The Danger Of Temptation

​We all hear voices in our heads. Some speak truth, guiding us with clarity and peace. Others, they shout loud promises, offering short-term satisfaction that leaves long-term pain.

Proverbs 9 introduces us to two women. One is Lady Wisdom, the voice of life and truth. The other is Lady Folly, whose voice is seductive but deadly. Today, we’re going to focus on the second woman and what she represents for every one of us.

Lady Folly is Loud, But She’s Empty

“The woman named Folly is brash. She is ignorant and doesn’t know it.”
(Proverbs 9:13, NLT)

She’s loud. Boisterous. Unruly. You don’t need to go looking for her, she makes herself known. Whether you read her as seductive or simply ignorant, her voice is consistent: it’s persistent and persuasive.

But here’s the catch; she doesn't know what she’s talking about. Lady Folly doesn’t offer wisdom or truth. What she offers is chaos disguised as fun. Excitement masked as freedom. Her noise may sound impressive, but her foundation is empty.

She Mimics Wisdom, But Offers a Trap

Folly positions herself in a high place, just like Lady Wisdom does. She calls out to the passersby, people simply going about their day.

They’re not looking for trouble. They’re not chasing sin. But that’s when temptation does its most effective work, it whispers (or shouts) when you're just trying to mind your own business.

“Come in with me,” she urges the simple. To those who lack judgment, she says, “Stolen water is refreshing; food eaten in secret tastes the best!”
(Proverbs 9:16-17)

Her pitch? It’s stolen. It’s secret. And it sounds good. Folly tells us what we want to hear. “No one will know.” “It won’t hurt anyone.” “You deserve this.” Sound familiar? She offers the appeal of forbidden fruit, pleasure without consequence. But there’s always a cost.

The Path She Promises Leads to Death

“But little do they know that the dead are there. Her guests are in the depths of the grave.”
(Proverbs 9:18)

You enter expecting pleasure. You leave realizing you’ve lost something valuable. That’s the essence of sin. It promises something it can’t deliver. It costs more than you were ever willing to pay.

This isn’t just about major life-destroying decisions. This happens in everyday moments: in the thoughts we allow, the conversations we entertain, the actions we justify.

We've All Heard Her Voice

Think back to your teen years. Maybe you had a friend who always got you into trouble. They’d suggest something reckless, and you'd follow, even when your gut told you to walk away.

Folly operates the same way. She’s that "friend" who pulls you off course just enough to feel good before everything starts falling apart.

We might tell ourselves, “It’s just this once,” or “I’ll stop after this.” But the more we entertain folly, the more numb we become to her deception.

Sin Isn’t New - But Neither Is Wisdom

Folly doesn’t offer anything original. Her menu is made up of stolen water and secret meals. But God offers something better.

Lady Wisdom also calls out in Proverbs. She, too, invites the simple. But her table leads to life, not death. Fulfillment, not regret. Peace, not shame.The same world presents two voices. Every day, we choose which one we’ll follow.

So, What’s the Real Choice?

This isn’t just about “right vs. wrong” or even “wise vs. foolish.” The preacher’s commentary puts it perfectly:

“The choice is not good conduct versus bad… It is at bottom the choice between true worship and false between Yahweh… and the fatal attractions of immorality and idolatry.”

At its core, this is about your heart’s allegiance. Will you trust God's way, even when it's quieter, harder, or slower? Or will you chase the loud promises of a path that looks fun but ends in destruction?

Where Temptation Ends Matters

Sin often starts with a whisper. But it ends in sorrow. That’s why Proverbs warns us so bluntly. It’s not to shame us. It’s to protect us.

So, the next time you hear that voice calling out: “This won’t hurt anyone,” “You deserve this,” or “No one has to know”, pause.

Ask: Where does this path lead?

Because temptation always sounds sweet, until you see where it ends.