What the Bible says about Protecting Image
(From Forerunner Commentary)
Job's three friends cannot convince him of his unrighteousness, not merely because he is righteous in his own evaluation, but also because their arguments have no effect on him. He seems determined to keep his own opinion of himself in spite of all their reasoning.
Why lies? For two reasons: The first is to better obtain whatever he covets, and the second is to uphold and protect his image and then to build it up to what he imagines it should be.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Faith (Part Six)