The article looks credible. The headline grabs your attention. But something feels off about the claims being made. In our digital age of information overload, distinguishing truth from deception has become increasingly challenging. Social media algorithms feed us content that confirms our biases, conspiracy theories spread faster than facts, and even trusted sources sometimes get things wrong.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by conflicting narratives, wondering whom to trust, or struggling with friends and family who believe radically different “facts,” you’re not alone. The Bible speaks extensively about truth, lies, and the human tendency toward deception. From the serpent’s first lie in Eden to Jesus declaring himself as Truth incarnate, Scripture provides profound wisdom for navigating a world where falsehood often masquerades as reality.
These verses don’t offer simple formulas for fact-checking every claim, but they provide divine principles for pursuing truth, recognizing deception, and responding wisely when lies proliferate. In an era when “truth” itself seems under attack, God’s Word offers an unchanging foundation for discerning what is real, right, and worth believing.
Bible Verses About Dealing with Fake News and Truth
1. John 8:32 – The Truth Will Set You Free
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
New International Version (NIV)
2. John 14:6 – I Am the Way and the Truth and the Life
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
3. Proverbs 18:17 – The First to Present His Case Seems Right
The first to speak in court sounds right—until the cross-examination begins.
New Living Translation (NLT)
4. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 – Test All Things
Test all things; hold fast what is good.
New King James Version (NKJV)
5. Psalm 119:160 – All Your Words Are True
The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
6. Acts 17:11 – They Examined the Scriptures Daily
Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
7. Proverbs 14:15 – The Simple Believe Every Word
The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.
King James Version (KJV)
8. Ephesians 4:25 – Speak Truthfully to Your Neighbor
Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
9. John 8:44 – You Belong to Your Father, the Devil
For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.
The Message (MSG)
10. Proverbs 27:6 – Wounds from a Friend Can Be Trusted
Faithful are the wounds of a friend [who corrects out of love and concern], but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful [because they serve his hidden agenda].
Amplified Bible (AMP)
11. 2 Timothy 3:13 – Evil People and Impostors Will Go from Bad to Worse
But evil people and impostors will become worse and worse, deceiving others and being deceived themselves.
New English Translation (NET)
12. Proverbs 23:23 – Buy the Truth and Do Not Sell It
Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
13. Matthew 7:15-16 – Watch Out for False Prophets
Watch out for false prophets! They dress up like sheep, but inside they are wolves who have come to attack you. You can tell what they are by what they do.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
14. 1 John 4:1 – Test the Spirits to See Whether They Are from God
My dear friends, do not believe all who claim to have the Spirit, but test them to find out if the spirit they have comes from God.
Good News Translation (GNT)
15. Psalm 15:2-3 – Whose Walk Is Blameless
Those who live innocent lives, who do what is right and speak the truth. They don’t speak evil of others or hurt their neighbors or speak badly of friends.
New Century Version (NCV)
16. Proverbs 19:5 – A False Witness Will Not Go Unpunished
A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever breathes out lies will not escape.
International Standard Version (ISV)
17. James 1:5 – If Any of You Lacks Wisdom
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all without hesitation and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
Tree of Life Version (TLV)
18. 2 Peter 2:1 – There Will Be False Teachers Among You
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies.
Lexham English Bible (LEB)
19. Philippians 4:8 – Whatever Is True
Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think about these things.
World English Bible (WEB)
20. Proverbs 12:22 – The Lord Detests Lying Lips
Lying lips are an abomination to Jehovah; But they that deal truly are his delight.
American Standard Version (ASV)
21. Romans 1:25 – They Exchanged the Truth About God for a Lie
because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever! Amen.
Revised Standard Version (RSV)
22. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 – They Will Not Endure Sound Doctrine
For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
New American Bible (NAB)
23. Colossians 2:8 – See to It That No One Takes You Captive
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy, and vain deceit according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ.
Douay-Rheims Bible (DRB)
24. 1 Timothy 6:20-21 – Avoid the Irreverent Babble
O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith.
English Revised Version (ERV)
25. Jeremiah 17:9 – The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things
Crooked is the heart above all things, And it is incurable — who doth know it?
Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)
26. 2 Corinthians 11:14 – Satan Himself Masquerades as an Angel of Light
And no wonder, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.
Darby Translation (DARBY)
27. Matthew 24:4 – Watch Out That No One Deceives You
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
Weymouth New Testament (WNT)
28. Isaiah 5:20 – Woe to Those Who Call Evil Good
Wo to hem that seien yuel good, and good yuel; and putten derknessis liyt, and liyt derknessis; and putten bittir thing in to swete, and swete thing in to bittir.
