What does the Bible say about lying?
Colossians 3:9-10
9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices
10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
New International Version (NIV)
The answer
The Bible forbids lying without exception and links the practice to the old life the believer has died to, not to the new life Christ is making.
Lying is a flat command against it
The ninth commandment puts it straight: "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor" (Exodus 20:16). Leviticus widens it beyond the courtroom: "You shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another" (Leviticus 19:11). The New Testament does not soften this; it repeats it as a mark of the new self the Christian has put on: "Don't lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his doings, and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge after the image of his Creator" (Colossians 3:9-10). Ephesians 4:25 names the same move: "Putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another."
Lying is the old self, truth is the new self
Paul ties lying to what Christ has crucified. He writes, "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin" (Romans 6:6), and in the parallel charge he says believers have "put off... the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts" (Ephesians 4:22). Truth-telling is not a cultural nicety; it is the shape of someone being remade into the image of Christ.
Lying is the devil's native tongue
Jesus names the source plainly: "You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do... When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it" (John 8:44). To lie, then, is to act in character with the father of lies, not in character with the God who "cannot lie" (Titus 1:2).
Those who make a lie are shut out
Revelation ends the list of the unredeemed with "whosoever loveth and maketh a lie" (Revelation 22:15). The picture is total: lovers of lies are on the outside, alongside murderers and idolaters.
What this looks like in practice
- Stop the lie at the mouth: "Putting away lying" (Ephesians 4:25) is active, not passive. The old habit is to be set down like a coat.
- Speak truth with your neighbour: truth in the ordinary places, not just in court, because "we are members one of another" (Ephesians 4:25).
- Aim at the new self, not just the rule: sin starts in the heart, so repentance reaches deeper than the next sentence — "put off the old man... put on the new man" (Colossians 3:9-10).
- Run to Christ when caught: the God who forbids lying is the same God who crucified the "old man" for you (Romans 6:6). Confession and renewed obedience belong together.
The whole counsel of God on this is unity with itself: from Leviticus 19:11, through Colossians 3:9, to John 8:44 and Revelation 22:15, lying is the enemy's speech, the old self's work, the command against, and a door shut at the end.
A verse to carry
"Therefore, putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour; for we are members one of another." (Ephesians 4:25)
Answered from Scripture · reviewed November 7, 2026
Scripture forbids lying without compromise, presenting truthfulness not merely as a moral duty but as a direct reflection of God's holy character. From the Law at Sinai to the closing visions of the Apocalypse, deceit belongs entirely to the fallen old self and the enemy who fathered it. To belong to Christ is to put away deceit entirely, walking in the light as members of one body.
The Moral Law
God Commands Absolute Honesty Across All of Life
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
Exodus 20:16 (NIV)
It establishes truth-telling as a foundational commandment reflecting the righteous character of God.
The prohibition in Exodus 20:16 establishes that truthfulness is an absolute covenant obligation anchored directly in God’s holy character. By forbidding false witness against a neighbour, the ninth commandment secures civil integrity and neighbourly justice, establishing that words carry sacred moral weight. God’s Law never treats deceit as a trivial failing. Leviticus 19:11 expands this command into daily transactions, prohibiting stealing, dealing falsely, and lying to one another. Deuteronomy 5:20 repeats the solemn Sinai mandate, underscoring that covenant life collapses when truth is eroded.
The wisdom literature presents dishonesty not merely as civil misconduct, but as spiritual treason. Proverbs 12:22 declares that lying lips are an abomination to Yahweh, while those who act faithfully are His delight. Indeed, Proverbs 6:16-19 numbers a lying tongue and a false witness who breathes out lies among the seven abominations that God’s soul utterly hates. The civic sphere requires unwavering vigilance: Exodus 23:1 forbids taking up a false report or joining hands with the wicked to bear corrupt witness, while Exodus 23:7 commands God's people to keep far from a false charge, never executing the innocent.
