Modesty from a Man's Point of View

The following is cut-and-pasted from Nancy Leigh DeMoss's radio program "Revive Our Hearts" from June 2, 2005: "Candles and Gunpowder."

I want to read one of the responses to you from a young man who was a college student at a Christian college; a young man who has a strong heart for the Lord but has had a lot of moral struggles in his past before he came to know the Lord. He starts by acknowledging that lust is a very real enemy in the life of a male, both whether he's a Christian or a non-Christian, and he said,

"We, as men, are fully responsible for our own sexual choices and behavior. However, there is a catalyst that intensifies the sinful desires we battle in our minds. That catalyst is the lack of feminine modesty. We cannot excuse our sin by blaming it on others, but it's tough for a man in the battle to find a refuge when the Church of Christ, that should be his safeguard, is sometimes filled with more provocative images than the enemy's ground."

"I know there are some men who do not struggle with lust to the degree of others, but to the vast majority, a lack of feminine modesty is the spark that can ignite the fire. So that's why as men we need the help of women. We need for you to recognize our weakness and to understand the importance of discretion and modesty."

“Low cut blouses, exposed breasts, thin fabrics and undergarments that give sensual, visual impressions of a woman's body; tight pants that reveal the lines of undergarments; short midriff blouses that expose bellies and hips; short skirts, skirts with high slits, and undergarments that are exposed when women and teens are careless about how they sit, walk and move around. These seemingly insignificant issues can draw men into the trap of sinful thoughts. And these thoughts acted upon can lead to sinful, sexual acts such as pornography and various types of personal and even violent, immoral behavior."

"Along these lines, I think of a fellow student, a dear Christian friend, who feels called to disciple young women in the area of purity. She leads Bible studies on modesty, but her appearance contradicts all that she stands for. There is seldom an occasion that I am in her presence that I am not exposed to brightly colored undergarments showing above her low cut pants or under her shirt, her tanned belly or other private parts when she bends down or leans over. Her shirts are tight; her skirts are short. Her shorts are even shorter, and her pants are skintight in the most provocative regions. I am left to fight the battle whenever I am in her presence."

"I suspect a majority of the Christian women are oblivious to the fact that they are being used as a weapon against men who really do desire to walk in integrity and purity. I plead and beg," he says, "for the godly women of America to take notice of their brothers' needs and to assist us in our war against the flesh."