Wycliffe Bible (WYC)
29. Galatians 1:6-7 – A Different Gospel
I maruel that ye are so soone turned away from him that called you into the grace of Christ, vnto another Gospel, Which is not another Gospel, but there be some that trouble you, and intend to peruert the Gospel of Christ.
Geneva Bible (GNV)
30. 2 Thessalonians 2:11 – God Sends Them a Powerful Delusion
And therefore God shall sende them strong delusion, that they shoulde beleue lyes: that all they myght be damned whiche beleued not the trueth, but had pleasure in vnryghteousnesse.
Bishop’s Bible
31. 1 Kings 22:23 – The Lord Has Put a Lying Spirit
Now therfore beholde, the Lorde hath put a false sprete in the mouth of all these thy prophetes, and the Lorde hath spoke evyll concernynge the.
Tyndale Bible
32. Revelation 21:8 – All Liars Will Be Consigned to the Fiery Lake
But anyone who is a coward, unbelieving, corrupt, murderer, the immoral, those conversing with demons, idol worshipers, and all liars—their doom is in the Lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the Second Death.
The Living Bible (TLB)
33. John 16:13 – The Spirit of Truth Will Guide You
But when the truth-giving Spirit comes, he will unveil the reality of every truth within you. He won’t speak his own message, but only what he hears from the Father, and he will reveal prophetically to you what is to come.
The Passion Translation (TPT)
34. Psalm 51:6 – Surely You Desire Truth in the Inner Parts
Look, You delight in truth in the innermost being, and You teach me wisdom in the hidden places of my heart.
The Voice Bible (VOICE)
35. 3 John 1:4 – No Greater Joy Than to Hear That My Children Are Walking in the Truth
Nothing gives me greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth.
New International Reader’s Version (NIrV)
Our Thoughts On What the Bible Says About Dealing with Fake News and Truth
Scripture’s approach to truth and deception feels remarkably relevant to our digital age. The Bible consistently warns about the human tendency to believe what we want to hear rather than what is actually true. From the Bereans who fact-checked Paul’s preaching against Scripture to Jesus’ warning about false teachers who would deceive many, the biblical writers understood that discerning truth requires both wisdom and diligence.
What strikes me most is how the Bible emphasizes that our hearts, not just our minds, can deceive us. We naturally gravitate toward information that confirms our existing beliefs while avoiding truths that challenge us. This insight predates social media algorithms by millennia, but explains perfectly why fake news spreads so effectively in our echo chambers.
The biblical solution isn’t just better fact-checking but the transformation of our hearts to love truth more than comfort, convenience, or tribal loyalty. Scripture calls us to test everything against God’s unchanging Word, seek wisdom from multiple sources, and remain humble enough to change our minds when presented with evidence. Truth isn’t just information we possess; it’s the foundation we build our lives upon.
Say This Prayer
Heavenly Father, I’m overwhelmed by the amount of conflicting information bombarding me every day. It’s becoming harder to know what’s true and what’s false, and I feel anxious about being deceived or unintentionally spreading misinformation to others. Help me to be a person who loves truth more than being right or feeling comfortable.
Give me wisdom to discern between reliable and unreliable sources. Help me to test what I hear and read against Your Word and to seek counsel from wise people who love truth. Protect me from falling into conspiracy theories or believing things simply because they align with what I want to be true.
When I encounter those who believe different “facts” than I do, help me to respond with patience and humility rather than arrogance or anger. Show me how to have conversations that seek understanding rather than just trying to win arguments. Help me to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and careful about what I share with others.
Most importantly, keep me grounded in You as the source of all truth. When everything else seems uncertain, help me to stand firm on the foundation of Your unchanging Word and character.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Evang. Anabelle Thompson is the founder of Believers Refuge, a Scripture-based resource that helps Christians to find biblical guidance for life’s challenges.
With over 15 years of ministry experience and a decade of dedicated Bible study, she creates content that connects believers with relevant Scripture for their daily struggles.
Her work has reached over 76,000 monthly readers (which is projected to reach 100,000 readers by the end of 2025) seeking practical faith applications, biblical encouragement, and spiritual guidance rooted in God’s Word.
She writes from personal experience, having walked through seasons of waiting, breakthrough, and spiritual growth that inform her teaching.
Evang. Thompson brings 12 years of active ministry and evangelism experience, along with over 10 years of systematic Bible study and theological research.
As a former small group leader and Sunday school teacher, she has published over 200 biblical resources and devotional studies.
She specializes in applying Scripture to everyday life challenges and regularly studies the original Hebrew and Greek texts for a deeper biblical understanding.