The Power of Life and Death Is in the Tongue

INTRODUCTION — David Spoke Honestly, but Without the Revelation We Have Today

When you read the Psalms—especially Psalm 38—you hear David say some very self‑defeating things. He talks about his guilt overwhelming him, his strength failing, his friends abandoning him, and his future looking hopeless.

But here’s the important truth: David did not yet have the revelation Solomon later received about the power of words. And he certainly didn’t have the revelation Jesus gave us in Mark 11:23 (see below for that).

David spoke from raw emotion, but he also spoke from faith. Even in his darkest moments, David always added something like: “But Lord, You will help me… You will rescue me… You are my hope.”

That “but God” kept his complaints from becoming sinful. He wasn’t reinforcing a negative future—he was reaching for God.

David's son, Solomon, was given greater revelation and he tells us plainly: Your words carry life or death. Jesus takes it even further: Your words can move mountains—or destroy things—just like His words destroyed the fig tree.

This teaching explores how to live in that revelation today.

Point #1 — Words Carry Spiritual Weight

Proverbs 18:21 is not poetry. It’s a spiritual law. Words don’t just describe reality—they shape it.

Why words matter so much:

• Words reveal what we believe.

• Words reinforce what we believe.

• Words eventually create what we believe.

• Words set the direction of our life (James 3:4–5).

• Words either agree with God or agree with fear.

Jesus and the Fig Tree: A Living Illustration

In Mark 11, Jesus curses a fig tree. He wasn’t angry at the tree. He wasn’t being dramatic. He was giving His disciples a visual demonstration:

Words can destroy things just as easily as they can create things. He wanted them to take His teaching at face value: “You will have what you say.”

If His words could kill a tree, our words can kill hope, relationships, opportunities, or faith—or they can bring them to life.

Supportive Scripture

Matthew 12:37 (NLT): “The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”

Reflection Questions

• What kinds of words come out of your mouth when you’re tired or discouraged

• Do your words usually agree with God or with your emotions

• What would change if you consistently spoke life instead of frustration

Point #2 — Complaining Strengthens the Wrong Reality

Complaining is not harmless. Complaining is meditating out loud on the problem instead of the promise.

David complained—but he did it to God, not to people. And he always added faith: “But God will help me.”

That faith kept his complaints from becoming sinful.

Why complaining is spiritually dangerous for us today:

• We now have revelation David didn’t have.

• We know our words shape our future.

• We know venting reinforces a negative mindset.

• We know speaking fear strengthens fear.

• We know speaking unbelief trains the heart to expect disappointment.

Romans 14:23 says that if we do something we believe is wrong, it becomes sin to us. For many believers, complaining feels wrong because we know our words matter.

Supportive Scripture

Psalm 142:2 (NLT): “I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles.”

Reflection Questions

• When you complain, are you talking to God or just venting to people

• Does your complaining lead you toward faith or toward discouragement

• What would it look like to bring your pain to God without reinforcing it with your words

Point #3 — Speaking in Past Tense Breaks the Power of Sin and Struggle

When we talk about sin or weakness, we should try to speak in the past tense.

That’s actually biblical. God speaks to us in past tense about things He has already forgiven or healed.

Examples:

• “You were healed.”

• “You were washed.”

• “The old life is gone.”

Speaking in past tense:

1. Breaks shame

2. Reinforces identity

3. Aligns your words with God’s perspective

Supportive Scripture

Romans 6:11 (NLT): “So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God.”

Reflection Questions

• How does speaking in past tense change the way you see your struggles

• What would happen if you consistently spoke about yourself the way God speaks about you

• Which area of your life needs a “past tense” declaration today

Point #4 — Helping Others Without Reinforcing Their Complaints

This is where wisdom is needed. When people come to you venting, you must be even more careful with your words.

Venting is often just an excuse to complain. And when someone vents to another person, it reinforces a negative mindset that carries on into the future.

So when people come to you:

• Stay solution‑minded

• Speak in past tense about the problem

• Point them toward God as the answer

• Avoid agreeing with their hopelessness

• Avoid reinforcing their fear

• Avoid repeating their negative statements

3 ways to help people wisely:

1. Godly Counsel

Some people want truth. They want correction. They want clarity. They want someone to help them see what they can’t see. They will listen to your advice and think about it.

But... others will shut down when corrected. My theory is that they are probably highly sensitive to criticism and when people try to give them good advice, they see that as criticism for not doing well and then they take offense to it.

These kinds of people need a different approach.

2. Speak only positively

Speak to them as if they can defeat this problem and do all things because God is with them, He strengthens them, etc,

OR you can use the following:

3. Motivational/Revelational Questions

People need to discover truth themselves. When they find the answer, it sticks.

Jesus used this method constantly and so do people in healthcare. There's a whole teaching on "motivational interviewing" which is basically asking people questions to try to help people see the barriers that are between them and having better health - and it really works.

Supportive Scripture

Proverbs 20:5 (NLT): “Though good advice lies deep within the heart, a person with understanding will draw it out.”

Reflection Questions

• Who in your life needs counsel, and who needs questions?

• How can you guide someone toward faith without reinforcing their fear?

• What question could you ask someone this week that might unlock revelation for them?

CONCLUSION — Your Words Are Seeds

David spoke honestly, but he didn’t have the revelation Solomon or Jesus gave us. Yet even in his complaints, he added faith: “But God will help me.”

Solomon revealed the power of words. Jesus revealed the authority of words. Paul revealed the conscience behind our words and actions.

Together they show us: Your words shape your heart, your faith, your future, and your influence on others.

Lexical Notes (BibleStudyTools.com)

• Tongue (Hebrew: lashon) — speech, language, the instrument of declaring.

• Life (Hebrew: chay) — vitality, flourishing, wholeness.

• Death (Hebrew: maveth) — ruin, destruction, loss of strength.

• Believe (Greek: pisteuō) — to trust, rely on, place confidence in.

• Say (Greek: legō) — to speak with intention, to declare, to command.

• Condemn (Greek: katakrinō) — to judge against, to pronounce a negative outcome.