In today’s world, deception and manipulation seem to be everywhere. Whether in personal relationships, the workplace, or even in politics, lying and manipulation are behaviors that can cause harm and break trust. As Christians, we are called to live lives of integrity, honesty, and truth.
The Bible clearly addresses the issue of lying and manipulation, offering wisdom on how to recognize these behaviors and avoid them. Liars and manipulators create division, foster distrust, and undermine relationships. The Bible speaks strongly against deceit, instructing us to walk in truth and love.
Jesus himself taught that truth sets us free, and the scriptures urge us to speak truthfully to one another. When we embrace honesty and integrity, we reflect God’s character and are better equipped to maintain healthy, trustworthy relationships. These verses not only reveal the seriousness of dishonesty but also offer guidance on how to protect ourselves from falling into such traps and how we can cultivate a life of truth.
Powerful Bible Verses About Liars and Manipulators
1. Proverbs 12:22
“The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.”
2. Colossians 3:9
“Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices.”
3. John 8:44
“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.”
4. Proverbs 6:16-19
“There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.”
5. Ephesians 4:25
“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.”
6. Proverbs 19:5
“A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free.”
7. Revelation 21:8
“But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
8. Psalm 101:7
“No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.”
9. Proverbs 14:5
“An honest witness does not deceive, but a false witness pours out lies.”
10. Zechariah 8:16
“These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts.”
11. Exodus 20:16
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.”
12. Proverbs 26:28
“A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.”
13. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15
“For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.”
14. Matthew 7:15
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”
15. Proverbs 21:6
“The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death.”
16. Romans 1:29-32
“They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, they are gossips, they are gossips, they are gossips, they are gossips.”
17. Proverbs 17:4
“A wicked person listens to deceitful lips; a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.”
18. Matthew 24:24
“For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”
19. 1 Timothy 4:1-2
“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.”
20. Proverbs 11:1
“The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with him.”
21. Jeremiah 9:5
“They all lie in wait to shed blood; they do not know how to do right, declares the Lord. They are all experts in doing evil; they do not know how to do good.”
22. Psalm 34:13
“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies.”
23. Titus 1:10-11
“For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain.”
24. 1 John 2:4
“Whoever says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.”
25. Jeremiah 7:8-9
“But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless. Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known?”
26. 1 John 1:6
“If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.”
27. Proverbs 12:19
“Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.”
28. Matthew 12:34-37
“You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
29. Proverbs 6:12-14
“A troublemaker and a villain, who goes about with a corrupt mouth, who winks with their eye, signals with their feet and motions with their fingers, who plots evil with deceit in their heart—he always stirs up conflict.”
30. Romans 3:13-14
“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
31. 2 Peter 2:1-3
“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories.”
32. Psalm 5:6
“You destroy those who tell lies; the bloodthirsty and deceitful you, Lord, detest.”
33. 1 John 4:20
“Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.”
34. James 3:8-10
“But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.”
35. Psalm 101:7
“No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.”
Our Thought on What the Bible Says About Liars and Manipulators
The Bible consistently warns against lying and manipulation, identifying them as destructive behaviors that not only harm others but also separate us from God. Throughout scripture, we see that lying is not just a sin against another person but also an offense against God, who is truth.
In Proverbs, we are taught that “a lying tongue” is an abomination to God, and in Revelation, we learn that liars have their place in the lake of fire. The Bible calls us to honesty, integrity, and truth in all our dealings.
We are warned to avoid those who deceive and manipulate, recognizing that they serve a different master, one who is the father of lies. At the same time, scripture offers guidance on how we are to act-by speaking truth in love, forgiving those who wrong us, and embracing the truth of God’s Word.
Through these scriptures, we see that truth is a central theme in the Bible, and living a life of integrity reflects God’s character. The Bible’s teachings on lying and manipulation call us to examine our hearts, speak truth, and foster relationships based on trust and love.
As we align our lives with God’s Word, we are called to embrace honesty and walk in truth as a testimony of His grace and goodness.