What does it mean to bear false witness, in the ninth commandment? This is often thought of as being restricted to giving testimony in a court of law. But it is not restricted to that alone. It is also generally understood to apply not just in court cases, but also in general life, where it means simply “do not lie”. The reality is that most of us tell lies in some form or another more often than we would like to admit. How can we avoid telling lies, being untruthful, when there are so many temptations and situations that would be so much easier if we were to just not be truthful? There are many ways that people give false testimony, or lie. It might be outright statements that are not true, or it may be by more subtle ways where the whole truth is not given, resulting in untruths being promoted or remaining unresolved. This occurs in all walks of life, by all kinds of people, organisations and governments. The Bible tells us that lies are what the Devil is known for. He is the originator of lying. Instead of following in his footsteps, we ought to be truthful, like God, following in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus. Christians who have been reconciled to God by faith alone, in Jesus alone ought to be renewed in character, by the work of the Holy Spirit. They ought to walk in the new nature, rather in the old sinful nature: Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. (Colossians 3:9–10, NLT) Christians must not lie or be untruthful, because that is inconsistent with being a new person in Christ, and it displeases God. We must follow Jesus’ example, and rely on the power of the Holy Spirit, to avoid being untruthful, and to live the life we are called to live.