Friendship is a precious gift, but not all friendships are beneficial. The Bible warns us about the influence of bad friends and the dangers they bring into our lives. Associating with the wrong people can lead to destruction, compromise, and a drift away from God’s purpose.
God calls us to walk in wisdom and be mindful of the people we surround ourselves with. A bad friend can corrupt our character, weaken our faith, and lead us into temptation.
These Scriptures are filled with warnings about the company we keep, emphasizing the importance of choosing godly friends who uplift and encourage us.
Powerful Bible Verses About Bad Friends
1. 1 Corinthians 15:33
“Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’”
2. Proverbs 13:20
“Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.”
3. Psalm 1:1
“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers.”
4. Proverbs 22:24-25
“Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared.”
5. 2 Corinthians 6:14
“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?”
6. Proverbs 6:27
“Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?”
7. Proverbs 16:28
“A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.”
8. Proverbs 14:7
“Stay away from a fool, for you will not find knowledge on their lips.”
9. 2 Timothy 3:1-5
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.”
10. Proverbs 27:6
“Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.”
11. Proverbs 12:26
“The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.”
12. Psalm 55:12-14
“If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers.”
13. Proverbs 17:9
“Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.”
14. Proverbs 19:6-7
“Many curry favor with a ruler, and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts. The poor are shunned by all their relatives—how much more do their friends avoid them!”
15. Matthew 7:15
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”
16. Psalm 41:9
“Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me.”
17. 1 John 4:1
“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
18. Proverbs 20:19
“A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much.”
19. Micah 7:5
“Do not trust a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend. Even with the woman who lies in your embrace, guard the words of your lips.”
20. Psalm 101:5
“Whoever slanders their neighbor in secret, I will put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, I will not tolerate.”
21. Ecclesiastes 4:10
“If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.”
22. Romans 16:17
“I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.”
23. Proverbs 21:10
“The wicked crave evil; their neighbors get no mercy from them.”
24. James 4:4
“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”
25. Proverbs 24:1-2
“Do not envy the wicked, do not desire their company; for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble.”
26. Proverbs 25:19
“Like a broken tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in a time of trouble.”
27. 2 Thessalonians 3:6
“In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.”
28. Proverbs 22:10
“Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife; quarrels and insults are ended.”
29. Proverbs 11:9
“With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape.”
30. 1 Corinthians 5:11
“But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.”
31. Proverbs 26:24-26
“Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit. Though their speech is charming, do not believe them, for seven abominations fill their hearts. Their malice may be concealed by deception, but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.”
32. Matthew 10:36
“A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.”
33. 1 Samuel 18:21
“‘I will give her to him,’ he thought, ‘so that she may be a snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.’ So Saul said to David, ‘Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.’”
34. Proverbs 29:5
“Those who flatter their neighbors are spreading nets for their feet.”
35. 2 John 1:10-11
“If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work.”
Our Thought on What The Bible Says About Bad Friends
The Bible makes it clear that bad friends can have a destructive impact on our lives. God warns us to be discerning in our relationships, as bad company leads to moral corruption and spiritual decline.
Choosing godly friends helps us grow in faith and avoid unnecessary troubles. We must remember that true friends encourage righteousness and honesty, while bad friends bring deceit, gossip, and temptation.
The Word of God calls us to walk in wisdom and distance ourselves from those who lead us away from His truth. By surrounding ourselves with godly influences, we strengthen our faith and align our lives with God’s purpose.