Top 19 Bible Verses About Lying and Deception

Bible verses about lying encourage Christians to be truthful in all things and avoid a “lying tongue” that God despises.

Our God is honest, righteous, and holy; lies and deceit have no place in His presence. Because this is God’s nature, we are called to be like Him – honest, righteous, and holy. It is not always easy to be like God, especially if we know that we will get in trouble if we do not lie or think someone would get hurt. But we must understand what God says about lying.

What Does Bible Verses About Lying Mean?

As Christians, Bible verses about lying are our sources on what to do about lying and dishonesty. The Bible is our guide and our source of wisdom that comes from God, so this is where we should turn to. By studying Bible verses about lying, we listen to God’s Word and instructions as well as the assurance of God’s promises and rewards.

What Does the Bible Say About Lying

The Bible is adamant on the issue of lying, and it says over and over that Christians should turn away from it. It says that God is not pleased with lies and the people who tell them. The Bible also tells us of the consequences of the lies that we speak, and they do not just affect our relationship with God but also other people.

Bible Characters Who Lied

Satan

Satan, or Lucifer, is known as the Father of lies. After he revolted against God, he started spreading lies and deceit in the world. Like what he did when he attempted to tempt Jesus in the wilderness, he entices people to turn away from God by presenting them with beautiful lies or cleverly veiled dishonesty.

Jacob

Jacob is the second son of Isaac, and he is the twin brother of Esau. The twins have already been fighting to be the firstborn son from their birth. It was their custom to tie a red ribbon on whoever comes out first, so it would be clear who is the firstborn. Jacob’s hand was the first out of the womb, but Esau pulled him back, who then came out first. 

Jacob was born clutching his brother’s ankle, and from there, they have always fought for the birthright. When Isaac was about to die, he asked Esau to hunt and cook him a delicious meal. By this time, Isaac was so old that he had gone blind. Esau was a hairy man, so while Esau was out hunting, Jacob and his mother took some fleece of sheep and wrapped it around his arms so when Isaac touched him, Isaac believed he was Esau, and Jacob’s father gave the blessing that was supposed to be Esau’s.

Esau was furious and planned to kill Jacob. Jacob’s lie destroyed the relationship between him and his brother and sent him running out of their lands. Lying never ends well for the people that tell the lies and the people being lied to.

Ananias and Sapphira

Because of extreme persecution against the early church members, they have developed a system of supporting each other financially. They would sell some of their possessions, donate them to the church, and re-distribute them amongst those who do not have enough. They were doing the Lord’s work in all aspects of their lives, and Barnabas was one of those generous with their donations. 

Ananias and Sapphira sold a property, and instead of giving the total value, they kept some for themselves. When Ananias came to Peter to give the money, the Holy Spirit told Peter that Ananias was holding back and when Peter asked Ananias, he lied and said that it was. He dropped dead right there and then, and three hours later, his wife came not knowing what happened to him and lied to Peter too. She suffered the same fate. 

Best Bible Verses About Lying and Cheating

Proverbs 12:22

“The Lord hates every liar, but he is the friend of all who can be trusted.”

The Lord makes his stand on lying and cheating. He is the God of truth and, therefore, cannot coexist with lying and cheating.

Proverbs 13:5

“A good person hates deceit, but those who are evil cause shame and disgrace.”

A good person or a person who follows God does not toe the line between lying and honesty. Like the God we serve, we should be very clear on our stand that our faith cannot coexist with falsehood.

Proverbs 14:5

“An honest witness tells the truth; a dishonest witness tells nothing but lies.”

When we keep on lying, time will come when it will be a massive part of our life, and before we know it, people will stop seeing us as honest people, and we will be marked as dishonest people who can never tell the truth.

Bible Verses About Lies and Deceit

John 8:44

“Your father is the devil, and you do exactly what he wants. He has always been a murderer and a liar. There is nothing truthful about him. He speaks on his own, and everything he says is a lie. Not only is he a liar himself, but he is also the father of all lies.”

No lies can come from God, so every lie born in this world comes from the Enemy who, according to Jesus, is the father of ALL lies.

Psalm 120:2

“Come and save me, Lord, from deceitful liars!”

At times, we do not lie and deceive, but we are the victims of it, but we have nothing to worry about because God will not tolerate lies, primarily if they are directed at His children.

Mark 7:20-22

“Then Jesus said: What comes from your heart is what makes you unclean. Out of your heart come evil thoughts, vulgar deeds, stealing, murder, unfaithfulness in marriage, greed, meanness, deceit, indecency, envy, insults, pride, and foolishness.”

Jesus was evident that deceitfulness makes us unclean.

Bible Verses About Lying to a Spouse

Ephesians 4:25

“We are part of the same body. Stop lying and start telling each other the truth.”

Part of our commitment to marriage is being honest because we are joined as one. 

Proverbs 8:13

“If you respect the Lord, you will hate evil. I hate pride and conceit and deceitful lies.”

Successful marriages have God in the midst of them and aim to please God, and honesty must reign in our lives.

Proverbs 15:4

“Kind words are good medicine, but deceitful words can really hurt.”

If we want our marriages to succeed, we must always avoid hurting each other, and more often than not, that means being honest.

Bible Verses About Lying to Parents

Matthew 19:18b-19

“Which ones?” the man asked. Jesus answered, “Do not murder. Be faithful in marriage. Do not steal. Do not tell lies about others. Respect your father and mother. And love others as much as you love yourself.”

Jesus commanded us to be honest and respect our parents. Part of respecting our parents is being real with them.

Luke 8:17

“There is nothing hidden that will not be found. There is no secret that will not be well known.”

More often than not, burying things with lies worsens things for everyone when they are finally exposed because they will all be exposed in time.

Psalm 34:13

“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.”

The Lord tells us that we should never let our lives be influenced by evil or consumed by dishonesty.

Bible Verses About Truth and Honesty

Zephaniah 3:13

“Those who are left in Israel; they shall do no injustice and speak no lies, nor shall there be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue. For they shall graze and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.”

The people of God should turn away from lies and deceit and embrace honesty instead.

Colossians 3:9

“Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.”

Dishonesty does not have any place in our new lives in Christ, so we must turn away from it just as we have turned away from our old lives.

1 Peter 3:10-11

“For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.”

A life of honesty is a long, peaceful, and happy life.

Bible Verses About the Consequence of Lying

Proverbs 16:28

“A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.”

Dishonesty does not just displease the Lord. It also causes a division between even the closest of people.

Proverbs 6:16-17

“There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood.”

God hates lies and will not tolerate them.

Proverbs 19:9

“A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish.”

There will always be consequences for our actions, and lying is not exempted in this.

Psalm 101:7

“No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes.”

People who dwell in dishonesty in their lives will be cast out from the presence of God.

In Summary

It might feel easier to lie at times to protect ourselves, but we will always have God’s assurance that we will have His favor and protection when we maintain honesty in our lives. Lying causes ripples that we do not see in the present because of our limited vision, but God sees everything, even the consequences of lies, so we have to trust Him that the best path we can take is the path of truth and honesty.