Remember Your Miranda Rights
Scripture: James 3:2, 5-6; Ephesians 6:11-12; Proverbs 21:23; 18:21
In the third chapter of the book of James we find the following words in verses two, five and six: “(2) For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body….(5) 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.” (James 3:2, 5-6)
James says that while we might stumble or trip over many things, if we can control our words, then we can control our whole body. He warns us that, in comparison, while the tongue might be small, it can set the course of nature. The truth that James is emphasizing is the words that we speak can establish a path for our lives that, under normal conditions, we would not have chosen. When things are spoken in an emotional state, it’s a small spark that becomes a raging fire that destroys everything in its path. James actually says that it is “set on fire by hell” which tells us that some of the things coming out of our mouths were instigated by our adversary to get the fire started! We really need to think about this statement. For this reason, James says we must bridle (lead, direct, govern) our tongues. The title of my message this morning is “Remember Your Miranda Rights.”
All of you know that our adversary cannot read our minds, right? He does not know what we are thinking or what is in our hearts until we open our mouths and tell him. Once we speak the words and show him what is in our hearts, now listen to me, he then goes into action to build a specific plan against us. We show our adversary what we are thinking and or feelings with the words we speak and the actions we take. When we open our mouths to speak, he is listening, gathering info to use against us and, for this reason alone, we should be careful about what we say. I want you to keep this in mind as I go through this message this morning. If we can get to the place where we can control (lead, direct, govern) our tongues, then we can literally reach a point in our lives where we are not giving him ideas and tools to use against us. But more importantly, we will stop speaking against our faith.
There are many legal dramas on television today demonstrating how our justice system is supposed to work. One of the more popular shows is “Law and Order”. When the program comes on, it opens with the following: “In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the police, who investigate crime, and the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders. These are their stories.” If you have ever seen this show or any other legal drama, when someone is arrested for a crime, he is always “read his rights”. Do you remember that? This is done so that the person understands he has certain rights afforded to him by the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. In this case, I am referring to the right not to incriminate yourself should you be arrested and possibly guilty of committing a crime. The rights that the police officer reviews with the suspect before they are interrogated or questioned are called Miranda Rights.
The “Miranda Rights” were named after Ernesto Miranda. In 1963, Ernesto Miranda was arrested for kidnapping and rape. He made a confession without having been told of his constitutional right to remain silent and his right to have an attorney present during police questioning. At his trial, prosecutors offered only his confession as evidence and he was convicted. The Supreme Court ruled in Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966) that Miranda was intimidated by the interrogation and that he did not understand his right not to incriminate himself or his right to counsel. On this basis, they overturned his conviction. He was later convicted in a new trial with witnesses testifying against him and other evidence being presented. He served eleven years. When Miranda was later killed in a knife fight, his killer received the Miranda warnings where he invoked his rights and declined to give a statement. In 2000, the issue of Miranda rights came up before the Supreme Court once again in Dickerson v. United States, 530 U.S. 428 (2000). The justices re-affirmed the earlier precedent. The purpose of the Miranda Right is to ensure that any individual arrested and questioned about a crime understands that they do not have to say anything that will incriminate them. The Miranda Right says: “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you at interrogation time and at court.” This morning I want you to think about Miranda rights in light of your spiritual walk and the spiritual warfare we are continuously engaged in.
So, let’s walk through the Miranda rights and see how they can assist us in our war with our adversary. By the way, although I am speaking specifically about our war with our adversary, everything I am about to tell you also applies to our daily walk here in the natural. Now the first right listed in the Miranda Rights is you have the right to remain silent. We do not have to speak or answer any question until we have been advised to do so by our legal counsel (an attorney representing us.) In the case of the natural, it means that we have the right to keep our mouths shut and not speak until we have talked with our lawyer. In the spiritual, we are advised to keep our mouths shut (PERIOD) until led and/or advised by the Spirit of God. Listen to what Solomon says in Proverbs 21:23: “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.” Solomon says that the man who can control (lead, direct, govern) his mouth is able to keep himself from trouble. Why is this so? Because when we speak, things begin to happen because our words carry power. Solomon said in Proverbs 18:21 that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”
I have talked with you many times about Proverbs 18:21. Truly death and life are in the power of the tongue. In the natural, the reason we have the right to remain silent when we are arrested for possibly committing a crime is because depending on what comes out of our mouths, it could bring death, not life. This is the reason that we are not required to testify against ourselves. Now think about this from a spiritual perspective. Spiritually, the things that come forth from our mouths can either bring forth life or it will bring forth death – both emotional and physical death. How many of you have ever heard a parent speak something negative over their child year after year after year only to see that child grow up and become exactly what the parents “continually prophesized about them”? How many times have we witnessed someone talking negatively about their jobs, spouses, friends and others with the final results being that person losing the very things/individuals they spoke against? Our words can set in motions things that we cannot begin to understand. Death and life are in the power of the tongue therefore since we have the right to remain silent, we really should consider taking up that right as a model for living.
