What does the Bible say about cussing and foul language?
Is it OK for Christians to use bad language (swear, cuss, or be foul)?
No, no it definitely is NOT acceptable for a Christian to use cursing, swearing, cussing, profanity, crude, lewd, and bad language. Would you use this bad language with Jesus standing next to you listening? Or next to your mother? Do you think Jesus would approve of bad language?
What level of language do you think will be in heaven? Rated R, PG 13, or PG? If we are to follow Jesus’ example, how did He talk? How should we speak as a Christian representative? If you heard someone swearing and cussing would you think they are Christian? What kind of witness does it give to those hearing the foul language?
The Bible is VERY clear about this question. With many verses calling out this bad behavior.
Using abbreviations or slang to try to “get around” not using profanity or God’s name to swear is also disrespectful to God and a bad witness.
What about specifically a Christian who uses foul language? The Bible says they deceive themselves and their religion is in vain.
James 1:26 (KJV) — “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.”
What bad language does the Bible warn against?
- Foolish talking, jesting, lewdness, obscene jokes. remarks (Ephesians 5:4)
- Corrupt communication (Ephesians 4:29)
- Filthy communication (Colossians 3:8)
- Profane and vain babbling (1 Timothy 6:20)
- Blasphemy, taking the Lord’s name in vain (Ephesians 4:31, Exodus 20:7, Deuteronomy 5:11)
- Foul language (Colossians 3:8)
- Slander, libel, false rumors (James 4:11)
- Swearing oaths or making vows (Matthew 5:33-37, James 5:12)
- Cursing or using profanity (Romans 3:13-14, Ephesians 5:4, Colossians 3:8)
- Lascivious speech to cause lust in others (2 Peter 2:18)
- Lying or deceiving (Proverbs 12:22, Colossians 3:9)
- Idle words, those said in anger or malice (Matthew 12:36-37, Ephesians 4:31-32)
- Gossiping or speaking maliciously (Proverbs 16:28, Ephesians 4:29)
- Insulting or belittling others (Matthew 5:22, Ephesians 4:29)
- Boasting or speaking arrogantly (James 4:16, 1 Peter 5:5)
- Engaging in quarrelsome or divisive talk (Proverbs 6:12-19, Titus 3:9)
- Engaging in flattery or insincere speech (Proverbs 26:28, 1 Thessalonians 2:5)
Bible Verses About Cussing, Swearing, and Bad Language
Here are verses that are very straightforward:
Ephesians 5:4 (KJV) — “Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.”
Ephesians 4:29 (KJV) — “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”
Colossians 3:8 (KJV) — “But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.”
Colossians 4:6 (KJV) — “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”
Matthew 15:11 (KJV) — “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.”
Matthew 15:18-20 (KJV) — “18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.”
1 Peter 3:10 (KJV) — “For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:”
Verses in Proverbs
God’s people clearly have an issue with using good speech and controlling the words they utter. Proverbs the book of advice repeatedly gives input to believers.
Proverbs 6:12 (KJV) — “A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.”
Proverbs 18:21 (KJV) — “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”
Proverbs 21:23 (KJV) — “Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.”
Scripture Describing the Danger of the Tongue
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
— James 3:6-10 (KJV)
What about swearing an oath?
There are many people in the Bible who do make promises and contracts with each other. Some of them swear by oath or in the name of God or a god. But remember the Bible is descriptive of events that happened, not just prescriptive. Meaning that it describes someone swearing an oath, but that does not mean it is OK to copy them. God, Himself makes covenants many times. So what does the Bible say we should or should not do?
James 5:12 (KJV) — “But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.”
33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:
34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:
35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
— Matthew 5:33-37 (KJV)
What about cursing people in the name of God?
One of the controversial stories in the Bible is of the prophet Elisha summoning two she bears when children mocked him. Elisha cursed the children in the name of the Lord. But would God have endorsed this?
23 And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.
24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.
— 2 Kings 2:23-24 (KJV)
There are other instances of people in the Bible speaking to invoke God’s judgment on the wicked or calling for justice. They are reminders of the destructive power of words.
One example of this is found in the story of Balaam, who was hired by the king of Moab to curse the Israelites. However, God intervened and instead of cursing them, Balaam was compelled to bless them (Numbers 22-24).
However, the Bible teaches that we should love our enemies and bless those who curse us (Matthew 5:44).
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”
And in other verses directly say to not curse your enemies, but bless them.
- Romans 12:14 (KJV) — “Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.”
- 1 Peter 3:9 (KJV) — “Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.”
- Luke 6:28 (KJV) — “Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.”
- James 3:9-10 (KJV) — “9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”
That isn’t to say that God does not hear His people crying for justice, and won’t eventually run out of mercy. Because God will in the end times in Revelation this is clear.
The Effects Warned in the Bible of Cussing and Swearing
What can be the end result of cussing and swearing?
- Proverbs 13:3 (KJV) — “He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.”
- Matthew 12:36-37 (KJV) — 36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”
How to Get Help Reforming Your Speech
It isn’t easy to change your behavior, especially one that might be ingrained in your brain’s neuropathways like muscle memory. But only through Jesus can you break this habit.
The thing you absolutely have to have to get victory over your speech is conviction. Just like if you believe murdering someone is wrong, you surely will not do it.
At the same time, you shouldn’t be listening to or watching inappropriate media, music, TV shows, or movies. Why? What you listen to and watch, influences you, how you think, and the actions you might take. It can lead you to temptation.
- Proverbs 4:24 (KJV) — “Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.”
Even who your friends are, and who you hang out with, can influence you. Ask them politely to stop around you, and explain why.
Try using replacement language. Avoiding any abbreviations or slang. Replace the inappropriate words completely with something not similar. Make sure the language is not similar to avoid slipping.
As an example “darn it” or “dang it”, said in anger can easily turn into the original. Same issue with “oh my gosh” (which can also easily be misheard as the original). But “aw shucks” probably isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Use something to replace the foul language which you would naturally say, and feels naturally expressive while being modest and respectful.
Still struggling to control your bad language consider these Scriptures and their advice:
- James 1:19-20 (KJV) — “19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”
- Proverbs 17:28 (KJV) — “Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.”
- Proverbs 15:1 (KJV) — “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.”
- Psalm 19:14 (KJV) — “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”
- Psalm 141:3 (KJV) — “Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.”
Of course, even someone who is convicted and repented might slip up. They may even feel pressure, stress, and strong emotions tempting them to slip up. Just go back to Jesus, ask for forgiveness, and repent again. Ask Jesus for help. Rely on Jesus. Remember sanctification is a process and we are saved by faith, not works. Remember to forgive yourself too.
Pray for help from God using Psalms, and heed His advice. Remain silent and hold your peace until you calm down.
"For 30 years I've been gaming. I lived it, grew up in it, and for most of my life I thought I could live in the world and live in Christ too. I was WRONG. After years of unknowingly running FROM God, I finally surrendered and trusted fully in him instead of myself. He then in 2018 pulled me out of the world and showed me his truth, showed me what it means to truly follow Jesus. Now I bring the gospel message directly to other gamers, I won't be able to pull them out of the world, but we can plant seeds from God to water! This channel is dedicated to preaching the Three Angels Message across the internet broadcasting community and preaching the gospel for all who are willing to hear, and teaching people what it means to "Forsake the World". Edward came from a Baptist and Catholic family background. Very familiar with scripture, but not fully understanding it until 5 years ago. Now he is on fire for the Truth and the Bible. A Christian and Seventh-day Adventist. A layman just wanting to help spread the Gospel to gamers. - Read more about Edward Preach.
