Remember Your Miranda Rights

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.