The Plots of Men and the Strife of Tongues

2025-09-22

In Psalm 31, David prays the following about those who fear the Lord: 'In the cover of your presence you hide them from the plots of men; you store them in your shelter from the strife of tongues.' In a world in which deception so often seems to prevail, and good reputations are tarnished by falsehoods, we need to realise afresh the power (and danger) of the tongue. We must lay hold of the God who can deliver us both from sinning with our tongues, and from 'the strife of tongues' when they are t...

In Psalm 31, David prays the following about those who fear the Lord:

'In the cover of your presence you hide them

from the plots of men;

you store them in your shelter

from the strife of tongues.'

In a world in which deception so often seems to prevail, and good reputations are tarnished by falsehoods, we need to realise afresh the power (and danger) of the tongue. We must lay hold of the God who can deliver us both from sinning with our tongues, and from 'the strife of tongues' when they are turned unjustly against us.

Featured Resources:

– Maurice Roberts, 'The Strife of Tongues', Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 460 (January 2002).

– Arnold A. Dallimore, Spurgeon: A Biography (1984, repr. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1985, 2014), p. 69.

Further reading:

John Flavel, Sinful Speech (Pocket Puritans)

N.B. the text of this Pocket Puritan is taken from 'A Caution to Seamen: A Dissuasive against Several Horrid and Detestable Sins' in The Works of John Flavel, Vol. 5 and 'The Reasonableness of Personal Reformation' in The Works of John Flavel, Vol. 6.

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