Because the heart reflects its spiritual allegiance, Proverbs 13:5 notes that the righteous man hates what is false, whereas the wicked acts disgustingly and shamefully. Integrity in testimony is paramount: Proverbs 14:5 contrasts the trustworthy witness who does not lie with the false witness who breathes out deceit. Proverbs 19:5 and Proverbs 19:9 repeat the stark divine certainty that a false witness will not go unpunished and the liar will perish. Deceit also conceals deep malice, for Proverbs 26:28 reminds us that a lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth works ruin. Therefore, Zechariah 8:16 commands the remnant to speak the truth to one another and render judgments in their gates that make for peace and truth.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Exodus 20:16 | Forbids bearing false witness against a neighbour, establishing truthfulness in legal and civic life. |
| Leviticus 19:11 | Prohibits stealing, dealing falsely, and lying to one another in everyday interactions. |
| Deuteronomy 5:20 | Reiterates the solemn covenant command against uttering deceitful testimony against a neighbour. |
| Proverbs 12:22 | Declares that lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight. |
| Proverbs 6:16-19 | Identifies a lying tongue and a false witness among the seven things the Lord utterly hates. |
| Zechariah 8:16 | Commands God's covenant people to speak truth to their neighbours and administer honest justice. |
| Exodus 23:1 | Forbids spreading false reports or joining with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness in legal disputes. |
| Exodus 23:7 | Commands God's people to stay far away from a false charge and never put an innocent person to death. |
| Proverbs 13:5 | States that the righteous hate falsehood, whereas the wicked act disgustingly and bring shame upon themselves. |
| Proverbs 14:5 | Observes that a trustworthy witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out deceptive falsehoods. |
| Proverbs 19:5 | Warns that a false witness will not go unpunished and he who breathes out lies will not escape judgment. |
| Proverbs 19:9 | Reiterates that a false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish. |
| Proverbs 26:28 | Declares that a lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works destruction. |
The Origin of Lies
Deceit Is the Native Language of the Enemy
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
John 8:44 (NIV)
Jesus exposes the devil as a murderer and the father of every lie spoken in creation.
In John 8:44, the Lord Jesus exposes the lineage of deception, declaring that the devil is a liar and the father of lies. Satan does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him; whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks out of his own nature. This murderous legacy began in Eden, where the serpent challenged God's integrity in Genesis 3:4-5, assuring the woman that she would not surely die, trading God’s life-giving truth for cosmic catastrophe. All falsehood flows from this poisoned well.
Because God's very being is truth, deceit is an assault against His nature. Titus 1:2 grounds Christian confidence in the God who cannot lie, who promised eternal life before time began. Hebrews 6:18 reinforces this glorious reality, declaring it impossible for God to lie, giving believers an unshakeable ground for hope. When an individual yields to dishonesty, they align with the adversary. In Acts 5:3-4, Peter confronts Ananias, asking why Satan had filled his heart to lie to the Holy Spirit concerning the price of the land, clarifying that he had not lied merely to man, but to God Himself.
Satanic activity culminates in pervasive falsehood. In 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10, Paul warns that the coming of the lawless one will be marked by all power, false signs, and wicked deception aimed at those who perish because they refused the love of the truth. Similarly, 1 Timothy 4:1-2 cautions that in later times some will depart from the faith by following deceitful spirits through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared with a hot iron. Ultimately, 1 John 2:22 strips away all ambiguity, identifying the liar as anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ, opposing both the Father and the Son.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Genesis 3:4-5 | Records the serpent's original deceit contradicting God's warning of death to plunge humanity into sin. |
| John 8:44 | Identifies the devil as having no truth in him and acting as the father of all falsehood. |
| Acts 5:3-4 | Exposes Ananias for yielding to Satan by lying to the Holy Spirit regarding the price of his land. |
| Titus 1:2 | Contrasts worldly deception with the eternal God who cannot lie, who promised eternal life before time began. |
| Hebrews 6:18 | Declares it impossible for God to lie, providing an unshakeable anchor for Christian hope. |
| 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 | Warns that the lawless one operates with all power, false signs, wonders, and wicked deception. |
| 1 Timothy 4:1-2 | Foretells that in later times some will follow deceptive spirits through the insincerity of liars with seared consciences. |
| 1 John 2:22 | Defines the ultimate liar as whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ, opposing both the Father and the Son. |
The New Self
Christians Discard Falsehood as Part of the Crucified Life
Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
Colossians 3:9-10 (NIV)
Paul commands believers to stop lying because the old nature has been stripped away in Christ.
