So I advise these younger widows to marry again, have children, and take care of their own homes. Then the enemy will not be able to say anything against them. For I am afraid that some of them have already gone astray and now follow Satan (1 Tim. 5:14-15).
So that advise may not be so popular these days. Just get married, have some babies and take care of the house. Where is Gloria Steinem when you need her? That is just down right demeaning! Archaic!
Or is it? The scripture in Timothy encourages these young widows in this so that enemy can’t accuse them because some of the women have already started following Satan. YIKES! Accused by the enemy? Following Satan? Those stakes are high. Maybe there is something more to this wife/mother thing than meets the eye.
I would say so. We are under spiritual attack from forces of darkness and our weapons of warfare: being a wife and mother and housekeeping. Seriously? Seriously.
Some things to note about this attack throughout the scriptures:
1. It was a result of Eve’s sin and affects all women after.
Then the Lord God said to the serpent…“And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring (Gen. 3:15).
2. Satan relentlessly pursues women.
And the dragon was angry at the woman (Mary) and declared war against the rest of her children—all who keep God’s commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus (Rev. 12:17).
3. Satan is the father of lies.
For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44).
4. He uses lies to accuse us.
For the accuser of our… sisters has been thrown down to earth— the one who accuses them before our God day and night (Rev. 12:10).
5. He is still seeking to devour us.
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour (1 Pet. 5:8).
So if Satan is using lies against us to attack us spiritually how do we know? If we are supposed to “stay alert” what does that look like? What sort of things does he lie about?
Nancy Leigh DeMoss, in her book Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Sets Them Free, deals with 40 different lies that women in our society deal with that are a direct attack on our unity with God. Here’s a few. See if you’ve ever heard these spoken to your heart:
- A career outside the home is more valuable and fulfilling than being a wife and mother.
- I have to have a husband to be happy.
- It is my responsibility to change my mate.
- My husband is supposed to serve me.
- If I submit to my husband I’ll be miserable.
- Sometimes divorce is a better option than staying in a bad marriage.
- It’s up to us to determine the size of our family.
- We are not responsible for how our children turn out.
- If I feel something it must be true.
- I can’t control my emotions.
- If my circumstances were different I would be different.
Unless you actively are defending yourself against the lies of your enemy, he is lying to you somehow. It is what he does. Sometimes the lies are bold. Other times they are subtle. Remember Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14). He can even make you think you are doing what’s right.
The lies that Satan snagged me with kept me from enjoying freedom in Christ. I was trying to be in Christ, but something always popped up to hold me back. Before I was married I didn’t know I could be at peace with God as my husband (Is. 54:5). In marriage I thought I had to step up and spiritually lead in absence of my husband’s leadership (Eph. 5:24). I just knew that it was up to me to “fix” my husband’s defects (Mat. 9:12). And when I got mad… there was no restraining my words (Gal. 5:23). And I sheepishly responded to “What do you do?” with an answer that I thought would sound better than wife or mother. I believed my femininity was a curse.
Sisters, we often hear conservatives bemoan the attack on the nuclear family, but there is another attack on the home that is getting much less news coverage. Women are under attack. Motherhood is being assaulted. This attack isn’t coming from liberal legislators or renegade judges, it is coming from the Prince of Darkness and we need to wake up.
Today, I challenge you to examine your belief system on marriage, family and children. I challenge you to determine if you have been more influenced by the holy writings or the feminist movement in America. As women who claim Christ, let’s go all the way. Let’s live a counter cultural life that is testimony to power of the God we serve!
(For supplemental reading, I suggest reading this piece from 2008 by Alice Walker’s daughter Rebecca, “How My Mother’s Fanatical Views Tore Us Apart.” She details her mother’s social views and the negative impact it had on her.)
I feel the need for another disclaimer: This post is not an attack on women as wage earners nor does it necessarily convey the all-time personal beliefs of the author. It is simply the result of her personal study.