Question 1

How can I avoid being seduced into doing wrong?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 39:10She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible.Romans 13:13-14Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.If someone is trying to seduce you, stay away from that person as much as possible! Don’t put yourself in temptation’s way or you may be run over.Genesis 39:11-12One day, however, no one else was around when he went in to do his work. She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, “Come on, sleep with me!” Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house.Proverbs 5:7-8So now, my sons, listen to me. Never stray from what I am about to say: Stay away from her! Don’t go near the door of her house!1 Timothy 6:11You, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.2 Timothy 2:22Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.Run away from temptation as fast as you can! Sometimes you need to do more than ignore the situation; you must remove yourself from it.Proverbs 4:23Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.Don’t let yourself become emotionally intimate with anyone of the opposite sex other than your spouse. Begin by acknowledging that if you put yourself in certain situations you will be tempted. Ask others to help you avoid those situations.1 John 2:26I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray.Study Scripture in order to keep from being seduced by those who teach falsehoods. When you know the truth, you may not always be able to tell why the false is false, but you will still recognize it as false.1 Kings 11:1-3Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. . . . The Lord had clearly instructed the people of Israel, “You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.” Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord.Behind every seduction is a temptation to sin, and behind every temptation is a direct violation of a truth found in the Bible. Satan wants to seduce us into seeing sin as lovely and attractive and fun. Sin is so seductive because, at the time, it is almost always pleasurable. The Old Testament was clear that God’s people should not marry foreigners who worshiped others gods because they would be seduced into worshiping idols. It was also clear that marriage was reserved for one man and one woman. But Solomon couldn’t overcome the seduction of these beautiful women and the political alliances they secured. He was seduced by lust, pleasure, and power, and soon this choked out his character, integrity, and reputation. Beg God for the power not to give temptation a second look, for that is when the power of seduction becomes strong.Judges 16:15-17Then Delilah pouted, “How can you tell me, ‘I love you,’ when you don’t share your secrets with me? . . . She tormented him with her nagging day after day until he was sick to death of it. Finally, Samson shared his secret with her.Romans 6:12Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires.1 Corinthians 10:13The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.3 John 1:11Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good.In the Old Testament book of Judges, we find the story of Samson, the strongest man on earth. The crafty Philistines, Samson’s enemy, knew they couldn’t match Samson’s brute strength, so they aimed at his weakness—his inability to stay away from seductive women. His story is a vivid illustration of truths found throughout Scripture. Temptation always strikes us where we are weak, not where we are strong. Our weak spots are those areas we refuse to give over to God. They are cracks in our spiritual armor at which the enemy takes aim, the areas in which we compromise our convictions and are seduced for a few moments of pleasure. In those areas of weakness, we must ask God to cover our weaknesses with his strengths. We need to understand our weaknesses so we can protect ourselves from Satan’s attacks.

Question 2

How can we recognize when we are being seduced by evil?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 3:1-7The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’” “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.2 Corinthians 11:3-4I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.James 1:14-15Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.We need to beware of any situation that might cause us to question, ignore, or violate God’s Word. The original temptation in the garden involved three steps away from God: doubting God’s instructions, doubting God’s intentions, and disobeying God’s directives. Satan still uses that playbook in our lives.Genesis 39:5-18From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the Lord began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished. So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn’t worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat! Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man, and Potiphar’s wife soon began to look at him lustfully. “Come and sleep with me,” she demanded. But Joseph refused. “Look,” he told her, “my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.” She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible. One day, however, no one else was around when he went in to do his work. She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, “Come on, sleep with me!” Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house. When she saw that she was holding his cloak and he had fled, she called out to her servants. Soon all the men came running. “Look!” she said. “My husband has brought this Hebrew slave here to make fools of us! He came into my room to rape me, but I screamed. When he heard me scream, he ran outside and got away, but he left his cloak behind with me.” She kept the cloak with her until her husband came home. Then she told him her story. “That Hebrew slave you’ve brought into our house tried to come in and fool around with me,” she said. “But when I screamed, he ran outside, leaving his cloak with me!”Proverbs 7:6-23While I was at the window of my house, looking through the curtain, I saw some naive young men, and one in particular who lacked common sense. He was crossing the street near the house of an immoral woman, strolling down the path by her house. It was at twilight, in the evening, as deep darkness fell. The woman approached him, seductively dressed and sly of heart. She was the brash, rebellious type, never content to stay at home. She is often in the streets and markets, soliciting at every corner. She threw her arms around him and kissed him, and with a brazen look she said, “I’ve just made my peace offerings and fulfilled my vows. You’re the one I was looking for! I came out to find you, and here you are! My bed is spread with beautiful blankets, with colored sheets of Egyptian linen. I’ve perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let’s drink our fill of love until morning. Let’s enjoy each other’s caresses, for my husband is not home. He’s away on a long trip. He has taken a wallet full of money with him and won’t return until later this month.” So she seduced him with her pretty speech and enticed him with her flattery. He followed her at once, like an ox going to the slaughter. He was like a stag caught in a trap, awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart. He was like a bird flying into a snare, little knowing it would cost him his life.We need to beware of direct offers to pursue what we know is inappropriate and wrong. Recognize, as in Joseph’s case, that resistance to seduction may provoke a negative backlash (lies, retribution, shaming, abuse) that must be endured for the sake of honoring God.Nahum 3:1-4What sorrow awaits Nineveh, the city of murder and lies! She is crammed with wealth and is never without victims. Hear the crack of whips, the rumble of wheels! Horses’ hooves pound, and chariots clatter wildly. See the flashing swords and glittering spears as the charioteers charge past! There are countless casualties, heaps of bodies—so many bodies that people stumble over them. All this because Nineveh, the beautiful and faithless city, mistress of deadly charms, enticed the nations with her beauty. She taught them all her magic, enchanting people everywhere.1 John 2:15-17Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.We need to beware of indirect offers to pursue what we know is inappropriate and wrong. Loving the world puts us in a compromised situation and makes us vulnerable to seductions through promises of pleasure, pride, and possessions.

