table, every time you send an email, and every time you talk to someone. Your mouth is your microphone for ministry.

Let’s decide today to lay down the swords of recklessness. Let’s stop serving the unwholesome, rotten fruit of complaints and criticism. Instead, let's offer our vocal cords to the Holy Spirit as instruments of healing, grace, and life. Let's make it our daily prayer that anyone who encounters our voice leaves richer, stronger, and closer to Jesus.

Victory in Your Voice

This is the manuscript of the third sermon in the series "Watch Your Mouth".

But Joshua had commanded the army, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!”  (Joshua 6:10 NIV) 

Every single object in the physical world has what scientists call a "resonant frequency"—a specific rate of vibration. If a singer hits the exact resonant frequency of a wine glass, that glass will shatter from the sheer force of the sound wave. 

In the spiritual realm, your voice has a frequency. When you speak, you are broadcasting on one of two frequencies: the frequency of the flesh (which aligns with defeat, doubt, and despair) or the frequency of faith (which aligns with God’s sovereign promises, victory, and power).

Many of us wonder why we experience a constant stream of defeat in our homes, finances, health, and peace of mind, when the reality is that we use our own mouths to declare that defeat every single day. 

Scripture

Joshua 6:1-10 NIV [1] Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. [2] Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. [3] March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. [4] Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. [5] When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.” [6] So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.” [7] And he ordered the army, “Advance! March around the city, with an armed guard going ahead of the ark of the Lord.” [8] When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the Lord went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant followed them. [9] The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding. [10] But Joshua had commanded the army, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!” 

Introduction: The Frequency of Faith

Today is week three in our series, "Watch Your Mouth”.

Over the last two weeks, we have laid a heavy foundation. In week one, we looked at the explosive power behind our teeth—realizing there is dynamite that can either clear a path for the Kingdom or blow up our lives. Last week, we dug beneath the surface to realize that our mouth is simply a loudspeaker for our heart. If we want to change the song coming out of the speakers, we have to let the Holy Spirit change the station playing in the heart.

Today, we are taking a massive ground-shifting step. We are going to look at how our words actually shape our spiritual environment.

Every single object in the physical world has what scientists call a "resonant frequency"—a specific rate of vibration. If a singer hits the exact resonant frequency of a wine glass, that glass will shatter from the sheer force of the sound wave. 

In the spiritual realm, your voice has a frequency. When you speak, you are broadcasting on one of two frequencies: the frequency of the flesh (which aligns with defeat, doubt, and despair) or the frequency of faith (which aligns with God’s sovereign promises, victory, and power).

Many of us are wondering why we are experiencing a constant stream of defeat in our homes, our finances, our health, and our peace of mind, when the reality is that we are using our own mouths to declare that defeat every single day. 

Scripture shows us how God connects our voice to our victory. 

Following the death of Moses, Joshua was appointed by God to lead the nation of Israel into Canaan—the Promised Land. Jericho was the very first major city standing in their path. Geographically, it was a vital strategic stronghold. If Israel could capture Jericho, they would successfully split the land of Canaan right down the middle, preventing the northern and southern kings from uniting against them. 

Jericho was famous for being a heavily fortified city-state. Think of ancient Middle Eastern fortresses like a layered defense: first, a giant dirt slope to slow you down, then a heavy stone retaining wall, and finally, towering brick walls capping the whole thing off."

Picture God’s people standing before the formidable fortress of Jericho. Its massive stone walls loomed large, and by any human standard, victory was an absolute impossibility. It was then that God handed Joshua a battle strategy that defied all conventional military logic.  The strategy was to;

March around the city once a day for six days, and then seven times on the seventh day.

The strategy is laid out clearly in

Joshua 6:2-5 (NIV) Then the Lord said to Joshua, 'See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.'"

Woven directly into this unorthodox battle plan was a strict, highly specific command regarding their speech: "Do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout."

Here’s our text for today 

Joshua 6:10 NIV But Joshua had commanded the army, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!” 

God gave Joshua a highly unconventional military strategy to conquer the fortified city of Jericho:

The Israelite army, along with priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant, had to march around the city walls once a day for six days, and seven times on the seventh day.

