What practical steps can we take to "keep you from the adulteress"? The Foundational Verse “that they may keep you from the adulteress, from the stranger with seductive words.” (Proverbs 7:5) Recognize the Threat • Scripture treats sexual sin as deadly, never harmless (Proverbs 5:3–5). • Jesus intensifies the warning: “Everyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28). Knowing the seriousness is the first safeguard. Guard Your Heart First • “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23). • Regularly examine thoughts, motives, media intake, and private fantasies; confess the smallest compromise quickly (1 John 1:9). Feast Daily on God’s Word • The father in Proverbs urges his son to “bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.” (Proverbs 7:3). • Set a fixed time for Scripture reading; memorize passages like Proverbs 5–7, 1 Corinthians 6:12–20, Job 31:1. • Use Scripture when tempted, following Jesus’ model in Matthew 4. Draw Clear, Non-Negotiable Boundaries • Decide in advance where you won’t go, what you won’t watch, and whom you won’t be alone with (Proverbs 4:14–15). • Keep digital devices filtered and accountable; place screens in public areas. • Limit private messaging or emotional sharing with someone other than your spouse. Flee Rather than Flirt • “Flee from sexual immorality.” (1 Corinthians 6:18). • If a situation grows suggestive—leave. Joseph’s sprint from Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39:11–12) is the biblical template. • Remember: running away is strength, not weakness. Cultivate Transparent Relationships • Confide in a mature believer of the same sex; share struggles before they escalate (Ecclesiastes 4:10). • Invite periodic, direct questions about purity, screen history, and emotional connections. Invest Intentionally in Your Marriage • Proverbs 5:18–19 celebrates marital intimacy as protection and delight. • Date regularly, communicate hopes and hurts, and nurture spiritual oneness by praying and reading Scripture together. • Speak honorably of your spouse in public and private. Manage the Mind’s “First Five Seconds” • Temptation usually gains ground in the opening moments. Choose to look away, pray, recite a verse—immediately. • Practice capturing “every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5). Rely on the Holy Spirit’s Power • Self-discipline matters, but victory comes through walking by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). • Daily surrender your desires; ask the Spirit to produce purity and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23). Stay Forward-Focused • Keep the long view: adultery offers fleeting pleasure but lasting scars—broken trust, financial loss, spiritual decline (Proverbs 6:27–35). • Fix thoughts on the joy of finishing well and hearing, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21). |
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