Word Curses Are Real: Speak Life & Not Death

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” I still remember singing that song when I was little and trying with all my might to believe it. Words do hurt sometimes. They can tear you down until you feel like there’s nothing left. But, they can also make you feel comforted, lifted, enlightened, and loved. Words have power; they can help and harm. And, this week, I found out something new about words. The enemy can use them against us. Word curses are real. Time is short, and we must guard our hearts, minds, and even our mouths, in these last days.

Pride Goes Before Destruction

My story starts with a mistake I made last week at work. It was a careless touch of a button in creating one of my eleven progress grade reports for my classes at school. One little click led to a big headache for the associate principal in charge of getting all the grades done correctly and an embarrassed apology from me. Of course, I fixed things as quickly as possible and turned in my new report along with the 21 electronic grade change sheets that were required for the state to have documentation. I’ve been teaching at that school for almost thirteen years and have never made a mistake like that before, so everything was fine.

But just a few days later, I made another mistake. I was supposed to be available for a Zoom meeting for a student with special needs, but I forgot. I was trying to change my password from home, but it wasn’t working. So, I decided to take a drive up to the high school parking lot to sync my new password on the school’s Wi-Fi. As soon as I opened my laptop, I got the calendar notification that the meeting was in progress.

I hurried to get Zoom loaded and was trying to figure out what to say about being late. I couldn’t get in. The Wi-Fi was taking a minute to connect to that function. I sent a quick email from my phone to the assistant principal in charge of the meeting. I said that my Wi-Fi wasn’t working, but I was at the school trying to get into the meeting.

True Words But Hidden Intent 

Now, almost every single word of that sentence was true. The Wi-Fi wasn’t working at that moment, and I was at the school trying to get into the meeting. However, the word “but” made it sound as if my home internet wasn’t working SO I had driven to the school to try to get into the meeting. I didn’t confess to having forgotten the meeting. I guess I was still smarting about my previous mistake, so I just allowed the AP to believe that technology was the problem. At that moment, it actually occurred to me that I had spoken a word curse over myself, but I shrugged it off. I hadn’t lied. I just hadn’t told everything about the situation. People are selective all the time. If anything, I’m usually too honest and make people uncomfortable with too much information. 

I then forgot about the whole thing…until two days later, when my Wi-Fi quit working. Thirty-plus minutes with an online tech guy, a two-hour window with lots of time to think, and an in-person visit from AT&T later, and my Wi-Fi was back up and running. What had been the problem? The ground had shifted, disrupting the cable. Huh.

Repent, Rescind, and Renounce

“You are snared by the words of your mouth; you are taken by the words of your mouth.” 

Proverbs 6:2

As soon as the full weight of the situation hit me, of course I repented for my deceptive words. I also sent another (rather embarrassing) apology for missing the meeting to the AP and came clean about forgetting it. Finally, I broke the contract of my words. I came out of agreement with the curse I had spoken over myself in that situation. And then I started really thinking about what had happened. James 3:6a says, “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity…” James 3:8 says, “But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” Without me even realizing it, my words had opened the door for the enemy to attack.

Word Curses

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

Proverbs 18:21

Words have power, especially for the children of God. The enemy has it out for us. His minions are watching for legal grounds to attack. Our words can give permission for the devil to take our spiritual rights. We can speak words over ourselves without even meaning to that can rob us of our comfort, peace, health, protection, and even life. Think about it. What binds us to Jesus? It’s faith, belief in His shed blood as propitiation for our sins. What else might BELIEF bind to us when we come into agreement with words that can cause harm?

Think about things people say all the time and the spiritual implications of them:

• “That drives me crazy!”
• “I’m so dumb!”
• “I always get sick every Christmas!”
• “I’m probably going to end up ______ just like my mother!”
• “I’m dead!” (A lot of teens say this meaning “I just died laughing”)

Proverbs 23:7a says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…” When we speak negative words over ourselves, it can have consequences, both in our thought patterns and the ways we react in certain situations. Those words can also be accompanied by demonic spirits that can be allowed to harass us because instead of resisting them, we have received them.

Speak Life and Not Death

“There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health.”

Proverbs 12:18

Now think about the words we speak over others, especially as parents or as someone in authority over someone else. Even when the person isn’t around to hear those words, the enemy can take them and bind them to the person. That’s why the Bible talks about not gossiping or backbiting. But what if we took those same ideas and spoke life instead of death? Health instead of harm? 

Think about these common phrases and the alternative to them:

One day we will give an account for every idle word we have spoken. Matthew 12:37 says, “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” As Christians, we should be speaking blessings over ourselves and others. Stop and think before you speak negatively. If you slip, confess your mistake, repent, and take away the power with a blessing instead.

Search Your Heart and Go to God in Prayer

Lastly, think about the words that have been spoken over you by others. Did you have a parent, a teacher, or even a doctor say something negative to you that you took to heart? Do those words line up with the what Word of God says is true for His children?

For example, if someone called you stupid when you were young, does this line up with what the Word says about God giving wisdom to all who ask? Did a doctor say your illness could not be cured when the Bible says that by His stripes we are healed? (Now, God doesn’t always choose to heal, but believing in your heart that you will never be healed is the surest way NOT to receive healing.) Did you ever have a thought from the enemy that you weren’t good enough? The Bible says God’s grace is sufficient for you.

Maybe the words happened years and years ago, but you still think about them or allow them to guide your feelings, actions, and decisions. Maybe the enemy pounds them into your ears on a daily basis. Whatever the case, it’s time to submit to what God says about us and resist the devil’s lies. We must reject and break those word curses and replace them with blessing instead. There are articles online with step by step instructions on how to break word curses, but it is best to just go straight to God and allow Him to lead you through the process.

Start by asking Him to search your heart and bring to your mind any curses you might need to break that you have allowed to be spoken over you. Then follow His leading to repent, come out of agreement with curses, and speak blessings in their place. Don’t forget to forgive those who might have hurt you and ask God to bring to your mind anyone you might have unintentionally cursed so that you can replace those curses with blessings as well.

Guard Your Mouth

“Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.”

Proverbs 21:23

Jesus is coming soon. The devil knows his time is short, and he is using all his manpower to hinder and harm the children of God. It is time to take the authority we have been given and use it to come out of agreement with word curses and instead speak blessings over ourselves and others.

If you like articles about spiritual warfare, try Spiritual Warfare: A Defeated Foe. In it, God uses a house fly to teach an object lesson about the enemy’s mind games. Or, try In Our Spiritual Battle, the Devi Has Cookies. That’s a blog about the spy system the enemy uses against Christians and the way to stay out of the enemy’s snares. Please subscribe to my blog via email in the top right corner. Also, consider visiting my YouTube Channel where I read the blogs out loud. I also have a playlist of hymns from my church’s talented 16 year old worship leader.