HOW SATAN LEADS WOMEN ASTRAY

THESIS

Sin is not unique to one gender over another, but because God created men and women with both shared qualities and distinct differences, Satan often exploits those differences in unique ways. Throughout Scripture, women are repeatedly warned about the dangers of deceptive speech, false teachers, gossip, slander, and persuasive conversations that lead them astray. This article argues that influencers like Candace Owens exploit those same biblical patterns of sin in the digital age, leading many women astray through persuasive, emotionally compelling narratives that distort the truth.

INTRODUCTION

In our previous article, we began the last part of our series on examining Candace Owens by looking at specific categories of sin that characterize influencers like her. We discussed the seven abominable sins listed in (Prov. 6:16-19), and showed how Candace has made nearly every sin listed in that passage a part of her brand as an influencer. In today’s article, we’re going to look at some sins that specifically deal with women, using Candace Owens and her strong female following as a case study.

Sin is not unique to women. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). The “all” here includes both men and women. But because God has uniquely made men and women, similar in some ways but very different in others, both men and women come with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Men and women have different strengths and gifts, but they also possess different recurring areas of temptation that correspond to the ways God created them.

My heart in this is not to single women out or communicate an anti-woman bias. My heart is to communicate the truth of Scripture, expose the schemes of the enemy, and help any woman who may have become ensnared through influencers like Candace Owens.

I must confess, I feel a certain apprehension when addressing this issue. We live in a culture that increasingly resists the idea that Scripture speaks differently to men and women in certain areas of life. Because the Bible dares to address women in ways that are unique to them, many readers will reject these passages before they ever consider what God is actually saying. Yet our responsibility is not to reshape Scripture so it conforms to the spirit of our age, but to humble ourselves beneath its authority. As Paul writes, we are to “take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).

God expects us to handle the word of God carefully and with wisdom, endeavoring to apply it prudently during the time we live. But God never permits us to pervert his word, ignore his commands, or change what has been written because our culture believes it has evolved beyond it.

It is with this firm and loving stance which I proceed.

THE FIRST WOMAN

Throughout the Pastoral Epistles, Paul repeatedly warns women about becoming ensnared by sinful speech, gossip, slander, idle conversations, false teachers, and deceptive narratives (which we will cover in this article). In the first century these temptations spread from house to house. In the twenty-first century they often spread through podcasts, social media, and digital communities. The medium has changed, but the pastoral warning remains remarkably relevant.

To understand why Paul repeatedly returns to these themes, we must go back to the very beginning—to the first recorded temptation in Scripture.

“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

- Genesis 3:1

When the serpent infiltrated the garden, he did not approach Adam first. Instead, he began his assault by engaging Eve in conversation. Scripture later describes women as “the weaker vessel” (1 Pet. 3:7), and while Peter’s immediate context is marriage, Genesis also records that Satan chose to begin his deception with the woman rather than the man.

When Satan managed to engage the first woman and begin his attack, He did not try to intimidate her. He did not use brute force. He began by drawing her into a conversation. Within that conversation, he questioned God’s Word, distorted the truth, and persuaded Eve to embrace a lie. The enemy’s strategy was not merely to speak—it was to draw Eve into a conversation in which God’s Word was gradually reinterpreted until sin seemed reasonable.

As we continue through this article, we’ll see that this pattern reappears in Paul’s pastoral instructions to the church. He repeatedly warns women about being busybodies, falling for “godless myths”, and spreading “old wive’s fables” through conversation (1 Tim. 4:7). He also warns them about deceptive speech, gossip, slander, false teachers, and persuasive influences (1 Tim. 5:11-13; Titus 2:3-5). The medium has changed from face-to-face conversations to podcasts and social media, but the danger of allowing deceptive voices to shape our thinking remains remarkably similar.

WHAT MARRIAGE TELLS US ABOUT THE UNIQUENESS OF MEN AND WOMEN

Marriage is one of God’s great molders for character, maturity, and personal transformation. It is also one of life’s great revealers.

At some point in every marriage, both a husband and a wife have to learn about how God has uniquely made them, so they can love and serve one another more profoundly and deeply. Understanding your spouse’s uniqueness equips you to be a greater lover. But it also equips you to be a greater covering for them, so the enemy doesn’t get a foothold in their life or your marriage.

One of the most essential ways a husband can love his wife, and in turn protect her emotionally, is by engaging her heart and speaking her unique language of love. It’s not always the case 100% of the time, but generally speaking, women need to be spoken to kindly in order to have intimacy with their husbands. They need to be cared for emotionally, and the physical aspects of love and intimacy then follow that created order. If men try to lead with the physical (which is their instinct most of the time), without sowing into the emotional aspect of marital intimacy, then the woman’s emotional attachment suffers. If it is not addressed, the emotional connection will begin to slowly die, and the woman as well as the marriage will become more at risk to outside infiltration from someone that knows how to speak to her.

