Proverbs 7:5 (ESV)
to keep you from the forbidden woman,
from the adulteress with her smooth words.
It doesn't take much for us to follow sin. Like the proverbial fish who swims fast after shinny things, we dart to and fro hoping to bite into the latest flash that darts past our eyes. Satan really cleans sin up in the beginning when we see it, so that we like what we see and we want it. Typically that is through our eye-gate. We like to see things and the “seeing” makes us succumb to sin. But we are also attracted to sin via the other senses. Chapter seven of Proverbs is all about how sin attracts us through those six senses. In the above proverb we see that sin (personified by the adulterous women) uses flattery to get us to follow her. She likes to tempt us be reassuring us with safe words ... "if we do this we will be safe ... no one will see." She likes to tempt us by using assuring words ... "if we do this we can be comfortable." She likes to tempt us by using complimentary words ... "you deserve this ... enjoy." Flattery is the Devils way of getting us to look past the ugly-under-belly of sin and get us to enjoy something that was forbidden. Notice the words he said to Eve in thy body of a serpent:
Genesis 3:4-5 (NASBStr)
The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Satan loves to make us think we are like God and deserve to have the forbidden fruit he puts in front of us. He diminishes the pain (surely you will not die) and exaggerates the benefits (you will be like God). Don't let him use your ear gate the same way he uses your eye gate. The above proverb gives us a way to do, just exactly that. When we adhere to the Word of God, to the Wisdom of God found in the Scripture, we can avoid this “tempter” and avoid the trap she sets for us. God’s Word in our ears and our eyes focused on God’s plan will keep us from the adulterous woman.
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