The following excerpt is taken from What Every Christian Should Know About Satan. Order your copy in print, Kindle, or Audible versions here.

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In Homer’s Odyssey, the sirens are three mysterious women who live on an island. When ships pass, the sirens stand on the cliffs above and sing. Their hauntingly beautiful voices lure sailors to steer their vessels closer to shore until eventually they shipwreck on the rocky coast.

Odysseus is curious to hear the sirens’ songs as well, yet he knows the dangers. He orders his men to tie him to the ship’s mast as they approach the island. Then he instructs them to plug their own ears with beeswax. 

As expected, when Odysseus hears the sirens’ call, he demands to be untied, but his shipmates obey his earlier command and bind him more tightly to the mast. Finally, they release him when the sirens’ song is no longer heard.

This ancient myth illustrates how the powerful pull of temptation is common to all people. We know all too well the perils of flirting with danger. Temptation is common to every human being. It was well-known to Jesus. Yet, despite being tempted in every way common to humanity, he emerged unscathed (Heb. 4:15).

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