How to stop telling lies

Babatope Babalobi

 John 8:44: “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. 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”

Yesterday, just some minutes past 7.00 in the morning, I received a Telephone call on my mobile hand set from an important business colleague, who apologized for calling me so early in the morning hoping that I was not woken up from bed by the phone call. I responded that I had already resumed work in the office; therefore there was no need for his apology.

He then said that since I was already in the office he preferred to call me on my office fixed wireless land phone, as its charges are less expensive than calls made to mobile phone.

(I guessed he wanted to have a long discussion with me on my Business proposal before him.) He ended by saying that he was about to leave for his office and would make the call as soon as he resumed duty.

As the telephone conversation ended, I knew I was in a bit of a problem because I had lied that I was already in the office whereas I was still at home.

If my business colleague had phoned my office line immediately he would have been shocked that I was not on seat and my credibility before him would have been injured. What saved me was the fact that he was just leaving for his office.

In order to cover my lie, I immediately left home and rushed to the office so that I would be at my desk to receive his phone call. He eventually called much latter in the day and he did not detect that I had lied earlier.

As I meditated latter in the day on the incident I wondered why I had lied to my business colleague in the morning.

Was it to massage my ego that I always resume work early in the morning and by so doing portray me as hardworking? I realized with much guilt that the lie I told was needless. I also realized that I had effortlessly told the lie.

I was not under any pressure to tell a lie yet I opened my mouth and boxed myself into a corner.

He was merely apologizing for phoning me early in the morning, and instead of saying the truth that I had woken up, but at home preparing to leave for the office, I said I was already at my desk working!

Another thing I realized was that I exposed myself to risk because I had to drive to the office in a hurry in order to cover up my lies. What of if I had an accident in the mad rush?

The important lesson here is that when you tell a lie, you are at the risk of being detected and you may have to embark on more grievous things to cover up your first lie.

Lies multiply themselves and the more you persist in lying, the more you commit more evils. Lying is a spirit, Lying is an art, Lying is a habit. But the Bible also clearly states that lying is a sin that we must seek to control and overcome.

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—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

Several people may not make heaven not because they committed any of the known sins like sexual immorality or murder, but because they were liars when on earth. Like I stated earlier, there is a spirit that influences people to lie.

A spirit is an invisible force, and the spirits of lying are devilish. God never leads any one to tell lies. It is the devil that influences people to tell lies under the influence of the lying spirit.

The Bible describes Devil as the Father of Liars. We all must all make conscious efforts and pray to overcome the Spirit of lying.

1 Kings 22 vs. 19-23: “Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the host of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’

“One suggested this, and another that. Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD and said, ‘I will entice him.’ “‘By what means?’ the LORD asked.” ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said.

“‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’ “So now the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours.

” The story is a narration of a scene in the presence of God where a lying spirit volunteers to influence King Ahab. God allowed this to happen because Ahab had stubbornly refused to hearken to the divine instruction.

2Thessalonians 2vs.11: “For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.”

It is very easy to tell a lie, but it is not also difficult to stick to the truth all the time. In fact, Gut God has given us the power to bind and cast out this spirit from our life so that we can stand on the truth at all times

Ephesians 4 vs. 25: “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body”

There are some people who tell lies occasionally, some tell lies habitually and some pathologically. No matter the category you below, we must all realize that we can all do and live without having to tell lies.

The spirit of God can help us to stand by the truth at al times and resist the devil that is the father of liars.

I have repented of the lie I told early yesterday morning and I have prayed to God to help to say the truth at all times. If you are also ashamed of the lies you have told, you can call on the God of truth today to deliver you from the spirit of lying.

The first step you need to take before God can save you from this evil spirit is that you must invite Jesus Christ, the Truth into your life.

John 14 vs. 6: “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Say this confessional prayer: Father, in the name of Jesus Christ. I acknowledge that I am a liar and have not held on to the truth. I repent of all my lies and plead for forgiveness in Jesus name.

I accept Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and pray that he gives me the Holy Spirit, which will lead me to say the truth at all times if you want more information on how you can build a new life with God.

For prayers, counseling or to support our work, sent an email to: info@christonline.info  or call +2348035897435