How to prevent deceitful actions?
What practical steps can we take to avoid deceitful actions mentioned here?

Verse in Focus

Proverbs 6:13: “he winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, and motions with his fingers.”


What the Text Exposes

• Scripture paints the picture of a person who stays technically silent yet communicates schemes through sly gestures.

• The Holy Spirit singles out these “little” movements to show that deception is never harmless; it flows from a corrupt heart (v. 14).


Why God Confronts Subtle Deceit

• “The LORD detests lying lips” (Proverbs 12:22).

• “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8).

• Hidden dishonesty fractures trust and breeds discord—exactly what the next verse warns against.


Practical Steps to Keep Deceit Out of Everyday Life

1. Examine motives before speaking or gesturing.

Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, O God… see if there is any offensive way in me.”

2. Commit to plain, straightforward communication.

Ephesians 4:25: “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor.”

3. Refuse all body language meant to manipulate.

– No knowing nods that hide the full story, no foot-tapping signals in a meeting, no secret hand cues designed to lure someone into an unfair deal.

4. Keep promises simple and public.

James 5:12: “Let your ‘Yes’ be yes and your ‘No,’ no.”

5. Surround yourself with truth-loving friends.

Proverbs 13:20: “He who walks with the wise grows wise.”

6. Confess and correct immediately when you catch yourself shading the truth.

Proverbs 28:13: “He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”

7. Build a habit of transparency.

Colossians 3:9-10: “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self… and put on the new.”


Guarding the Heart—the Root Issue

• Deceitful gestures spring from an inner agenda. Proverbs 4:23 urges: “Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it flow the springs of life.”

• Regular intake of Scripture reshapes the heart so that truth becomes instinctive (John 17:17).


Encouragement to Walk in Integrity

• “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely” (Proverbs 10:9).

• Even when honesty seems costly, God defends those who refuse hidden snares (Psalm 15:1-2).

Living without wink-and-nod games frees us to reflect Christ, “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14), and keeps us aligned with the God who never lies (Titus 1:2).

How does Proverbs 6:13 describe the behavior of a deceitful person?
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