In Colossians 3:9-10, the apostle Paul grounds the prohibition of falsehood in the believer's spiritual transformation, commanding: do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self. Because our old man was crucified with Christ so the body of sin might be brought to nothing, as Romans 6:6 affirms, deceit belongs entirely to a dead order. Regeneration demands a total break with the former manner of life. Ephesians 4:22 instructs believers to put off the old self, which is corrupted through deceitful desires.
Union with Christ creates union with His people, making dishonesty unnatural and destructive to the church. Ephesians 4:25 commands us to lay aside falsehood and speak truth each one with his neighbour, for we are members of one another. As newborn babes longing for spiritual milk, 1 Peter 2:1 commands believers to rid themselves of all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander. In 1 Peter 3:10, Peter quotes the Psalms, insisting that whoever desires to love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from speaking deceit.
Truthfulness is also the diagnostic test of authentic faith. James 3:14 warns that if we harbour bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, we must not boast and be false to the truth. John applies this test relentlessly: 1 John 1:6 states that if we claim to have fellowship with God while walking in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. Furthermore, 1 John 4:20 exposes religious hypocrisy, declaring that whoever says they love God while hating their brother is a liar, since anyone who fails to love a brother whom he has seen cannot love the God whom he has not seen.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Romans 6:6 | Affirms that our old man was crucified with Christ so the body of sin might be brought to nothing. |
| Ephesians 4:22 | Instructs believers to put off the old self corrupt through deceitful desires. |
| Ephesians 4:25 | Commands putting away lying and speaking truth to neighbours because believers are members of one body. |
| Colossians 3:9-10 | Forbids lying to one another since believers have discarded the old man and put on the new man. |
| 1 Peter 2:1 | Urges laying aside all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and evil speaking like infant babes longing for pure milk. |
| 1 Peter 3:10 | Instructs anyone desiring to love life and see good days to keep their tongue from evil and lips from deceit. |
| James 3:14 | Exhorts believers who have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition not to boast and be false to the truth. |
| 1 John 1:6 | Affirms that claiming fellowship with God while walking in darkness means we lie and do not practice the truth. |
| 1 John 4:20 | States that whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother is a liar, unable to love the unseen God. |
Final Judgment
Unrepentant Liars Are Excluded from the Heavenly City
Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
Revelation 22:15 (NIV)
It shows that an affinity for falsehood bars a person eternally from entering the New Jerusalem.
The final chapter of Scripture delivers an irrevocable verdict on deceit in Revelation 22:15, declaring that everyone who loves and practices falsehood is barred forever from the city of God. Outside its pearly gates are the dogs, sorcerers, sexually immoral, murderers, and idolaters. Falsehood is not an incidental flaw; it is an enduring allegiance to the fallen world that disqualifies an unrepentant person from communion with the holy God. This mirrors David's resolve in Psalm 101:7, where he insists that no one who practices deceit shall dwell in his house, and no one who utters lies shall stand before his eyes.
Throughout the Old Testament, deceit invited divine wrath upon covenant communities. In Jeremiah 9:3-5, the prophet laments a people who bend their tongue like a bow to shoot lies, moving from evil to evil while deceiving every neighbour. Hosea 4:1-3 records the Lord's indictment against the land because there was no faithfulness or knowledge of God, only swearing, lying, murder, and theft, which caused the land to mourn under divine judgment. Proverbs 21:28 confirms that a false witness will perish, while the hearing ear speaks enduringly.
