Daily Devotions
The Immoral Woman's Most Powerful Weapon Against Men
Reading for June 16th: Proverbs 7-9
Say to wisdom, "You are my sister,"
and call insight your intimate friend,
to keep you from the forbidden woman,
from the adulteress with her smooth words.
Proverbs 7:4-5
What is the immoral woman's most powerful weapon? Her dress or her words?
Men are enticed in a powerful way by what they see. The porn industry makes billions of dollars each year on this weakness.
But there is only one statement in Proverbs 7 about the dress of the immoral woman ("dressed as a prostitute" - v 10), while there are three statements about her speech ("smooth words" - v 5, "seductive speech" - v 21, "smooth talk" - v 21). Most of this chapter is devoted to what the immoral woman says, not what she wears.
As powerful as the visual part of a man's sexual drive is, a man's pride is just as powerful. Every man wants to feel manly. When a woman compliments manly characteristics in a man (physical strength, work ethic, integrity, etc.), that gets his attention as much or more than a scantily clad coed walking in front of him. Once these seemingly benign compliments turn romantic in nature (v 15), then even the strongest of men will be affected (v 26). Some men will pursue an affair even when the mistress is less physically attractive than the wife.
So my advice to wives is that you be the biggest fan of your husband. Tell him how much you admire him. Keep nagging at a minimum. Always be as respectful as possible when disagreements arise (Eph 5:33).
My advice to the men is that you guard your heart. In the same way that you avert your eyes when an immoral woman entices you with her dress, you need to run when an immoral woman tries to lure you from your wife with her flattering speech (Prov 2:16; 5:3; 6:24).
Father, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the immoral woman.
