30 Bible Verses about Self Deception

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

because thou sayest, I am rich, and wallow in wealth, and have no want unsupplied; yet thou knowest not that thou art wretched, and pitiable, and poor, and blind, and naked.

Wo unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye shut up the kingdom of heaven from men; for ye yourselves enter not in, and those who were coming in, ye suffer not to enter. Wo unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: wherefore ye shall receive greater condemnation. Wo unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is gained, ye make him doubly more the child of hell than yourselves.

But wo to you, Pharisees, because ye tithe mint, and rue, and every herb, and pass by judgment and the love of God. These ought ye to have done, and not to have omitted the other. Wo unto you, Pharisees, for ye love the first seats in the synagogues, and salutations in the places of public concourse. Wo unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves concealed, which men, while walking over them, see not.read more.
Then one of the doctors of the law addressing him, said, Master, thus speaking, thou reproachest us also. And he said, Wo also to you, teachers of the law! for ye load men with burdens hardly bearable, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. Wo unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Ye do indeed bear witness to, and with pleasure concur in your fathers' deeds; for they truly killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. Therefore also the wisdom of God hath said, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall kill, and shall persecute: that the blood of all the prophets, which hath been shed since the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation: from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zachariah, who was slain between the altar and the temple: verily I tell you, It shall be required of this generation. Wo unto you, teachers of the law! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge; ye yourselves enter not in, and those who were entering ye have hindered.

They answered him, We are Abraham's seed, and never were in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, That we shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, That every one who committeth sin is the slave of sin.

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves by false reasoning. For if any man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man that looks at his natural face in a glass; for he beheld himself, and went away, and immediately forgot what sort of person he was.read more.
But he that looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and perseveres, this man not being a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, he shall be blessed in his practice. If any man thinks he is a religious character among you, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

Come now, ye that talk, To-day or to-morrow we will go to such a town, and do business there during one year, and traffic, and make great profits: though ye know nothing of what shall be to-morrow. For what is your life? It is but a vapour which appeareth for a little while, and then vanishes away. Instead of your saying, If the Lord pleases, and we are alive, then we will do this or that thing.read more.
But now ye glory in your proud boastings: all such glorying is wicked.

And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The estate of a certain rich man bore plentifully: and he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do? for I have not room where I may house my crops. And he said, I will do this; I will take down my barns, and build them larger, and collect there all my crops, and my good things!read more.
And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast a multitude of good things in store for many years, be at ease, eat, drink, and be merry! But God said to him, Thou fool! this night shall they demand thy life from thee; and the things which thou hast prepared, whose shall they be?

Produce then worthy fruits of repentance: and think not to say in yourselves, We have Abraham for our father: for I say unto you, that God is able out of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.

Produce then fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say in yourselves, We have a father, even Abraham; for I say unto you, That God is able out of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.

Not every one who saith to me, Lord, Lord! shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have we not cast out devils? and in thy name done many miracles? And then will I profess unto them, that I never knew you: depart from me, ye workers of iniquity.

When the master of the family shall have arisen, and shut the door, and ye shall begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Master, master, open it for us! and he answering will tell you, I know you not whence ye are: then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. And he will say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.

Then shall he say also to those on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry, and ye gave me nothing to eat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me nothing to drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye did not clothe me: sick, and in prison, and ye took no care of me.read more.
Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he reply to them, saying, For as much as ye have not done it to one of the least of these, neither have ye done it to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

They answered and said unto him, Our Father is Abraham. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were the children of Abraham, ye would have done the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man who hath told you the truth, which I have heard from God. Abraham did not so. Ye do the works of your father. They said unto him, We are not born of whoredom; we have one Father, even God.read more.
Then said Jesus unto them, If God was your Father, ye would have loved me: for I came out from God, and I am coming; neither indeed came I of myself, but he hath sent me. Wherefore do ye not understand my speech? because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will practise. He was a murderer from the beginning, and stood not fast in the truth, because truth was not in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh what is peculiarly his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. But because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you can convict me of sin? Now if I speak the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth the words of God: ye therefore do not hear him, because ye are not of God.

