The devastating power of malice ruins relationships, poisons hearts, and runs counter to the forgiveness and love that God commands His people to exhibit. Malice is frequently associated in the Bible with other negative traits including rage, slander, envy, and dishonesty. It entails deliberate malice toward other people—a wish to hurt them or take pleasure in their pain. The Bible verses about malice strongly cautions against malice and exhorts believers to set it aside in favor of kindness, compassion, and a fresh heart.
God continuously exhorts His people to reject evil in all of its manifestations throughout the Old and New Testaments. Malice is incompatible with Christ’s character, regardless of whether it manifests as retaliation, wrath, gossip, or bitterness. According to the Bible, followers of Jesus are expected to walk in love and show grace to everyone, even those who have offended them. This is about refusing to be motivated by hate or malicious purpose, not about disregarding justice.
A grave spiritual issue is the existence of malice in the heart. Jesus taught that our words and deeds are ultimately determined by the state of our hearts. God’s holiness and love cannot be fully reflected in a heart full of hatred. Scripture therefore demands internal change, a purification of the heart and a renewal of the mind that can only be accomplished by the action of the Holy Spirit. Letting go of negative ideas and adopting a peaceful mindset are essential components of true Christian living.
These scriptures in the Bible regarding malice offer guidance and conviction. They push us to consider our attitudes and motivations and to give God all of our animosity. They also guide us to the higher ideal of love, which is characterized by goodness, forgiveness, and serenity. God’s Word exhorts His people to rise above hatred and reflect His light via grace and truth in a world full of cruelty and strife.
30 Powerful Bible Verses About Malice in 2025
1. Ephesians 4:31
“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.”
Paul instructs believers to rid themselves of destructive emotions, including malice. This verse clearly identifies malice as incompatible with a life led by the Spirit. It emphasizes a complete transformation from old habits to new, Christlike behaviors rooted in kindness, forgiveness, and love.
2. 1 Peter 2:1
“So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.”
Peter urges Christians to cleanse their hearts from toxic attitudes. Malice, deceit, and envy are named as roadblocks to spiritual growth. This passage encourages a heart posture that allows for sincere love and authentic community among believers.
3. Titus 3:3
“For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy…”
Paul reminds Titus of the darkness from which all believers have been redeemed. Malice was once a defining trait, but through salvation, believers are called to live transformed lives that reflect God’s grace, mercy, and renewal.
4. Colossians 3:8
“But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.”
This verse commands a deliberate casting off of sinful behaviors, including malice. It highlights that following Christ involves a conscious rejection of attitudes that cause harm to others and damage our witness.
5. Psalm 34:13-14
“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”
David calls for a lifestyle of peace and integrity. Malice often begins with words, but here we are urged to guard our speech, avoid evil, and proactively seek peace—a direct opposition to a malicious spirit.
6. Proverbs 10:12
“Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.”
This proverb contrasts malice and love. Hatred, a fruit of malice, brings division, while love heals and forgives. The verse urges us to respond to wrongs not with retaliation but with love that unites and restores.
7. Romans 1:29
“They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice…”
Paul describes a society devoid of God’s truth, where malice reigns. This verse portrays malice as part of a larger collapse into moral and spiritual chaos, showing the importance of rejecting such a path.
8. James 1:21
“Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word…”
James emphasizes repentance and receptivity to God’s Word. Malice, as part of rampant wickedness, must be abandoned so that our hearts can be fertile ground for truth, righteousness, and spiritual fruit.
9. 1 Corinthians 5:8
“Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil…”
Paul uses the imagery of leaven to symbolize how malice corrupts. Just as a small amount of yeast affects the whole dough, malice can quietly destroy fellowship and joy if not removed.
10. Matthew 15:19
“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.”
Jesus points to the heart as the origin of sin, including malicious speech and behavior. This verse reminds us that transformation begins within; we must allow God to purify our hearts to eliminate malice at its root.
11. 1 Timothy 5:13
“Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.”
Paul warns about the dangers of idle talk that leads to gossip and malice. This verse reminds us that malice often spreads through careless speech and meddling, highlighting the need for discipline and purpose in our interactions.
12. Proverbs 26:24-26
“Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart…”
This proverb exposes the hypocrisy of those who use smooth words while hiding malice inside. God sees beyond appearances and reveals hidden motives. It warns us to be discerning and to guard against hidden hatred.
13. Psalm 28:3
“Do not drag me off with the wicked, with the workers of evil, who speak peace with their neighbors while evil is in their hearts.”
The psalmist pleads with God for justice, contrasting surface-level friendliness with inward malice. It’s a sober reminder that true righteousness includes integrity of both words and heart.
14. Proverbs 12:20
“Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy.”
This verse contrasts the malicious heart with the peacemaker. Joy flows from a heart free of evil intent, while deceit and malice bring ruin and discord. Peaceful planning brings blessings, not strife.
