James 3:6 (NLT)
6 And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is full of wickedness that can ruin your whole life. It can turn the entire course of your life into a blazing flame of destruction, for it is set on fire by ****** itself.

James is telling us that we should give care to the words we use. The words that come from your mouth can change the whole course of your life. They can cause destruction and ruin. He compares the tongue to fire, which once let loose in a forest, will run out of control until finally there is nothing left that it can burn. He says the fire comes from ****** itself.

Have you ever known a small child that bites defensively? Maybe an older sibling starts to push or hold back the child and it feels defenseless so it attacks the only way it knows by biting back. Most parents try to correct the behavior because they know it can damage and harm the other children and it’s not a behavior to be rewarded. Many times people strike out defensively with words when they should have held back, but it was all they knew to do at the moment. It was a behavior they never learned to correct and it’s one that could set their entire life on a course of destruction. Words can bite and be more painful than a physical wound. James is right when he says the tongue is full of wickedness, but the good news is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ can help us control what we do and say. We just need to remember to stop and allow Him to work in our lives and give Him the reins and let go of our need to be in control. Pray that Christ might be in control of your life, managing it day by day.