Virtue is moral courage.
It is the manly courage of one who fights for what is right and defends the innocent against evildoers. It is the feminine bravery of one who refuses to conform to this world’s carnal demands, appetites, and styles. Virtue is what Joseph demonstrated when Potiphar’s wife repeatedly “cast longing eyes” on him and invited him to “Lie with me” (Genesis 39:7-12).
As Proverbs 31:10-31 so eloquently explains, a virtuous woman is a family’s priceless treasure. The beauty of her holy life is a radiant blessing to everyone in her household. She is praiseworthy (Proverbs 31:10), and her meek and quiet spirit is precious to God (1 Peter 3:4).
Not so with a virtue-less woman. Solomon somberly warns his son of this type of woman in Proverbs 5:3-6. Here, it is written: “For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death, her steps lay hold of hell. Lest you ponder her path of life—her ways are unstable; you do not know them.”
Consider these three somber truths about a virtue-less woman:
- She has lying lips (v. 3). Flattery is a form of lying; its purpose is to get something through deceit. Regardless of whether her final aim is money, time, attention, or offspring, a virtue-less woman is willing to lie to you and lay with you now so she can get what she ultimately wants later.
- She introduces devastating consequences to your lives (vv. 4-5). Both in this life and the life to come, violating the marriage bed has many bitter consequences. None of the passing pleasures that a virtue-less woman offers is permanent; this cannot be said of the consequences.
- She is unpredictable and manipulative (v. 6). As Samson learned to his bitter regret and early death, a virtue-less woman can pester a man’s soul until he is “vexed to death” (Judges 16:16).
Flee fornication (1 Corinthians 6:18).