The New Testament confirms that God's eternal city remains utterly undefiled. Revelation 21:8 solemnly records that the cowardly, faithless, detestable, murderers, and all liars will have their portion in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. In Revelation 21:27, the vision of the New Jerusalem confirms that nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. God’s holy presence permits no shadow of deceit.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Psalms 101:7 | Declares that whoever works deceit shall not dwell in God's house or tarry in His sight. |
| Revelation 21:8 | Assigns all unrepentant liars to the lake of fire alongside the faithless, murderers, and idolaters. |
| Revelation 21:27 | States that nothing unclean, detestable, or false shall ever enter into the holy city of God. |
| Revelation 22:15 | Names everyone who loves and practices a lie outside the gates with evildoers and sorcerers. |
| Proverbs 21:28 | Affirms that a false witness will perish, but the word of a man who listens will endure. |
| Jeremiah 9:3-5 | Rebukes a deceitful nation where everyone slanders and deceives their neighbor instead of knowing the Lord. |
| Hosea 4:1-3 | Indicts the land because there is no faithfulness or truth, leading to swearing, lying, murder, and divine judgment. |
Divine Character
The God of Truth Can Never Speak Falsely
God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
Numbers 23:19 (NIV)
It establishes that divine holiness and unchangeable truth stand in direct opposition to human falsehood.
The scriptural prohibition against lying does not originate in a mere social convention; it is anchored immovably in who God is. In Numbers 23:19, the prophet Balaam confesses the fundamental gulf between the Creator and fallen humanity: God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Men twist their words out of fear, weakness, and shifting resolve, but God speaks with sovereign integrity. What He has spoken, He will inevitably fulfill. Samuel underscores this same divine constancy in 1 Samuel 15:29, testifying that the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, because His character is free from the fickleness and deceit that plague the human heart.
Every divine utterance therefore carries absolute reliability. The psalmist rejoices in Psalm 119:160 that the sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. Scripture does not merely contain scattered truths alongside error; taken in its entirety, God's revelation is pure verity from beginning to end. When the eternal Son took on flesh, divine truth was not merely communicated in proposition, but manifested in person. Christ declared boldly in John 14:6, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Because Jesus embodies the absolute truth of God, falsehood can have no fellowship with Him.
In His high priestly prayer, Christ prayed for His followers to be formed by this unyielding reality, asking the Father in John 17:17 to sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. For the believer, renouncing falsehood is fundamentally an act of conforming to the God whose every word is dependable. Because God cannot lie, His people are called to a truthfulness that mirrors His unwavering character.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Numbers 23:19 | Declares that God is not a man that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should change His mind. |
| 1 Samuel 15:29 | Proclaims that the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind, for He is not a human being. |
| Psalms 119:160 | Celebrates that the very sum of God's word is truth, and every one of His righteous rules endures forever. |
| John 14:6 | Jesus reveals Himself as the way, the truth, and the life, the exclusive path to the Father. |
