Santiago 1:26

26 Si afirmas ser religioso pero no controlas tu lengua, te engañas a ti mismo y tu religión no vale nada.

Santiago 1:26 Meaning and Commentary

James 1:26

If any man among you seem to be religious
By his preaching, or praying, and hearing, and other external duties of religion, he is constant in the observance of; and who, upon the account of these things, "thinks himself to be a religious man", as the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions render it; or is thought to be so by others:

and bridleth not his tongue;
but boasts of his works, and speaks ill of his brethren; backbites them, and hurts their names and characters, by private insinuations, and public charges without any foundation; who takes no care of what he says, but gives his tongue a liberty of speaking anything, to the injury of others, and the dishonour of God, and his ways: there seems to be an allusion to ( Psalms 39:1 ) .

But deceiveth his own heart;
with his show of religion, and external performances; on which he builds his hopes of salvation; of which he is confident; and so gives himself to a loose way of talking what he pleases:

this man's religion is vain;
useless, and unprofitable to himself and others; all his preaching, praying, hearing, and attendance on the ordinances will be of no avail to him; and he, notwithstanding these, by his evil tongue, brings a scandal and reproach upon the ways of God, and doctrines of Christ.

Santiago 1:26 In-Context

24 te ves a ti mismo, luego te alejas y te olvidas cómo eres.

25 Pero si miras atentamente en la ley perfecta que te hace libre y la pones en práctica y no olvidas lo que escuchaste, entonces Dios te bendecirá por tu obediencia.

26 Si afirmas ser religioso pero no controlas tu lengua, te engañas a ti mismo y tu religión no vale nada.

27 La religión pura y verdadera a los ojos de Dios Padre consiste en ocuparse de los huérfanos y de las viudas en sus aflicciones, y no dejar que el mundo te corrompa.