The first part of James 3 discusses the great power that is concentrated within the tongue. James likens the tongue to a horse bit in the mouth or a ship that can direct the entire horse or a ship, respectively. The tongue is a small instrument but can wield immense force.
He is right and the connection is obvious. Likewise, in the modern age, our "tongue" also includes emails, twitter post, and Facebook posts.
The second half of the chapter focuses on wisdom. He contrasts two sources of wisdom - of the devil and of God. Wisdom from the devil creates bitterness and envy whereas from God, it produces peace.
Since it follows immediately after the power of the tongue, the proximity suggests using wisdom in how we use our tongue. With our tongue, we can create peace or create bitterness and envy.
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