So why is it so very important that we remain silent as it relates to our spiritual warfare? As I said earlier, our adversary cannot read our minds or know what is in our thoughts. Because he is not God and is not able to do this, his forces must watch and wait in order to get an idea as to what they can use to potentially trip us up. They watch what we do; wait for us to open our mouths; and then they are able to understand what is working against us and what is not. It is critical that we begin to understand the power, the authority that our words can give to our adversary. When we speak things that are not of God, he is listening. When we speak our frustrations, he is listening. When we speak our desires, he is listening. When we speak against others, or even our situations, He Is Listening!!! Understanding this gives new meaning to what Peter said when he wrote, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (First Peter 5:8) When our adversary is searching for a way into our lives, what do you think he uses in order to determine his area to attack? What he sees and what he hears. From a spiritual perspective, what he hears from us carries more weight because that’s the only way he understands what is going on inside of us. We must be careful because our adversary uses our words against us! I encourage you this morning to let negative thoughts die unspoken.
The second part of the Miranda Rights states that “anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.” Before we open our mouths we should say this repeatedly in our minds – “What I am about to say can and will be used against me!!!” That statement should give us pause and make us think twice or even three times about what we are about to say. In the natural, when we are arrested and questioned, before we are asked a question, we are told that anything that comes out of our mouth can and will be used against us. In other words, whatever comes out of your mouth, even in jest, will be used against you if it helps the case of the prosecution. The prosecution gets to decide what they will or will not use. The key thing to remember is that anything you say can be used against you. Even when you are speaking in general terms, your words can be misconstrued and twisted based on the evidence against you. This is why the lawyer instructs the client as to which question they should or should not answer. Depending on the person asking the questions, a good interrogator can confuse the suspect so much that they can get the person to confess to something that they did not do (again, using their own words against them.) I remember years ago when I was a youth Pastor in Arkansas, I was asked to give a character reference on behalf of one of the young men who had gotten into trouble. When I was called to the stand, I was asked very pointed questions to which I gave very simple, clear responses. The prosecutor would rephrase my answers in an attempt to trip me up. He would say things like “So your testimony is….” And he would twist what I said. After three of four times of me correcting him, he finally ended his questioning. If I not corrected him on his version of what I was saying his version would have been recorded as fact within the trial documents. Again, in the natural we must remember that whatever we say can and will be used against us and the same applies to the spiritual – even more so.
Paul wrote the following in Colossians chapter four. “(5) Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. (6) Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” (Colossians 4:5-6) Paul cautioned them to be careful in all conversations, especially with those who were not Christians. Why? If they were not careful with how they spoke, they could possibly end up hurting or offending those they were trying to convert. In this situation their words could be used and/or interpreted in such a way that it would lead to those who were not Christians becoming more prejudiced against religion and would also increase their dislike for Christians. In verse six, Paul speaks of how we should talk regardless of the audience, those within Christianity and those without. He says we should always speak with grace, seasoned with salt. The term “seasoned with salt” implies that that our conversations should be seasoned with godliness or grace in a way similar to how we use salt to flavor our food. It makes it more wholesome and pleasant. The point he is making is that if anything we say can and will be used against us, then we must make sure that everything that comes out of our mouths will be that which will benefit others. This is why he also writes, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” (Ephesians 4:29) Words that edify and impart grace can never be used in a negative manner to cause harm to others or to ourselves.
