Now, he is in labor with lawlessness. he has conceived with evil and gives birth to a lie.
Sin is described with the image of conception and birth. Evil usually is not born suddenly; it begins with a desire welcomed in the heart, matures in thoughts and intentions, and finally is expressed in the form of a lie or a sinful deed. The phrase “conceives lawlessness” shows that a sinful plan is at work within a person and binds him to its course. The lie here is the born fruit of evil. This picture teaches the believer to fight against sin at an early stage. When the evil desire is still in the heart, it must be brought before the light of God and rejected. If it is nourished, it will finally turn into a sinful deed (James 1:14–15). A person often considers only the outward act to be sin, but God also sees the inward conception. Therefore holiness requires not only the control of behavior, but the renewal of the heart. The grace of Christ cleanses a person’s inner being and gives power so that, instead of evil, the fruit of truth and righteousness may be born in his life.