Playing the Fool: Godly Men Beware of Ungodly Women

Can looks kill? We all heard of women who are “drop dead gorgeous” or who have “looks to die for”, but are these just fun metaphors or is there something more lethal lying just beneath the surface? It seems since the beginning of time one of the devil’s primary weapons against Godly men are ungodly women. For some reason, it seems if a woman passes a certain threshold on the “hot-or-not” meter men’s brains go into auto-pilot. This was the case with one of the strongest men who ever lived: Samson.

God separated Samson from birth in order to deliver Israel out of a forty year Philistine captivity (Judges 13:1-5). He would eventually fulfill God’s calling on his life, but along the way he developed a habit of falling in love with ungodly women. Samson decides to marry a Philistine woman, which leads to his parents asking, “Isn’t there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife? (Judges 14:3)” Interestingly, the Lord chose to use an ungodly woman in Samson’s life to help facilitate a confrontation with the Philistines (Judges 14:4). Before the ceremony, Samson tells thirty Philistine companions a riddle and if they can guess the riddle the thirty companions will receive garments and clothes, if not, Samson will receive garments and clothes (Judges 14:10-13). The thirty companions blackmailed Samson’s wife into coaxing Samson for the answer to the riddle because, if she did not, they would burn her and her father’s house to death (Judges 14:15). Samson foolishly tells his wife the answer after she accuses him of hating her since he didn’t confide the answer to her (Judges 14:16-17). She tells the thirty Philistine companions who then successfully answer the riddle causing Samson to go and kill thirty men to pay them their garments and clothing, and he loses his wife in the process to a friend (Judges 14:18-20). Not the ideal way to kick off a marriage. (Ironically, Samson’s wife and her father eventually would be burned to death at the hands of the Philistines (Judges 15:1-6).You reap what you sow)

You would think Samson would have learned from his first go around with ungodly women, but he soon finds himself falling for another Philistine woman. Delilah wins the heart of Samson and consequently the Philistine rulers ask her to try to steal the secret of his great strength in return for 1100 silver shekels (Judges 16:4-5). She accuses Samson of not loving her since he didn’t tell her the secret of his strength, and after several attempts Samson finally reveals it to her (Judges 16:6-20). Ultimately, Delilah’s deception of Samson will lead to his death as they “gouged out his eyes” and held a ceremony for his execution (Judges 16:21-30).

A woman may not gouge out your eyes but she definitely can gouge out your heart.
Unfortunately, many men of God choose not to resist temptation of beautiful ungodly women. Thus, like Samson, these women slither into our lives like serpents hell bent on stealing our purpose. Like termites, they slowly eat at our life’s foundation with their distractions, deceptions, and drama. As an 18 year old kid, I remember my first girlfriend. We met during my senior year and I became enslaved to her beauty. She dominated my thoughts every minute of everyday. She didn’t believe in Christ and I only believed in her at the time. Our ten month relationship finally ended with her leaving me for another man. In her wake, I wasted my entire senior year on her since my preoccupation with her cost me opportunities to take pre-college courses, do more community activism, and focus on God. As bad as it was, I thank God that it only lasted ten months. Others are not so lucky. Some people get dragged into relationships that cost them years or even decades of opportunities of doing the Lord’s work.

So, can looks kill? They sure killed Samson. And they can kill you too. In the words of TLC, “Don’t go chasing water falls, please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you’re used to.” The rivers and lakes that you should be used to are the laws of God’s kingdom. The waterfalls are just the devil’s way to get you to fall over the edge. God commands us not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers because righteousness and darkness cannot walk together (2 Corinthians 6:14). However, far too many Christian men ignore this command and stories similar to Samson’s to their own peril. We would rather rationalize to ourselves that we can lead our pretty little cupcake to the Lord. Maybe we can. But if so, then the question becomes why can’t we do this in a friendship? Why must we be romantically involved with someone in order to lead them to the Lord? The Bible makes it painfully clear that only trouble comes when we hook up with unbelievers. Therefore, Godly men, heed wisdom and beware of ungodly women.