Don’t Deceive Your Own Heart

David W Palmer

(James 1:26 NKJV) If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless.

This whole series about Jesus’s law of confession originated in his statement about faith and moving a mountain:

(Mark 11:23 NKJV) “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.”

Jesus’s law states that if we meet certain conditions, we “will have whatever” we “say.” We are using the word “law” in the scientific sense like the law of gravity or the laws of motion. If we meet Jesus’s conditions in this verse, we can always have what we say. If you are like me, you will want this law to work in your favour. So, what are Jesus’s conditions for having what you say?

Speak to the mountain—which could represent any large apparently immovable obstacle

Tell it what you want to happen with it—which for us means what God wants done with it

Do not doubt in your heart

Believe that what you say will be done

The third and fourth points of these conditions is where we seem to have the greatest challenge. When we consider how easy it is to speak to our cars, computers, appliances, and other inanimate objects, we should have no problem speaking to obstacles like demons, sickness, circumstances, storms, wind, or blockages. But to remove doubt from our hearts and to fully believe that what we say will be done is more challenging.

In today’s opening verse, the Holy Spirit gives us an indispensable key and understanding that can help us. Let’s look at it in a different translation:

(James 1:26 Lamsa Bible) If any man thinks that he ministers to God, and does not control his tongue, he deceives his own heart, and this man’s ministry is in vain.

We note that the Holy Spirit contrasts controlling or bridling our tongues with deceiving our hearts. In other words, if we speak unwisely, we will allow deception into our hearts. And, according to this passage, this greatly hinders our ministry: “this man’s ministry is in vain.”

Jesus said that the abundant treasure and overflow of our hearts comes out of our mouths:

(Matthew 12:34–35 DKJV) “You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of that which fills [and overflows from] the heart the mouth speaks. {35} A good man, out of the good treasure [collected in and overflowing from his heart], sends out good things; and an evil man out of the evil treasure sends out evil things.”

This heart and mouth connection that Jesus explained is borne out several times in the the Old Testament:

(Proverbs 15:14, 28 NKJV) The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness. ... {28} The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.

(Proverbs 16:23 NKJV) The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, And adds learning to his lips.

(Ecclesiastes 5:2 NKJV) Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few. (See also: Job 22:22, Psalm 19:14, Psalm 49:3)

If we don’t want deception in our hearts, we have to ensure that the words we say, mutter, confess, and repeat are true. And seeing Jesus said to his Father, “Your word is truth” (John 17:17 NKJV), the only way to ensure that we are not allowing deception into our hearts is to speak, mutter, confess, and “swallow” God’s words into our inner being. This is the only way to ensure that what eventually overflows from this process is the truth—that with which God agrees:

(Joshua 1:8 HCSB) This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.

When God’s truth overflows from our hearts—even in a moment of profound faith—this is when we can truly believe that what we say will happen. This is the way Jesus’s law of confession, as he spelled out in Mark 11:23, can work in his and our favour. When we fill our hearts and get our mouths to line up consistently with what God agrees, then we can have what we say in a good sense.

If on the other hand, we allow the enemy’s deceptive words into our hearts by hearing his world’s words, thinking about them, filling our hearts with them, and repeating them; then our tongues will steer our lives in his direction—irrespective of whether that is where we would choose to head while in moments of lucid contemplation. Truly, the Psalmist had this clearly written for us:

(Psalm 19:14 NKJV) Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

Today, I encourage you to make it your firmly established decision to get God’s truth into your heart and to keep the enemy’s deceptions out. Do this by turning off the world’s input; the enemy uses glittering entertainment, media, news, advertising, daily conversations, and fleshly thoughts to get our minds thinking anything but God’s truth. These wrong thoughts pretend to be true, factual, and the only logical alternatives; they seek entry by stealth into our hearts. But, praise God, we can turn them off, shut them out, and refuse to allow them access. And especially, we can absolutely refuse to repeat, articulate, discuss, or give any credence to them.

On the other hand, we can and should meditate in God’s word day and night (See: Psalm 1, Joshua 1:8, Mark 4:24). We can hear the word—via an audio Bible, etc.—read the word, study the word, memorise the word, and repeat it constantly in a stream of confessions of what God says. The pure light of God’s word and revelation will thus illuminate the dark places of our hearts and minds—renewing our minds and filling our hearts to overflow.

When the word comes back as an overflowing torrent in power and authority, that’s when we can speak to any mountainous obstacle and command it to be removed; and we will have what we say, as God watches over his living word to perform it.

If we allow Satan’s deception into our hearts and overflow his words—believing they will come to pass—we will also have what we say, sabotaging our own lives:

(James 3:5–6 NKJV) Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! {6} And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.

So God says:

(Proverbs 4:20–24 CSB) “My son, pay attention to my words; listen closely to my sayings. {21} Don’t lose sight of them; keep them within your heart. {22} For they are life to those who find them, and health to one's whole body. {23} Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life. {24} Don’t let your mouth speak dishonestly, and don't let your lips talk deviously.”

Remember, Jesus sent you into the world, but but not to to be of the world:

(John 17:15–19 NKJV) “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. {16} They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. {17} Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. {18} As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. {19} And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.”