Bible verses about idle words
Don’t be mistaken, words are powerful. With our mouths we can hurt feelings, curse others, lie, say ungodly things, etc. The Word of God makes it clear. You will be held accountable for every idle word whether it slipped out of your mouth or not. “Well I’m saved by grace”. Yes, but that faith in Christ produces obedience.
You can’t praise the Lord one day and curse someone out the next. Christians do not willfully practice sin. We must ask God to help us tame our tongues. It might seem like no big deal to you, but God takes this very seriously.
If you struggle in this area go to God and tell Him, Lord guard my lips, I need your help, convict me, help me think before I speak, make me more like Christ. Use your words carefully and build up others.
What does the Bible say?
1. Matthew 12:34-37 You snakes! You are evil people, so how can you say anything good? The mouth speaks the things that are in the heart. Good people have good things in their hearts, and so they say good things. But evil people have evil in their hearts, so they say evil things. And I tell you that on the Judgment Day people will be responsible for every careless thing they have said. The words you have said will be used to judge you. Some of your words will prove you right, but some of your words will prove you guilty.”
2. Ephesians 5:3-6 But there must be no sexual sin among you, or any kind of evil or greed. Those things are not right for God’s holy people. Also, there must be no evil talk among you, and you must not speak foolishly or tell evil jokes. These things are not right for you. Instead, you should be giving thanks to God. You can be sure of this: No one will have a place in the kingdom of Christ and of God who sins sexually, or does evil things, or is greedy. Anyone who is greedy is serving a false god. Do not let anyone fool you by telling you things that are not true, because these things will bring God’s anger on those who do not obey him.
3. Ecclesiastes 10:11-14 If a serpent strikes despite being charmed, there’s no point in being a snake charmer. The words spoken by the wise are gracious, but the lips of a fool will devour him. He begins his speech with foolishness, and concludes it with evil madness. The fool overflows with words, and no one can predict what will happen. As to what will happen after him, who can explain it?
4. Proverbs 10:30-32 The godly will never be disturbed, but the wicked will be removed from the land. The mouth of the godly person gives wise advice, but the tongue that deceives will be cut off. The lips of the godly speak helpful words, but the mouth of the wicked speaks perverse words.
5. 1 Peter 3:10-11 If you want a happy, good life, keep control of your tongue, and guard your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Try to live in peace even if you must run after it to catch and hold it!
6. Zechariah 8:16-17 These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord.
We can’t praise our Holy Lord and then use our mouth to sin.
7. James 3:8-10 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
8. Romans 10:9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
We must not take God’s name in vain.
9. Exodus 20:7 “You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.
10. Psalm 139:20 They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain.
11. James 5:12 But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.
Reminders
12. Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
13. Proverbs 17:20 One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper; one whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble.
14. 1 Corinthians 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
15. John 14:23-24 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. Then my Father will love him, and we will go to him and make our home within him. The one who doesn’t love me doesn’t keep my words. The words that you’re hearing me say are not mine, but come from the Father who sent me.
Advice
16. Ephesians 4:29-30 Let no filthy talk be heard from your mouths, but only what is good for building up people and meeting the need of the moment. This way you will administer grace to those who hear you. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit, by whom you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption.
17. Ephesians 4:24-25 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.
18. Proverbs 10:19-21 Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut. The words of the godly are like sterling silver; the heart of a fool is worthless. The words of the godly encourage many, but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense.
Examples
19. Isaiah 58:13 If you stop trampling on the day of worship and doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the day of worship a delight and the LORD’s holy day honorable, if you honor it by not going your own way, by not going out when you want, and by not talking idly,
20. Deuteronomy 32:45-49 When Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, he said to them, “Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command your sons to observe carefully, even all the words of this law. For it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life. And by this word you will prolong your days in the land, which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.” The Lord spoke to Moses that very same day, saying, “Go up to this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab opposite Jericho, and look at the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the sons of Israel for a possession.
21. Titus 1:9-12 He must hold firmly to the faithful message as it has been taught, so that he will be able to give exhortation in such healthy teaching and correct those who speak against it. For there are many rebellious people, idle talkers, and deceivers, especially those with Jewish connections, who must be silenced because they mislead whole families by teaching for dishonest gain what ought not to be taught. A certain one of them, in fact, one of their own prophets, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”
