Colossians 3:9 tells Christians to stop lying to one another because they have already taken off the old way of living, the life centered on self and sin. Paul writes the words to the believers in Colossae, a city in what is now western Turkey, as part of a longer call to put away old habits and clothe themselves in the character of Christ. The command is short, but it rests on a clear picture of who believers have become.
Don’t lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his doings…
Colossians 3:9 (WEB)
What Colossians 3:9 Means
The verse begins with a direct instruction: “Don’t lie to one another.” Paul is not talking about a stranger or a rival but about the people in the church, the household of faith. Lying to a brother or sister breaks the trust that holds a community together, so the prohibition is aimed at the relationships where honesty matters most.
The reason Paul gives is “seeing that you have put off the old man with his doings.” The image is of taking off a set of dirty clothes. Paul uses the same language of clothing in verse 10, where believers “put on” the new self. The point is that a lie belongs to the wardrobe you have already discarded, so returning to it would be like dressing again in something you have already removed.
The verse does not promise that every believer will always speak perfectly or that old habits vanish overnight. It describes what has already happened through faith and then calls people to live in line with it. Honesty is presented as the natural response to a changed identity, not as a rule that earns that change.
The Context of Colossians 3:9
Colossians is traditionally attributed to the apostle Paul, written while he was imprisoned, and it was sent to a church he had not personally founded. Paul was responding to teachings that threatened the sufficiency of Christ, so the letter spends much of its energy on Jesus as supreme over all things. The ethical instructions in chapter 3 flow out of that claim: because Christ is Lord, believers should live differently.
Just before verse 9, Paul lists the sins to be put away, including anger, malice, slander, and shameful speech. Verse 9 then names lying as one more part of that old pattern. Just after it, verses 10 and 11 describe the new self being renewed in knowledge and erasing old divisions of ethnicity, status, and background, so honesty is set within a community that is being reshaped around Christ. This setting shows that truthfulness is a social virtue as well as a personal one.
Key Phrases in Colossians 3:9
Ephesians 4:25
Therefore putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor. For we are members of one another.
(WEB)
Paul makes a closely related point here, urging believers to put away falsehood and speak truth with their neighbors because they are members of one body. Reading it alongside Colossians 3:9 shows that honesty is grounded in the unity of the church.
Proverbs 12:22
Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who do the truth are his delight.
(WEB)
This proverb describes the Lord’s regard for those who deal faithfully, offering a wisdom-literature view of why truthfulness matters. It helps readers see that the call to honesty runs throughout Scripture, long before Paul’s letter.
A Short Prayer From Colossians 3:9
Father, you have shown me in Christ who I really am, and I want my words to match that new identity. Where I have been tempted to bend the truth to protect myself or to win an argument, forgive me and give me courage to speak honestly. Shape my speech so that the people around me can trust what I say, and let my honesty come from love for them and for you. Help me put off the old ways of deceit and walk in the truth that is mine in Christ. Amen.
