<p>1:26- see on 1 Pet. 1:18.</p><p><i>If anyone thinks himself to be religious while he does not hold his tongue but rather just deceives his own heart, this man's religion is vain</i>- The Greek word translated &quot;religious&quot; is elsewhere always used in the context of the Mosaic law; James is implying that they were not properly keeping the spirit of the Mosaic law if they &quot;bridled not (their) tongue&quot;. This idea of bridling the tongue is picked up again in 3:2-4, where James says that we put bits in the horses' mouths to control them, &quot;but the tongue can no man tame&quot;, i.e. bridle (3:8). &quot;No man&quot; here must mean 'no ordinary man of the flesh', since James 1:26 says that the believer must bridle his tongue. In the preceding verses in James 1, James has been talking about 'doing' the word in practice rather than just theoretically receiving it. The prime example of this, he continues, is whether you can bridle your tongue. This is because our thoughts lead to our words, and therefore to bridle the tongue is to control the mind- and this can only be done through the conscious application of the word. This is the main 'doing' of the word. Again there is the warning against semi-spirituality; seeming to be religious.</p><p>Ps. 32:8,9 provides the basis for James 1:26: &quot;I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go: I will guide (mg. 'Counsel') you... be not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto you&quot;. Thus having the instruction, teaching and understanding of God should replace having a bridle or bit. God does not want to force our tongues and bodies to obey Him- but for us to effect this by our application of His word to our minds. Thus the word is the means of bridling our tongues and therefore our minds- our whole lives. Note too that a bridle is a two-way thing. It stops the horse approaching the rider in an ungainly and painful way. The action of the word on our minds should lead to us similarly being helped in our approach to God. The man who thinks he has his mind bridled but whose words belie this &quot;Deceives his own heart, this man's religion is vain&quot; (v.26- cp. Jer. 17:9). To be &quot;Double minded&quot; (1:8; 4:8) is thus to have what we think is our 'spiritual' heart or mind deceiving our real heart- that of the flesh, &quot;his own heart&quot;.</p>