| John 17:17 | Jesus petitions the Father to sanctify His disciples in the truth, stating that God's word is truth. |
Where in the Bible
| Book | Passages |
|---|---|
| Genesis | 1 · Genesis 3:4-5 |
| Exodus | 3 · Exodus 20:16, Exodus 23:1, Exodus 23:7 |
| Leviticus | 1 · Leviticus 19:11 |
| Numbers | 1 · Numbers 23:19 |
| Deuteronomy | 1 · Deuteronomy 5:20 |
| 1 Samuel | 1 · 1 Samuel 15:29 |
| Psalms | 2 · Psalms 101:7, Psalms 119:160 |
| Proverbs | 8 · Proverbs 12:22, Proverbs 6:16-19, Proverbs 13:5, Proverbs 14:5, Proverbs 19:5, Proverbs 19:9, Proverbs 26:28, Proverbs 21:28 |
| Jeremiah | 1 · Jeremiah 9:3-5 |
| Hosea | 1 · Hosea 4:1-3 |
| Zechariah | 1 · Zechariah 8:16 |
| John | 3 · John 8:44, John 14:6, John 17:17 |
| Acts | 1 · Acts 5:3-4 |
| Romans | 1 · Romans 6:6 |
| Ephesians | 2 · Ephesians 4:22, Ephesians 4:25 |
| Colossians | 1 · Colossians 3:9-10 |
| 2 Thessalonians | 1 · 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 |
| 1 Timothy | 1 · 1 Timothy 4:1-2 |
| Titus | 1 · Titus 1:2 |
| Hebrews | 1 · Hebrews 6:18 |
| James | 1 · James 3:14 |
| 1 Peter | 2 · 1 Peter 2:1, 1 Peter 3:10 |
| 1 John | 3 · 1 John 2:22, 1 John 1:6, 1 John 4:20 |
| Revelation | 3 · Revelation 21:8, Revelation 21:27, Revelation 22:15 |
The story in order
- The Serpent's First Lie (c. 4000 BC) · Genesis 3:4-5 · Introduces deceit as the enemy's tool against God's word.
- The Law Given at Sinai (c. 1450 BC) · Exodus 20:16 · God commands absolute honesty, forbidding false witness.
- Wisdom on Truthfulness (c. 950 BC) · Proverbs 12:22 · Lying lips are an abomination; truthful dealings delight God.
- Prophetic Call to Truth (c. 500 BC) · Zechariah 8:16 · Command to speak truth and administer honest justice.
- Jesus Claims to Be Truth (AD 30) · John 14:6 · Jesus identifies Himself as the exclusive way, truth, and life.
- The Devil, Father of Lies (c. AD 30) · John 8:44 · Identifies the devil as the source and father of all falsehood.
- Ananias Lies to the Spirit (c. AD 33) · Acts 5:3-4 · Shows yielding to Satan in lying to the Holy Spirit.
- Putting Off the Old Self (c. AD 60) · Ephesians 4:25 · Believers must put away lying and speak truth to each other.
- God Cannot Lie (c. AD 65) · Hebrews 6:18 · God's immutable character provides an anchor for hope.
- Warning Against Deceptive Spirits (c. AD 65) · 1 Timothy 4:1-2 · Foretells liars with seared consciences following deceptive spirits.
- Lying Excluded from Heaven (c. AD 95) · Revelation 21:27 · Nothing false will enter the holy city of God.
- Liars Assigned to the Lake (c. AD 95) · Revelation 21:8 · Unrepentant liars face judgment in the lake of fire.
Key words
- False witness
- To give untrue testimony, especially in legal or civic matters. · Exodus 20:16
- Lying lips
- Speaking untruths, whether in casual conversation or serious matters. · Proverbs 12:22
- Deceit (dolos, δόλος)
- The practice of misleading or tricking others; craftiness. · Ephesians 4:22
- Truth (alētheia, ἀλήθεια)
- Conformity to fact or reality; the quality of being true. · John 14:6
- Father of lies
- The ultimate source and originator of all falsehood. · John 8:44
- Old self
- The sinful nature and way of life before conversion to Christ. · Ephesians 4:22
- New man
- The transformed nature and way of life in Christ. · Colossians 3:9-10
Believers are called to lay aside deceit like an old, discarded garment and speak truth from the heart. Walking in honesty reflects the Saviour who is the Truth itself, remaking His people in His holy image. Where deceit has taken root, immediate repentance and cleansing are found at the cross.
42 passages, each cited once.
Scripture cited
- Colossians 3:9-10
- Ephesians 4:22
- Ephesians 4:25
- Leviticus 19:11
- Romans 6:6
- John 8:44
- Revelation 22:15