This lesson is very personal to me, and was a revelation at a very critical moment in my life.  I was working in a supervisory position--3 years as a program director taught me one thing--administration is NOT my spiritual gift--and I was having some problems with a couple of my employees.  I was also going through a difficult divorce situation.  Fish was about 5 years old at the time.  One morning she came into my room and told me "Last night there was something in the hall, and it tried to go in to your room and it tried to go into Joey's room and it tried to come into my room, but the angels wouldn't let it; and it its name was 'sorcery.'"  That was a very chilling moment.  My 5-year-old had heard of angels, but as far as I could figure, "sorcery" had never been part of her experience or vocabulary.  It drove me to my knees and to my Bible--without a doubt our family was under attack, and I wanted it stopped.

The Holy Spirit led me first to Psalm 8:2: "From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies to silence the foe and the avenger."  The first part of that verse is quoted often, but I wonder how many consider the second part.  I had never paid it any attention until that time.  Searching out the literal meanings of the words, I found that "foe," literally translated "enemy, the adversary (opponent) who hates someone, one of the opposite tribe"; also that "avenger" was someone holding a grudge who wants to punish someone.  It sounded to me as I first read the verse, that the foe and the avenger were the same entity, but the definitions indicated that they were two personalities working together for no good.  I remembered the scriptures about the power in agreement.  "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.  For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them" (Matt.18:19-20);  "Calling the Twelve to Him, He sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits" (Mark 6:7); "After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of Him into every town and place He was about to go" (Luke 10:1).  It occurred to me that there was a basic spiritual truth here, that there is power in agreement, whether that be ordained by God or by the enemy of our souls. I also studied the word "sorcery," and found something else that made the puzzle begin to come together.  One Old Testament root of the word "sorcery" is "to whisper."  The truth hit me like a ton of bricks!  Whispering is a way to cloak gossip, and the gossip of two or more who hold a grudge or desire for punishment to be administered to another are partnering with the spirit of darkness who hates the child of God, and if  that child of God is not walking daily in the armor of God, the attack can wreak havoc on his or her life!  We began immediately to pray against the gossip of those employees and of members of the family who were deceived, and the adversary's power was broken.

Remember what the Book of James says.  "Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.  The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.  It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell . . . It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison" (James 3:5b-6, 8b). It also says, "But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.  Such 'wisdom' does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.  For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.  But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. [And this is huge] Peacemakers who sow in peace will raise a harvest of righteousness" (James 3:14-18).

Please don't get me wrong.  We all have problems with the tongue.  But the warnings from scripture are there, and we should guard ourselves against being used by the enemy as well as being attacked by the enemy.  In
II Corinthians 12:20, gossip is listed along with quarreling, jealousy, anger, factions, slander, arrogance and disorder. Consider these verses from Proverbs: "A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends" (16:28); "The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts"
(18:8); "A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much" (20:19); "Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down. As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife" (26:20-21).  And we can't hide our gossip by the phrase, "I'm only telling you this because I know you'll pray about it"--anyone else human?--because the Word also says: "A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but in his heart he harbors deceit.  Though his speech is charming, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart" ["haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a man who stirs up dissension among  brothers--Prov. 6:17-19] His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly" (26:24-26). 

We live in an evil and Godless age, and many people, even those who call themselves Christians are seduced into evil practices, but we are not without hope. Jesus prayed for his disciples saying, "My prayer is not that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. As You have sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be sanctified" (John 17:15-19). 

Holy Lord Jesus, touch my lips with a coal from the alter of heaven; sanctify me; let my words glorify You, and keep me safe from the wiles of the enemy. Amen