Is It Ever Okay to Lie? Advice for Christians

White lies. Minor indiscretions. Misinformation. Fabrications. Distortion. Our culture has invented an entire vocabulary to blunt the stigma of deception. Sometimes we convince ourselves a little white lie will protect someone’s feelings. Other times, we even lie to ourselves. Instead of admitting our mistakes, we blame our environment, chemical imbalances, or something—anything—other than our own moral failure.

God has a different view: “Lying lips are extremely disgusting to the Lord, but those who deal faithfully are His delight” (Proverbs 12:22, AMP). Could the answer be as simple as no, not now, not ever? Isn’t it ever okay to lie?

The problem is that the spiritual realm has no neutral territory. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). There is no truth outside Him. On the other hand, “The devil… does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44). Every time we give ground to the devil’s deceptions, we take it from the Word of God.

The effects of one or two lies may not be apparent, but we don’t have to look far to uncover the fallout caused by a culture of deceit. Compared to older generations, “Gen Z is the least trusting generation in every institution.” And as of September 2022, just 43% of American adults have “some” or “a lot of” trust in the U.S. government.¹ The further we, as a society, move away from a standard of absolute truth, the more cynical our collective consciousness becomes.

According to Bible prophecy, this rising tide of deception will continue to swell as the End Times draw nearer. When the disciples asked Jesus about signs of the End Times, He began His response with this warning: “Take heed that no one deceives you” (Matthew 24:4). A literal translation of planēsē, the Greek word for deceives, would be “to cause to wander.” Satan rarely launches a full frontal assault. He often uses more subtle forms of deception.

Warnings about wandering from the truth occupy a prominent place in the prophetic passages of the New Testament. It’s not a question of whether Satan will try to trick us but when and how. Let me suggest four practical ways to stand for truth in a world of lies.

How to Stand for Truth in a World of Deception

1. Recognize the dangers of deception.

In 1 Timothy 4:1-2, the apostle Paul warned, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron” (emphasis added). Recent data suggests the fulfillment of this prophecy is already emerging in our world. For the first time in eighty years of monitoring, Gallup reports that church membership among adults in America dipped below fifty percent in 2020, following an accelerated decline over the past twenty years.²

Any time we begin doubting God, Satan follows us in a dump truck—unloading the garbage of suspicion, negativity, and disillusionment into our mind. Before we know it, he will lead us all the way to a place of denying God. Make no mistake: Satan doesn’t want to help us—he wants to destroy us. The apostle Peter warns, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Deception is deadly. As the culture becomes more tolerant of deceit, Christians have a growing burden to “destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5, ESV).

2. Remember God’s goodness.

Doubting God’s grace and goodness begins subtly. In the Garden of Eden, Satan instilled doubt in Eve’s mind by asking, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1, ESV). Eve rolled down deception’s slippery slope by reframing God’s command just enough to diminish the extent of His goodness. God gave Adam and Eve permission to “freely eat” the fruit of “every tree of the garden,” but Eve left out the word “freely.” By shifting her focus from the many trees God gave her for food to the one tree that was forbidden, she unlocked the door to doubt.

Giving Satan inroads into our mind leads us to think less of God’s grace and more of His law. Satan encourages us to focus on what we can’t do instead of what we are privileged to do. The next thing we know, we begin to believe God doesn’t have our best interests in mind. When we overemphasize God’s boundaries, we forget, “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him” (Nahum 1:7, NIV).

3. Rely on God’s Word as the standard of truth.

Eve also misquoted God’s warning about the consequences of sin. The Lord had cautioned Adam that eating the forbidden fruit would cause him to “surely die,” but Eve quoted Him as saying, “lest you die” (Genesis 2:17; 3:3). This subtle shift made God’s warning sound more like a possibility than a certainty.

It’s easy for Christians to read the Word of God in terms of “maybe” when the text says “definitely” or to hear “consider” when Scripture says “obey.” What sins have you reframed through the lens of deception? How have you justified white lies, improper relationships, or online indulgences? Diluting God’s Word with your own wisdom can blur the line between right and wrong.

The way to determine what is true is by searching the Scriptures. The apostle John wrote, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). We guard our mind against falsehood by comparing different beliefs and ideas with the Word of God. Satan’s lies cannot hold up against the truth of Scripture.

4. Refuse to spread lies and misinformation.

One of the defining characteristics of God’s people is a love of the truth. When the apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Thessalonica, he said, “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10, emphasis added). It’s impossible to be a genuine Christian without loving the truth. Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well, “The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24).

We live in a culture that does not believe in objective truth, but God’s wisdom does not conform to the prevailing winds of popular opinion. Relativism is incompatible with biblical Christianity. The writer of Hebrews tells us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). And Jesus Himself said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32). One of Satan’s greatest deceptions is convincing men and women they can find freedom in their chosen reality. In fact, only when we grasp God’s truth and let it take hold of our heart are we truly free.

12 Bible Verses to Help You Stand for Truth in a World of Deception

More than ever, trust in the foundations that hold cultures and civilizations together is eroding. As the end of the world approaches, standing for the truth will be a defining characteristic of those who identify as God’s children and ambassadors. That is why Satan watches and waits for any opportunity to devour our influence. Even a little deception can wreak havoc on our life, loved ones, and testimony.

The Word of God instructs us, “Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13). This image of girding up the loins was a familiar concept to first-century readers. In those days, people had to gather their robes and tuck their clothing in at the waist to move unimpeded. Likewise, as Christians today, we must deliberately gather our thoughts to focus on God’s grace and goodness.

Are you ready to commit your thoughts to the truth of God’s Word? Meditate on the following Bible verses. They will remind you to stand for truth in a world of lies.

“Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom” (Psalm 51:6).

“Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name” (Psalm 86:11).

“Buy the truth, and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding” (Proverbs 23:23).

“But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one” (Matthew 5:37).

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24).

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

“Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: ‘That You may be justified in Your words, and may overcome when You are judged” (Romans 3:4).

“Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ” (Ephesians 4:15, NIV).

“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29).

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

“My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him” (1 John 3:18-19).

“I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (3 John 3-4).

Sources:

¹Peyton Shelburne, “Tracking Trust in U.S. Institutions,” Morning Consult, September 8, 2022, https://morningconsult.com/tracking-trust-in-institutions/.
²Jeffrey M. Jones, “U.S. Church Membership Falls Below Majority for First Time,” Gallup, March 29, 2021, https://news.gallup.com/poll/341963/church-membership-falls-below-majority-first-time.aspx; Jeffrey M. Jones, “U.S. Church Membership Down Sharply in Past Two Decades,” Gallup, April 18, 2019, https://news.gallup.com/poll/248837/church-membership-down-sharply-past-two-decades.aspx.