“3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:
4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.
6 Lest you should ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that you cannot not know them.
7 Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.
8 Remove your way far from her, and come not near the door of her house:
9 Lest you give your honor unto others, and your years unto the cruel:
10 Lest strangers be filled with your wealth; and your labors be in the house of a stranger;
11 And you mourn at the last, when your flesh and your body are consumed,
12 And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;
13 And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!” Proverbs 5:3-13
False doctrine which drops as an honeycomb from the lips of the strange woman is as sharp as a two edged sword. It hardens the heart, blinds the eyes and mutes the hearing of the Believer who refuses to remove themselves from her ways. Far too many Believers have filled and continue to fill her house with their wealth and their labors.
The seduction of this strange woman is real. The lusts of our flesh are pricked and our intellect engaged so that we may intellectually understand her…but her feet go down unto death and take hold on hell.
“11 Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
12 For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:11-12
There is but one thing that is SHARPER than a two-edged sword and that is the Word of God. When the Word of God is applied to the heart of the unbelieving Believer; the Believer who came too close and did not remove themselves from her, the Believer is brought to a point of decision. I speak here from experience.
As my husband and I were sitting under a word of faith church in our area, we began to search the Word of God to see if those things which were being taught to us were true…literally. The Scriptures given, we would read them in content and see that wasn’t exactly how that particular was meant. Then we prayed and asked the Lord to open our eyes to His Truth and to not let us be caught up in any false doctrine. Let me warn you right here…you ask for the Lord to open your eyes to His Truth and not some religious philosophy that you may be highly invested in, He will do just that and you are left there with His Truth and a lie and YOU have to decide whose ways you are going to follow. He will give it to you but you have to choose to follow Him.
Once we chose to follow Jesus, His Word, rightly divided, and we came out from among the strange woman’s home by the power of God and His power alone, there remained the extra curricular church activities that we loved so. The strange woman remained on the corner calling us. I remember distinctly hearing the voice of the Lord saying to me, “I got you out of here once”. I knew at that point that if we went back and fellowshipped with those who dwell in the strange woman’s house, we would be sent a strong delusion because we did not receive the love of the Truth when the Lord gave it to us.
“10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the Truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the Truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12
I KNOW the draw of the strange woman. I know the two edged sword that leads to death hell.
But this too I know, I KNOW in Whom I have believed. I KNOW at Calvary’s Cross, Jesus Christ broke the power of sin and that there is no vain philosophy conjured up that can set one free from the bonds of religious pride. Personally I have seen the Holy Spirit do the work of God in my heart as He pierced asunder and discerned the thoughts of my own heart. The power of God and the power of God alone is the only power that is STRONGER than the two-edged sword of the strange woman.
When you hear so many of us who are determined to know nothing else save Jesus Christ and Him crucified, it is often because we have known the strange woman…we have known the effects of her seduction but now know the Cross of Christ and praise be to God, we choose Christ. There is NO power stronger than the power of God. The seduction of the strange woman is laid waste when the Cross of Christ is given and the Holy Spirit begins His Work in the heart of the Believer whose heart wills (wants) to turn away from the strange woman’s ways and unto God’s way.
Jesus is at the door knocking. Those who have ears to hear, let them hear what the Spirit of the Lord is saying to the churches. Religion is laid waste by the power of God. Come out from among them and be ye separate. Fight the good fight of faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Stand still and see the power of God in your life. He is able to do exceedingly and abundantly more than we had ever hoped.
-Donna Clark Warren
Living in The Spirit 