For the first six days, total silence was required from the soldiers. No battle cries, no chatter, no whispering.

Only on the seventh day, after the seventh lap, when the trumpets sounded a long blast, were they finally commanded to shout—at which point the walls of Jericho collapsed.

Why did God demand total, absolute silence from an army of over 600,000 soldiers?  Let’s see if we can find out why.

The Israelites were historically notorious for grumbling, complaining, and vocalizing fear whenever they faced an obstacle.  Here are a couple of examples;

Exodus 15:23-24 NIV [23] When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) [24] So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”

This happened shortly after they went through the Red Sea on dry ground, by the way.

Then at the border of Cannon after the 10 out of 12 spies came back talking about the giants and well fortified cities in the land,

Numbers 13:32-33 NIV [32] And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. [33] We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

So maybe, if Joshua had allowed them to speak during those six days of looking up at those intimidating walls, they may have started  infecting each other with doubt ("This isn't working," "Why are we just walking?"). So maybe God demanded silence to prevent their fleshly tongues from sabotaging their supernatural victory.

By enforcing complete vocal restraint, God ensured that when the command to "Shout!" finally came on the seventh day, the roar of the army was an undivided expression of collective, uncompromised faith.

Sometimes, the first step to spiritual victory in your life is simply calling a ceasefire on your negative words. If you can’t say anything that aligns with God's promises yet, it is better to be strategically silent. 

Now let’s look at a scripture that you hear from me every week.

Romans 10:9-10 NIV [9] If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 

Our mouth is what unlocks the ultimate victory: which is our salvation.

Belief in the heart is essential, but God requires it to be backed by a verbal declaration from the mouth. 

Why is it necessary to verbally declare that Jesus is Lord? 

In the ancient Greco-Roman world, to verbally declare "Jesus is Lord" was a massive, dangerous legal statement. It meant you were publicly declaring that Caesar was not your ultimate master. You were shifting your allegiance, your citizenship, and your submission to a higher King.

In the spiritual realm, your verbal confession is a legal document. When you speak the truth of God, you are enforcing the victory of the cross over your current circumstances.

When you practice true biblical confession, you aren't just making up positive thoughts or wishing upon a star. You are using your voice to say the exact same thing about your life that God says about your life. You are bringing your speech into agreement with the King of Kings.

Victory begins when you stop speaking your problems to God, and you start speaking God to your problems.

Mark 11:22-23 NIV [22]  “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. [23] “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 

Jesus didn't tell you to talk about the mountain to everyone who will listen. He told you to talk to the mountain on the authority of His name.

• When the enemy whispers that you are worthless, you speak to that mountain: "I am fearfully and wonderfully made, chosen, and redeemed by the blood of the Lamb!"

Psalms 139:14 NIV says I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. and

Ephesians 1:4-6 NIV [4] For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love [5] he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— [6] to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 

AND 

Revelation 12:11 NIV They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.

• When anxiety tells you your future is ruined, you speak to that mountain: 

Philippians 4:19 NIV And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 

Conclusion

Aligning our priorities with God's will is a continuous process. It demands that we regularly evaluate what we are broadcasting into our surroundings and our hearts.

On that seventh day at Jericho, when the trumpets sounded, Joshua gave the order: "Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!" When they released their voices in alignment with God's command, those thick, impossible walls collapsed flat into the dirt.

Joshua 6:20-21 NIV [20] When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city. [21] They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.

What walls are you facing today? Is it a wall of financial distress? A wall of broken relationships? A wall of addiction or depression?

It’s time to call a ceasefire on reckless talk, and start using your voice to declare the victory that Jesus Christ has already won on your behalf. Bring your heart into alignment, open your mouth, and let the truth of God reshape your environment.

Let’s bow our heads as we pray.

Sovereign Lord, You are the God who causes walls to fall. Forgive us for the times we have used our voices to validate our fears rather than declare Your faithfulness. Today, we turn off the frequency of defeat and we turn onto the frequency of faith. We confess with our mouths that Jesus Christ is Lord over our relationships, Lord over our struggles, and Lord over our futures. Give us the grace to speak Your promises directly to our problems. We thank You in advance for the walls that are going to fall. In the victorious name of Jesus, Amen.