Resisting the Seduction of Our Sexualized World

I was chatting with a friend recently who shared an eye-opening experience with me. Being a huge music fan herself, she’s always on the lookout for new and inspiring tunes. One of her other friends had sent her a song to check out, which they had been raving about for days.

Within seconds of listening to it on Spotify, she was instantly captivated by how incredible the voice of the singer was. She clicked repeat. And then repeated it again.

After several days of playing the song over and over, she naturally memorized the lyrics. One morning while getting ready for the day, she was singing the song quietly to herself when she was suddenly shocked by what she was saying.

“What in the world am I singing about!?” She thought out loud. “These lyrics are horrible!”

Without skipping a beat, she looked up the lyrics on her iPhone.

As she read through the first verse, the chorus, the second verse, and the bridge, she was amazed at how sexually promiscuous the song was.

“How in the world did I not hear this before?” she wondered.

Shocked by her own ability to mindlessly sing such sensual lyrics, she realized how easily she had been seduced by the sexualized messages of this world. The song itself sounded beautiful – and no doubt the singer had some serious talent – but the message of the song was against everything she knew God’s Word called her to.

Falling prey to the seduction of this sexualized world has happened to me in my life more times than I’d like to count. We live in a culture that is enticing us with sensual messages everywhere we go.

However, it can be really hard to spot them sometimes.

Hollywood is constantly pumping out feel-good chick-flicks that promote a version of true love that is completely contrary to God’s design. Nashville is regularly feeding us new music that is bursting with fresh talent and catchy tunes but often promotes a worldview that flies in the face of God’s truth.

New York City and LA are constantly creating alluring fashion trends that captivate us on the runway, but their clothing ideas don’t always line up with God’s heart for purity and modesty.

So much of what we watch, hear, and look at in our modern culture appears to be beautiful, but sadly, falls short of God’s calling for holiness, righteousness, and honor.

If we want to be Christian women with strong backbones in this modern age, we’re going to have to be intentional about looking out for seductive lies in our everyday life.

I studies the book of Colossians recently and was struck by a certain verse in Chapter 2.

It says, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8).

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit …”

That is the part that really struck me between the eyes. That no one takes you captive … This verse is warning the early Christians of the exact same things we need to be on guard against today. Not much has changed in 2,000 years. The presentation might look a little different today, but the seduction and lies are just the same.

As modern Christian women, we must be on our guard against these lies, or we will easily (and unintentionally) get swept up in them.

“THE MORE WE TUNE OUR HEARTS TO THE MELODY OF THE WORLD, THE MORE DESENSITIZED WE WILL BECOME TO GOD’S TRUTH.”

Before long, we find ourselves right where my friend (and I) have been – singing catchy songs about premarital sex that contradict everything about God’s good design for marriage. Songs that mock God’s holiness and righteousness. Songs that laugh at God’s design.

If we want to avoid getting swept away in the enticing current of modern culture, we have to do what the first part of that verse says: “See to it that no one takes you captive …”

“See to it …”

We have to be aware and on our guard.

We have to “see to it” on a daily and hourly basis. We have to carefully examine what we’re watching, listening to, and telling ourselves. We have to intentionally filter everything we’re fed and everything we feel through God’s Word. Anything that contradicts God’s truth – no matter how appealing – needs to go.

“Seeing to it” takes a lot of intentional effort and thought. It requires God’s strength and grace each and every day. We need to be in God’s Word, renewing our mind with His truth on a daily basis. We need to be on our knees, praying for God’s strength to live honorable lives for His glory.

And when we’re feeling weary and tired, let’s pull out Galatians 6:8-9 and remind ourselves of this truth: “The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

I want to encourage you to pray and ask God to help you “see to it” in your daily life.

Ask God to help you spot the subtle lies that might be taking you captive.

Make it a priority to get into God’s Word so your mind will be filled with His truth. Ask God to help you stay the course so you can grow into a godly woman whose life displays the beauty of the gospel.

Now let’s chat!

Think of your life right now. Can you think of any seductive lies that you might be buying into?