The key to changing your life or going from . . .

• hopeless to hopeful
• discouraged to encouraged
• brokenhearted to being made whole
• depressed to joyful
• wounded to healed
• passive to aggressive
• existing to visionary

. . . all has to do with what is coming out of your mouth.

Proverbs 18:21 says that what you say actually releases the power of life or death: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (NKJV; see also Jas. 3:6; 1 Pet. 3:10). While the battle for your life is being fought in your mind, your mouth is the most powerful weapon you have against the enemy! It is the weapon in combating your worst thoughts.

Let me explain. You defeat wrong thoughts with words, not with other thoughts. You can’t try hard to think about something else until your bad thoughts go away. It’s just a matter of time before your mind will go right back to where it wanted to be.

Imagine if I asked you to subtract 3,968 from 8,539. As you’re subtracting in your head, what if I interrupted you and asked you to give me directions to your house. You would have to stop working the math problem in order to hear what your mouth was saying. Your words—giving me directions to your house—would take over the thoughts about the math problem. Try it.

I learned this years ago, but it took awhile to realize how powerful it is in mental warfare. Your mouth will cause you to go from constantly being under attack to being on the attack. When Satan comes at you with negative, oppressing thoughts, you will know how to shut him up. It’s right under your nose. You just have to use it.

I heard a story years ago about a guy named Mike who played football for the Miami Dolphins. He was approached by the coach of Auburn University to help recruit new players for the team. The coach said to Mike, “You know, there’s that kind of guy that you hit ’em and knock ’em down and they stay down.” Mike asked, “We don’t want that kind of guy, do we, Coach?” “Of course not,” replied the coach. “But there’s that other kind of guy that you hit ’em and knock ’em down and they get back up. No matter how many times you hit ’em and knock ’em down, they always get back up!”

Mike started getting excited and asked, “So we’re going to go looking for that kind of player, right, Coach?”

“No, Mike. Find me the guy who’s knocking everybody down!” It’s a great story and reminds me of what happens when you learn to pick up the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God coming out of your mouth (see Eph. 6:17), and shut Satan’s torment up! You become the one who is on the offense. You become the one charging after Satan rather than constantly fighting to stay on your feet on the defensive side. It’s all in what you do with
your mouth!