Lo! thou art named a Jew, and restest on the law, and boastest in God, and knowest the will of God, and bringest to the test the things that are different, being instructed out of the law; and hast confidence that thou thyself art a leader of the blind, a light of those who are in darkness,read more.
an instructor of the uninformed, a teacher of babes, holding the form of knowledge and of truth in the law. Thou therefore who teachest another, dost thou not teach thyself? thou that proclaimest aloud that a man should not steal, dost thou steal? thou that sayest, Do not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that holdest idols in abomination, dost thou commit sacrilege? thou who gloriest in the law, dishonourest thou God by the transgression of the law? for the name of God is blasphemed through you among the heathen, as it is written. For circumcision indeed is advantageous, if thou practise the law: but if thou art a transgressor of the law, thy circumcision becomes uncircumcision, If then the uncircumcision observe the righteous judgments of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be accounted for circumcision? And the uncircumcision by nature which fulfilleth the law shall condemn thee, who through the letter and circumcision art a transgressor of the law. For not he who is outwardly such, is the Jew; neither is that which is outward in the flesh, circumcision. But he is a Jew who is such inwardly; and circumcision is of the heart, in spirit, not in letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God.

Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the observance of the commandments of God.

Beware of dogs, beware of the malicious labourers, beware of the concision. For we are the circumcision, who serve God in spirit, and glory in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh. Though I too might have confidence in the flesh; if any other man thinks that he may have confidence in the flesh, I may claim more:read more.
circumcised the eighth day, of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; respecting the law, a Pharisee; with regard to zeal, persecuting the church; as touching the righteousness which is by the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ.

Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinketh himself a wise man in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly in the sight of God. For it is written, "He entangleth the wise in their own craftiness." And again, "The Lord knoweth the reasonings of the wise, that they are futile."

Then Peter, taking up the word, said to him, Though all should be offended at thee, yet will I never be offended. Jesus saith to him, I tell thee of a certainty, that this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter said to him, Though I should die with thee, never will I deny thee. In like manner also said all the disciples.

And Jesus saith to them, All ye will be offended at me this night; for it is written, "I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be dispersed:" but after I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee. Then said Peter unto him, Though all should be offended, yet will not I.read more.
And Jesus saith to him, Verily I tell thee, That to-day, in the course of this very night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt thrice deny me. But he said with more vehement assertion, Though I should die with thee, yet would I in no wise deny thee. And they all spake also in the same manner.

Then he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, to prison, and to death! And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before thou shalt thrice deny having known me.

Peter saith to him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thee. Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for me? Verily, verily, I tell thee, the cock will not crow, before thou shalt deny me thrice.

For we will not presume to put ourselves on the level, or compare ourselves with some who vaunt themselves; but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, have no understanding.

For if any man conceits that he is something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

And when thou prayest, be not as the hypocrites: for they love standing in the synagogues and at the corners of the streets, to pray, that they may make a shew to men. Verily I say unto you, That they have their reward.

And he said unto them, Ye are they who affect to be righteous persons before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men, is an abomination in the sight of God.

Then he spake also this parable to certain persons, who had confidence in themselves, that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up to the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, the other a tax-farmer. The Pharisee, standing by himself, made this prayer: God, I thank thee, that I am not as the rest of mankind, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or as this tax-gatherer.read more.
I keep a fast twice a week, I pay the tenth of all things I possess. And the tax-gatherer standing at a distance, would not even so much as lift his eyes heaven-ward, but smote on his breast, saying, May God accept the atonement for me a sinner! I say to you, Went this man down to his house justified, or the other? for every one who exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

For from the creation of the world his invisible perfections, discoverable in the works that are made, are clearly seen, even his eternal power and deity; so that they are inexcusable: because though they knew [there was] a God, they glorified him not as God, nor gave him thanks, but became triflers in their disputations, and their stupid heart was darkened. Affecting to be sophists, they turned idiots,read more.
and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of an image of a corruptible man, and of birds, and of quadrupeds, and of reptiles.