Flee Seductive Charm

“Charm is deceitful…but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” It’s easy to say that we fear God—but do our lives prove that we really do? The Bible makes it clear that we cannot exude the selfish, sensual charm of this world and fear God at the same time.”

Proverbs 7 paints a vivid picture of seductive, manipulative feminine charm:

And there a woman met him, with the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart. She was loud and rebellious, her feet would not stay at home. At times she was outside, at times in the open square, lurking at every corner. So she caught him and kissed him…With her enticing speech she caused him to yield, with her flattering lips she seduced him.

This is not merely a description of an old-fashioned biblical harlot. This woman’s behavior is shockingly similar to the common behavior of modern femininity. Let’s look more closely at this woman’s conduct:

• She dresses in a sensual way to entice men to notice her.

• She strategically targets men and plots ways to seduce them.

• She is loud and draws attention to herself.

• She rebels against God’s pattern for purity and honor.

• She positions herself to be seen and noticed by men.

• She is physically aggressive toward men and “throws herself” at them.

• She uses flattering, manipulative words to entice men and bring them under her control.

Does any of this sound familiar? In our culture, it’s easy to justify this kind of behavior using excuses such as, “A little sensuality isn’t bad—after all, God made my curves, didn’t He?” or “A little flirting and teasing is harmless—how else will a guy know that I’m interested in him?”

Yet what is God’s perspective on seductive behavior? He says, “Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, do not stray into her paths; for she has cast down many wounded, and all who were slain by her were strong men. Her house is the way to hell, descending to the chambers of death” (Prov. 7:25-27).

When we use our feminine charm to seduce and manipulate men, we are not walking in the fear of God. Rather, we are choosing the path of darkness and death, endangering not only our own souls, but the souls of the men we are influencing.

When a woman truly fears God, she doesn’t ask, “How much sensuality can I get away with?” but rather, “How can I glorify my God with every decision, action, and choice that I make?”

If you find yourself looking for ways to justify sensual behavior rather than fleeing from it (see 2 Tim. 2:22), ask God to forgive you, cleanse you, renew your mind, and transform your behavior from self-focused to God-fearing. (Yes, men have a responsibility to be guarded with their eyes and actions, but that does not excuse immodesty and sensuality on our part!)

As women, we often turn to all the wrong solutions to deal with our inner insecurity. It’s so easy to believe that if we can somehow gain the interest of a certain guy or attain the physical perfection of a swimsuit model, we will finally be happy, confident, and secure. But, as Proverbs 31 so eloquently reminds us, charm is deceitful. A world-famous model once said, “Everything about me is fake—even my heart is fake.” We must remember that, no matter how satisfying it may seem, worldly feminine charm doesn’t offer anything but emptiness.

Proverbs 31 also reminds us that beauty is fleeting. When we look to our own personal qualities or attractiveness to define our loveliness, we will quickly find that it is like the wind—here one moment and gone the next. So, instead, let’s allow our lives to be overtaken by an entirely different kind of beauty—Christ’s incorruptible beauty. His loveliness is the only kind of beauty that will remain for all eternity.

The lasting beauty, confidence, and security that we crave can only be found when we turn our lives over to Jesus Christ without reserve. The most beautiful women in the world are those who put selfish pursuits aside and let His radiance come streaming through their lives.