This is the reason our adversary and his forces spend so much time listening to what we say. It lets them know what is in our hearts. Just like in the natural, whatever a person says will be used against them, especially if they confess it, the same is true spiritually. Whatever comes out of our mouths is a confession as to what is in our hearts and this is what our adversary is constantly seeking. This goes from the general conversations to include the off colored remarks and jokes we tell or repeat. All of these things can give our adversary access into what is in our hearts. Some of the most successful schemes that he uses against man actually originated from man – he just expands and perfects the ideas we present to him. He is an expert at using our words against us.
Do you remember what Jesus said about the origin of the things we say? He said, “….For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34b) Jesus said that what is in our hearts will come out through our mouths and this is why our adversary is paying such close attention to what we are saying. I told you last week that when we are first saved, although our spirits are changed through Christ, our minds are not transformed. Until that transformation takes place, it is easy for us to get out of the spirit and into our flesh, something our adversary watches for. He listens closely to what we are saying to seek out any means possible to get into our lives. If you are constantly speaking about things you are afraid of, he is listening so he can use your fears against you. If you are constantly speaking about things you desire but will probably never receive, he is listening. Whatever you are speaking to yourself or to others, he is listening and taking notes. He remembers more about the things we have said than we do!
James says in James 3:8-10, “(8) But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. (9) With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. (10) Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.” James reaffirms that both good and evil should not be coming out of our mouth. If we only spoke good, our adversary would have nothing to work with to use against us. However, when we get off center and start speaking trash and everything else that comes into our hearts, he pounces on it immediately if he can or he will save it for use at a later time when it can have the most impact.
Before I close I want to share with you an example of how our tongues opens the door for our adversary to not only come in and hinder us, but gives him idea, after idea, after idea of ways to come against us. How many of you have ever heard someone complaining? How many of you have been that person complaining? Our acts of complaining, coupled with what we are actually complaining about, gives our adversary so many ideas of things he can use against us that it is not funny. For example you have a friend who constantly complains about everything. They do not like their job; their spouse; their kids; their home; how they look; how you look; how everyone else looks; and they do not like anything else around them. Everything makes them unhappy. In the summer, they’re too hot. In the winter, they’re too cold. In the spring it’s too much pollen in the air and in the fall there are just too many leaves falling (even though they do not have any trees in their apartment complex.) Any of you know anyone like this? If someone is this bent on complaining and being unhappy, what happens when they come to Church? Are they able to really be thankful? Our adversary loves people like this because their griping and complaining can kill everything around them and it can spread like a wild fire, especially in Church!
David said in Psalm 39:1 “….I will guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, while the wicked are before me.” David was very aware of the impact the tongue could have and made the decision that he would guard his so that he would not sin against God. This was especially important when he was in the presence of sinful people – you know those who are looking for you to slip because you are such a good “Christian.” Lamentations 3:39 says “Why should any living mortal, or any man, offer complaint in view of his sins?” In other words, as we are yet alive and remember the sin from whence we came, we have no reason to ever complain about anything. We should be so grateful for God forgiving us that we should be walking around in bliss enjoyment knowing that we have eternal life. Nothing compares to the destination where we were once headed.
As you leave here today please remember that you have an adversary who is watching your every move and listening to your every word. Remember that you “have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you!” If you remember this you will begin to think about what you say before you say it. Within our tongues lies both life and death. If you are one who allows any and every thought to be formed into words and spoken, I plead with you to reconsider. Some people would say anything in the presence of anyone and they do not care because in their minds the truth is the truth and it will set you free. But I want you to consider the impact of what you are saying. Would you willingly say anything that came to your mind if you were sitting on the witness stand testifying? If you truly understood that everything that comes out of your mouth is subject to being used against you, would you change or guard some of the words that you use? This is what we should remember on a daily basis, especially if we are prone to complaining about any and everything. Solomon said, “(27) He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. (28) Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; when he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.” (Proverbs 17:27-28) I will leave you with something Jesus said regarding all of this. In John 14:30 He says, “Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.” When you read through the gospels, the reason our adversary had nothing in Jesus – had nothing to use against Him – was because Jesus never said anything that he could use against him. Jesus lives inside of us and that means we have the ability to also say “Because of the words that I speak, my adversary has nothing in me!” What a comfort.
Until next time, “The Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
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