Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Colossians 3:9
What does Colossians 3:9 mean?
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Colossians 3:9
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The verse isn't just telling you not to lie; it's connecting your truthfulness directly to a profound identity shift. It highlights that lying is a relic of your "old self," and because you've "put off" that former way of being, such deceit simply doesn't fit your new identity in Christ.
Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is continuing his instruction to the Colossian believers on how to live out their new identity in Christ. Having just urged them to rid themselves of anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk, he now addresses deceit. He emphasizes that lying is incompatible with their transformation in Christ, reminding them that they have shed their former selves like old clothing.
Why does Paul link lying to 'putting off the old self'? What does this 'old self' even mean?
Paul uses the powerful image of 'putting off the old self' to describe the radical transformation that happens when we follow Christ.
The Old and the New
Why the Contrast Matters
This isn't just a philosophical idea. When you 'put on' the new self in Christ, your old ways of thinking and acting, including deception, no longer fit. They belong to the 'old self' you've left behind.
Why is 'not lying' such a big deal that Paul calls it out specifically?
Paul's command to 'lie not one to another' isn't just a minor rule; it's a fundamental aspect of the Christian life.
More Than Just Honesty
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Paul contrasts this with the 'practices' of the old self, implying that falsehood is a defining characteristic of that former life.
Understand the original words
pseudomai · Greek Verb
To depart from the truth or to intentionally deceive. Biblically, it is the opposite of the truth inherent in God's nature and is considered a characteristic of the old life.
palaios anthrōpos · Greek Noun Phrase
The unregenerate human nature inherited from Adam; the totality of the fallen character, desires, and patterns of life that a person possessed before union with Christ.
This passage directly parallels Colossians 3:9 by commanding believers to 'put away falsehood' and 'speak truth each one to his neighbor,' grounding it in the new life in Christ.
Romans 6:6It explains the concept of the 'old man' being crucified with Christ, providing the theological basis for the idea that believers have shed their former sinful nature and its practices.
Colossians 3:10This verse immediately follows, describing the 'new man' being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator, showing the positive counterpart to 'putting off' the old self.
Galatians 5:19-21This passage lists 'works of the flesh' which are synonymous with the 'deeds of the old man,' highlighting the sinful actions that believers are called to abandon.
1 Peter 2:1This verse uses the 'putting away' metaphor for negative qualities like malice and deceit, reinforcing the idea of actively discarding sinful behaviors associated with the old self.
henryColossians 3:5-11: "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:"
3:5-11 It is our duty to mortify our members which incline to the things of the world. Mortify them, kill them, suppress them, as weeds or vermin which spread and destroy all about them. Continual opposition must be made to all corrupt workings, and no provision made for carnal indulgences. Occasions of sin must be…
vincentColossians 3:9: "Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;"
Seeing that ye have put off (ἀπεκδυσάμενοι)See on Colossians 2:15.The old manSee on Romans 6:6.
The verse isn't just telling you not to lie; it's connecting your truthfulness directly to a profound identity shift. It highlights that lying is a relic of your "old self," and because you've "put off" that former way of being, such deceit simply doesn't fit your new identity in Christ.
Paul is continuing his instruction to the Colossian believers on how to live out their new identity in Christ. Having just urged them to rid themselves of anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk, he now addresses deceit. He emphasizes that lying is incompatible with their transformation in Christ, reminding them that they have shed their former selves like old clothing.
Paul is continuing his instruction to the Colossian believers on how to live out their new identity in Christ. Having just urged them to rid themselves of anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk, he now addresses deceit. He emphasizes that lying is incompatible with their transformation in Christ, reminding them that they have shed their former selves like old clothing.
"Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices" — The verse isn't just telling you not to lie; it's connecting your truthfulness directly to a profound identity shift. It highlights that lying is a relic of your "old self," and because you've "put…
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Last reviewed October 2026