If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. (James 1:26)

A bridle is a headgear for a horse, and includes a headstall, reins and bit, to give the horse rider control over the direction and speed of the horse.

When you put that bit in the horse’s mouth, you direct, and he follows you confidently. When the Scriptures admonish us to bridle the tongue, it means to control your tongue.

In James 3:5-6 the Bible says that the tongue can defile the whole body and set on fire the course of nature. The word translated defile means to render inoperative or useless.

It means to corrupt the body in such a way that it can’t carry out its function. Your tongue can rob your body of its effectiveness; that’s why it must be tamed.

Also, the tongue can set on fire the course of nature; that means the wheel of life; the course of your life.

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