You Can Lie but You Can't Hide

Lies, like delicate threads, weave intricate patterns across the fabric of human interaction, which are used to protect oneself from “feeling” stupid.

Unraveling the Web of Self-Deception

Lies, like delicate threads, weave intricate patterns across the fabric of human interaction, which are used to protect oneself from “feeling” stupid. While occasional fibs come with the depraved state of humanity, it also serves as social lubricants or protective shields that blocks people from admitting they do NOT have all the answers. However, there exists a darker realm—the domain of habitual liars. These individuals, driven by an insatiable urge, spin intricate pre-established truths by creating a dance of sorts on the precipice of truth and fiction as a means to glorify one’s intelligence.

Let us delve into the Spiritual psychology, consequences, and coping strategies surrounding this enigmatic behavior.

"But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." (Revelation 21:8)

God seems to have an aversion for cowards, unbelievers, abominable (immoral), murderers, sorcerers, people with idols, and liars.

A coward is a person who lacks the courage to face end-time dangers, difficulty, pain, or even moral obligations. Cowards default to believing that truth matches their impulse desires in thought and deed. This individual is often characterized by opinionate fears and timidity with what is true and may exhibit behaviors such as:

1. Avoidance of Confrontation: Cowards shy away from direct confrontations or challenging situations. While most default to retreat rather than stand their ground for Truth, their defense is frequently found in hatred.

2. Dishonesty: Cowards may tell half-truths, evade honesty, or create a false revision of truth to protect their ignorance. Their fear prevents them from being face to face with Truth, thus, get hostile if fronted with half backed opinions. When cornered, they typically slip into resistive silence.

3. Betrayal: When faced with adversity, cowards may betray others to save themselves. Their self-preservation instincts override loyalty or moral principles - confirming self is their god.

4. Lack of Accountability: Cowards avoid taking responsibility for their actions and twisted thoughts. They shift blame onto others by attempting to make the Truth sayer look like the idiot.

5. Fear of Strong People: While they act like the strong one, they know that immovable strong, honest individuals can unmask their cowardly behavior. Cowardly people fear being called out on their deception, so they jump ship before they are cornered.

6. Indecisiveness: Cowards struggle with making decisions, especially when fear paralyzes them when revealed. They may feel trapped and unable to choose a path, which initiates their resistive silence.

7. Manipulation: Cowards master the art of manipulation. They twist situations to their advantage, often at the expense of others. When cornered, they frequently divert to hostility - rampaging on illogical ideations.

8. Fear of Honesty: Cowards fear facing the truth. When confronted, they may dismiss or ridicule the feelings and beliefs of others, avoiding honest conversations. Rarely will you find a coward engaging in personal conversations.

In essence, a coward’s behavior revolves around self-preservation, avoidance, and a lack of moral courage. Most cowards will go to their graves believing self-justified ideologies unless broken by God Himself, which is God’s purpose and methodology in the book of Revelation.

Out of all the depraved labels God states in Revelation 21:8, each is rooted in two - cowards and liars.

The Habitual Liar: A Portrait in Contradictions

Habitual lying, also known as one who blends lies and truth, transcends mere exaggeration. It is a compulsive pattern—a relentless cascade of practical truths wrapped in lies. Here are its defining characteristics:

Indiscriminate Lies: Habitual liars fabricate stories across a wide spectrum of conversations. Their falsehoods lack Biblical rhyme or reason, defying the logic of God and the Holy Word.

Fearless Deception: Unlike garden-variety liars who fear exposure, these individuals remain undeterred. The thrill of getting away with falsehoods fuels their compulsion to front the living God as if God were the liar - frequently putting words in God’s mouth.

Elaborate Narratives: Their tales are not mere white lies; they are vivid, fantastical, and often embellished with dramatic demonic details, such as sorcery fiction and non-fiction writings, music, and musings.