15. Psalm 140:2
“Who plan evil things in their heart and stir up wars continually.”
The psalmist cries out against those driven by malice. Their hearts are set on conflict and harm. This verse highlights the destructive nature of malice and the need for God’s protection from evil schemers.
16. Matthew 5:44
“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
Jesus offers a radical alternative to malice—love. Instead of returning evil for evil, He teaches us to overcome hatred with prayer and compassion. This verse transforms how we respond to mistreatment.
17. Galatians 5:19-21
“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity…enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy…”
Paul lists malice-driven behaviors as fruit of the flesh. These traits disqualify us from inheriting God’s kingdom if left unrepented. The Spirit calls us to a new way of living that replaces hostility with holiness.
18. Psalm 10:7
“His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.”
Here, malice is reflected in corrupt speech. The wicked man uses his words as weapons of harm, a sign of a heart estranged from God. The verse warns us about the power of the tongue when guided by malice.
19. 2 Corinthians 12:20
“For I fear that perhaps when I come…there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.”
Paul worries that the church in Corinth may be plagued by divisive sins, many stemming from malice. The verse calls for introspection and repentance to restore unity and godliness in the church body.
20. Micah 2:1
“Woe to those who devise wickedness and work evil on their beds! When the morning dawns, they perform it, because it is in the power of their hand.”
Malice can be premeditated, as this verse shows. God pronounces woe on those who lie awake plotting harm. Malice is not just reactive but deliberate, and God’s judgment awaits such hearts.
21. Zechariah 7:10
“Do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.”
God’s heart for justice is clear here. Malice is not only an interpersonal sin but a violation of divine compassion for the vulnerable. God’s people must root out evil intentions and act justly.
22. Matthew 12:35
“The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.”
Jesus teaches that our words and actions reflect the condition of our hearts. Malice is evidence of a corrupt treasure within, but a transformed heart overflows with goodness and grace.
23. Proverbs 3:29
“Do not plan evil against your neighbor, who dwells trustingly beside you.”
This proverb speaks against betraying trust with malicious intent. Malice violates the safety of community and friendships. God calls us to honor the trust of others by living uprightly.
24. Mark 7:21-23
“For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder…envy, slander, pride, foolishness.”
Jesus reinforces that malice begins within. The heart is the source of all sinful behaviors, and only through divine transformation can it be purified. True holiness starts on the inside.
25. Proverbs 6:16-19
“There are six things that the Lord hates…a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil…”
This passage explicitly identifies malicious planning as detestable to God. He hates not only wicked acts but the schemes that precede them. This should convict us to guard our intentions closely.
26. Job 31:29-30
“If I have rejoiced at the ruin of him who hated me, or exulted when evil overtook him…”
Job affirms his innocence by rejecting malice. He does not rejoice over his enemies’ downfall, a temptation for many. This righteous posture shows maturity and a refusal to harbor vengeance.
27. Luke 6:45
“The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good…for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
This verse connects our words to the condition of our hearts. A malicious heart will eventually speak harmful things. Jesus emphasizes that transformation must be internal to be genuine.
28. 2 Thessalonians 3:2
“That we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith.”
Paul seeks prayer for deliverance from those driven by malice and evil. Faith and malicious intent cannot coexist. This verse reminds us to seek divine protection and avoid ungodly alliances.
29. Psalm 36:1-2
“Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart…he flatters himself…so that he does not hate his iniquity.”
This verse shows how malice can blind a person to their own sin. Self-deception prevents repentance. A malicious heart often minimizes wrongdoing and lacks a healthy fear of God.
30. James 3:14-16
“But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth…”
James warns against harboring bitter, malicious thoughts. Such attitudes are “earthly, unspiritual, demonic,” and lead to disorder. True wisdom from God is pure, peaceable, and gentle—not rooted in malice.
Conclusion
A subtle but dangerous sin, malice can originate in the heart and show up as words, attitudes, and deeds. Such behavior has no place in a believer’s life, according to the Bible. God calls His people to live differently, to be changed by His love and to set aside all forms of resentment, anger, and retaliation. In addition to hurting other people, harboring hatred impedes our own spiritual development and shatters our relationship with God.
The good news is that the Holy Spirit’s power may set you free from malicious intent. Our hearts are softened and our minds are regenerated when we immerse ourselves in God’s Word and submit to His direction. The Bible not only outlines what should be eliminated, but also demonstrates what should be used in its place: compassion, humility, forgiveness, and kindness. These divine qualities restore shattered relationships and calm disturbed hearts, and they mirror the nature of Christ.
In the end, the Bible passages concerning malice are both a cautionary tale and an invitation: a cautionary tale about the perils of harboring animosity, and an invitation to embrace the purity and love that result from acting in accordance with God. Believers are asked to rise above and be agents of grace in a society that frequently promotes vengeance and hate. We emulate Christ’s heart and become peacemakers in a world that is in pain when we choose love over hate.