Question 3

Does seduction have a role to play in a healthy marriage relationship?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 2:18-25Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. “At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’” This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.God’s original intention for marriage included forming an intimate relationship where there is no shame. This includes knowing, understanding, and meeting one another’s needs. It also involves honoring one another’s desires and limitations. Awareness of our spouse’s needs and desires creates opportunities to unexpectedly and delightfully initiate efforts to meet those needs with playful, shameless, loving seduction.Deuteronomy 24:5“A newly married man must not be drafted into the army or be given any other official responsibilities. He must be free to spend one year at home, bringing happiness to the wife he has married.”Proverbs 5:18-20Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. She is a loving deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts satisfy you always. May you always be captivated by her love. Why be captivated, my son, by an immoral woman, or fondle the breasts of a promiscuous woman?Proverbs 18:22The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord.Song of Songs 2:1I am the spring crocus blooming on the Sharon Plain, the lily of the valley.Song of Songs 4:1-7You are beautiful, my darling, beautiful beyond words. Your eyes are like doves behind your veil. Your hair falls in waves, like a flock of goats winding down the slopes of Gilead. Your teeth are as white as sheep, recently shorn and freshly washed. Your smile is flawless, each tooth matched with its twin. Your lips are like scarlet ribbon; your mouth is inviting. Your cheeks are like rosy pomegranates behind your veil. Your neck is as beautiful as the tower of David, jeweled with the shields of a thousand heroes. Your breasts are like two fawns, twin fawns of a gazelle grazing among the lilies. Before the dawn breezes blow and the night shadows flee, I will hurry to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense. You are altogether beautiful, my darling, beautiful in every way.Song of Songs 4:15You are a garden fountain, a well of fresh water streaming down from Lebanon’s mountains.Song of Songs 5:2-8I slept, but my heart was awake, when I heard my lover knocking and calling: “Open to me, my treasure, my darling, my dove, my perfect one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night.” But I responded, “I have taken off my robe. Should I get dressed again? I have washed my feet. Should I get them soiled?” My lover tried to unlatch the door, and my heart thrilled within me. I jumped up to open the door for my love, and my hands dripped with perfume. My fingers dripped with lovely myrrh as I pulled back the bolt. I opened to my lover, but he was gone! My heart sank. I searched for him but could not find him anywhere. I called to him, but there was no reply. The night watchmen found me as they made their rounds. They beat and bruised me and stripped off my veil, those watchmen on the walls. Make this promise, O women of Jerusalem—If you find my lover, tell him I am weak with love.While the seductive language used by the husband and wife in Song of Songs may not transfer directly into other cultures (or in some cases might do so exactly), the vivid expressions of appreciation for each other’s personality and physical attributes proves appropriate within marriage.1 Corinthians 7:3-5The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife. Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control.The Bible is direct about sexual aspects of marriage without being overly detailed or exposing what might be shameful in public but is delightfully shameless in the intimate space created by a healthy marriage. The God who designed all the sexual intricacies of a marriage relationship included the potential for a lifetime of pleasure.

Seduction