Anxiety and Defensiveness: When confronted, habitual liars default to hate speech. Their anxiety betrays them, revealing the fragility beneath their façade. In these moments, they defend their position to the end, while fulling knowing they are encountering Truth beyond their own measure.

Gaslighting: While they themselves despise “gaslighting,” their versions of events diverge from reality, leaving others questioning their own beliefs—a psychological manipulation known as gaslighting. In this way, they develop a cognitive cementing in their view of life, death, culture, and spirituality.

The Roots of God’s View of Liars

What drives someone to traverse this treacherous path to that of lying to God to deceive self perpetually? The causes remain lucidly clear:

Psychological Factors: Many Biblical teachers link habitual lying to humanity’s unsaved condition, self-as-god disorders, the narcissism of the fallen condition of an unsaved person, or attention-seeking behavior that frequently flows over into their born-again state once indwelt by Jesus.

Neurobiological Underpinnings: Brain regions associated with impulse control and empathy may malfunction, leading to defaulting to memories left behind by the Adamic nature, the fallen nature of humanity, or choices to believe new lies propagated by the unsaved world.

Emotional Void: Perhaps these liars seek validation, admiration, or sympathy at the cost of insulting God. Biblically we call this people pleasing. Their tales become bridges to connect with others over that of connecting with the indwelling mind and the Life of Jesus Christ.

The Ripple Effect: Spiritual Consequences of Deception

Eroded Trust: Relationships built on lies crumble, particularly with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Friends, family, and colleagues grapple with shattered trust.

Self-Deception: Habitual liars lose touch with self and God’s reality. Their web of lies ensnares them, blurring the boundary between truth and fiction.

Isolation: As credibility wanes, isolation beckons. When isolation beckons, resistive silence becomes habitual. Who can trust a storyteller whose words shift like sand?

"Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.” (Matthew 7:26)

The key test and indicator of a liar is in hearing the Truth but does not act upon the words of Truth. When anyone defaults back to a lie after clearly hearing God’s Truth, we find the evidence that demands a verdict, which is the probability of an unsaved person. They likely are a follower of selected doctrines of the absolutes of God and His Word. If they accepted the indwelling Life of Christ who is TRUTH, their passion to gain control would become their ultimate nightmare - fronting truth twenty-four hours a day. Noting the “why” habitual liars are one of God’s worst enemies.

What about us “white lie” liars?

A white lie is a small or unimportant falsehood that someone tells to avoid hurting themselves or another person. It is not necessarily intended to cause harm but rather to tell the partial truth to avoid the uncomfortable reactions of telling the full truth - covering the lie with the excuse of being polite or preventing someone from being upset by the full truth. Authentic and fake Christians practice white lies frequently - sad to say. A dark & white lie is the same. Both are lies according to the Word of God.

In essence, white lies serve as social lubricants, maintaining harmony and kindness in our interactions. They are gentle veils over uncomfortable truths, woven with good intentions that always end in disastrous results. A lie is a lie.

Compassion is the action for dealing with someone who lies. Fully knowing that the fleshly mind defends its protective shield. We must remember that lies, white and dark, produce vulnerability. Those of us who live in Truth must approach those who lie with empathy, recognizing their inner turmoil.

But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. (James 3:14)

Almost all of us lie against the Truth! Daily. Pointing the finger at another is NOT the answer. We might have to set up Biblical boundaries to protect ourselves from being pulled into the lie; however, setting clear boundaries and accepting the person while rejecting their deception opens the door to ministry.

Conclusion: The Quest for Authenticity

As we navigate a world where truth and deceit coexist, and many times are integrated, let us strive for authenticity of Truth. For every lie told, there exists a truth yearning to be heard. Perhaps, in understanding the habitual liar, we gain a perspective that Jesus maintained—humans are a fragile aspect to God’s creation, particularly after Adam and Eve choose to listen to the great deceiver, Satan, who IS the ultimate habitual liar.