Put Away Lying

(Ephesians 4:25)

Mike Johnson

Ephesians 4:25 says, “Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another.” 

This verse tells us Christians are to put away lying. The context shows the need to put off the “old man” and to put on the new. One way a Christian puts off the “old man” is by putting away the sin of lying.

Lying was the tool Satan used in the very beginning to get Adam and Eve to sin. It is the work of Satan. Jesus said in John 8:44 that Satan is a liar and the father of lies.

The Bible frequently condemns lying. Proverbs 6 tells us lying is one of the things the Lord hates. Also, Proverbs 12:22 says, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight.” In the New Testament, Colossians 3:9 says, “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds.”

People lie for various reasons today. Some people lie to make themselves sound significant, relevant, and entertaining; some lie to cover up their mistakes or crimes, while others lie to get gain or to avoid loss.

It is essential to realize that all kinds of lies are wrong. The Bible does not make a distinction between what people call a “white lie” and a “black lie.” Many have the philosophy that lies in certain situations is acceptable. Lying is never in accord with God’s Word. It does not matter how big or small we regard a lie to be, whether the falsehood is to family, friends, strangers, employers, or the government; it is still wrong to lie.

The last part of verse 25 says we are to speak truth to our neighbors, “for we are members of one another.” Instead of telling lies, a Christian is to tell the truth. The Christian should not lie to anyone, and he would especially not lie to a fellow Christian. Christians are members of the same spiritual body; they are supposed to have the same goals, interests, and aims. It would not be any more logical for one Christian to lie to another in the spiritual body than it would be for the hand to lie to the foot in the physical body.

Lying needs to be put away, as our text says. Revelation 21:8 says, “. . . all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”