When we hear the word “modesty”, the first thing that comes to mind is dressing conservatively. And while how we dress is a significant part of it, modesty is much more than what we wear. It’s also, more importantly, about carrying ourselves with humility, grace, and respect.
As Christians, living modestly is important because it helps us honor God with our bodies while avoiding the deadly sin of vanity, this is because modesty encourages us to focus on inner qualities rather than our outward appearance.
The following 46 Bible verses emphasize the importance of living modestly as Christians. They also teach us about living modestly both in how we outwardly present ourselves and how we interact with and treat others.
Bible Verses about Modesty
1 Timothy 2:9-10
“I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.”
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Proverbs 11:22
“Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.”
1 Peter 3:3-4
“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
Jeremiah 4:30
“What are you doing, you devastated one? Why dress yourself in scarlet and put on jewels of gold? Why highlight your eyes with makeup? You adorn yourself in vain. Your lovers despise you; they want to kill you.”
Romans 12:3
“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.”
Proverbs 31:30
“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”
Ephesians 4:29
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
Psalm 119:37
“Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.”
Proverbs 11:2
“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”
Titus 2:11-12
“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.”
Proverbs 22:4
“Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life.”
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Matthew 5:5
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
Matthew 23:12
“For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Philippians 2:3
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”
1 Peter 2:11
“Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.”
Colossians 3:12
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
James 4:6
“But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.'”
1 Peter 5:5-6
“In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”
Ephesians 4:2
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”
Micah 6:8
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Isaiah 66:2
“Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being? declares the Lord. These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.”
Luke 14:11
“For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Galatians 5:22-23
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Colossians 3:18-19
“Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.”
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Titus 3:2
“To slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.”
1 Timothy 6:6-8
“But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and 1 we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.”
Philippians 4:12
“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”
Hebrews 13:5
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'”
1 Peter 2:17
“Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.”
Proverbs 15:33
“Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord, and humility comes before honor.”
James 3:13
“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.”
Psalm 25:9
“He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.”
Psalm 147:6
“The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.”
Zephaniah 2:3
“Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger.”
Colossians 2:18
“Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind.”
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2 Chronicles 7:14
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Matthew 18:4
“Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Philippians 2:5-8
“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!”
1 Samuel 16:7
“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'”
Isaiah 57:15
“For this is what the high and exalted One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy: ‘I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.'”
Luke 18:9-14
“To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.'”
2 Corinthians 12:9
“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
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James 1:21
“Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”
Psalm 131:1
“My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.”
2 Timothy 2:24-25
“And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth.”