The Seducer
I read through the book of Proverbs every month. One chapter a day, starting over in chapter one on the first day of every month. Yes, that means chapter 31 gets short-shrift a few times a year. Anyway…chapters six and seven spend a great deal of time dealing with sexual temptation. Chapter seven, in particular, goes into great detail about the seductive methods of an adulterous woman.
She is persistent (v. 12).
She uses flattery (v. 14).
She paints a picture of how pleasurable it will be (v. 15-17).
She appeals to her prey’s fleshly nature (v. 13).
She calls what they will do “love” (v. 18).
She dismisses any thoughts of danger and bad consequences (v. 19-20).
She gives religious justifications for their actions (v. 14).
The young man who is being tempted is not without blame. He is foolish. He intentionally puts himself in a position to be tempted. He is out looking for trouble (verses 6-9).
Now, all of this has wisdom for anyone dealing with sexual temptation. That’s the point of it. But I think there is a parallel that can be drawn to spiritual temptations as well. The Bible often speaks of idolatry in terms of adultery. Idolatry is a form of spiritual adultery or unfaithfulness to God.
Everything that is said about the tactics of the adulterous woman could be said about the way the devil seeks to tempt us to draw away from the Lord Jesus. He is seductive. He doesn’t come at us like we might think. He isn’t trying to scare us – at least not normally. He is trying to seduce us. He is telling us how pleasurable sin is, how we won’t get caught, and that there won’t be consequences. And he is persistent. Man, is he persistent.
“The devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour,” (1 Peter 5:8). Don’t be his prey. Don’t go looking for trouble. Be aware of the wiles of the devil. Do what Proverbs 7 says:
Treasure us my commandments with you; keep my commandments and live, keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call insight your friend, to keep you from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words.