Just as a wise husband loves and cares for his wife through understanding the unique way she’s been created, so does the enemy exploit women through understanding how they are uniquely created. In the garden, Adam failed to keep (guard) the domain given to him as God commanded (Gen. 2:15). Eve failed to guard her heart and allowed an outside influence to lead her astray through the power of compelling conversation. As it was in the beginning, so is it today. Both men and women are still not understanding some of these most basic truths about how God has created them, and as a result they are being led astray by the same schemes of the enemy which have been adapted for the modern world.

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WOMEN WHO ARE BUSYBODIES

“As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to. So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.”

1 Timothy 5:11-13 - NIV

Here, in one of Paul’s pastoral letters to Timothy, he addresses sins and temptations that were particularly affecting certain women in the Ephesian church. In doing so, he gives pastoral instruction that has ongoing relevance for the church today.

Paul encouraged the younger widows to marry, bear children, and manage their households so that they would “give the enemy no opportunity for slander” (v.14) and were not “turned away to follow Satan” (vs.15). How were they being turned away to follow Satan? By “being idle, going house to house, being busybodies who talk nonsense, and by saying things they ought not to” (vs.13).

As it was then, so is it today. The times may have changed, the means by which some of these sins are carried out may have changed, but men and women fundamentally have not changed. Human nature has not changed. Although the circumstances of life are different, the temptations Paul addresses remain remarkably familiar.

Today, those conversations no longer take place only from house to house. They take place through podcasts, livestreams, YouTube channels, and social media feeds that accompany people throughout their day. Millions now spend hours listening to personalities they have never met, allowing those voices to shape the conversations they later have with family, friends, and online communities. Those ongoing conversations become the raw material for countless downstream conversations, opinions, accusations, and judgments that ripple through families, churches, and communities.

WOMEN WHO TALK NONSENSE

The Greek word translated “talk nonsense” in (1 Tim. 5:13) which we just read is φλύαροι phlyaroi (floo’-ar-os). It means gossips, babblers, or people who engage in empty, frivolous talk.1 Combined with “busybodies” περίεργοι, periergoi (per-ee’-er-gos), the picture is of people who become preoccupied with other people’s affairs rather than their own responsibilities.2

Paul’s concern was not ordinary conversation. His concern was speech that is empty, meddlesome, and consumed with other people’s affairs rather than faithful stewardship of one’s own responsibilities.

The more we study these pastoral warnings, the easier it becomes to understand why certain forms of media can become spiritually dangerous. Paul repeatedly warns women against becoming preoccupied with gossip, slander, idle talk, and other people’s affairs rather than faithfully attending to the responsibilities God has given them. Those same temptations remain present today, even if they now arrive through podcasts and social media instead of conversations from house to house.

Candace Owens has built a media platform around many of the very patterns Paul warns against: speculative conversations about other people’s lives, repeated public accusations, and endless discussion of matters that often lack sufficient evidence. Much of Candace’s platform is devoted to the affairs of other people, particularly women such as Brigitte Macron and Erika Kirk. She produces lengthy podcast series devoted to speculative investigations into their private lives. In those series she frequently advances serious allegations while presenting little or no evidence that would satisfy a judicial standard of proof, but that doesn’t seem to matter to her.

All of this takes place while Candace is simultaneously operating a daily media platform and substantial business enterprise during a season of life in which she has four very young children. Paul’s remedy for this pattern was not merely “stop gossiping.” His pastoral instruction was to order one’s life around marriage, childrearing, and faithful management of the household so that the enemy would have “no opportunity for slander” (1 Tim. 5:14).

While the circumstances of many women today differ significantly from those of the first century, Paul’s underlying concern remains the same: that women order their lives around faithful, God-honoring responsibilities rather than becoming consumed with idle speech and the affairs of others.

Am I suggesting that Candace spends no time with her children or loves her family any less than other mothers? Certainly not. But she has publicly devoted a significant portion of her ministry and business to producing daily content centered on speculative investigations, conspiracy theories, and the affairs of other people. Evaluating her life and behavior in the light of Scripture leads me to conclude that she has not only become ensnared by the sins that Paul warned women about. She has made a lucrative online business out of those sins, and is growing that business online by ensnaring other women to participate in that sin with her.

GULLIBLE WOMEN AND GODLESS MYTHS

“Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.”

Titus 2:3-5 - NIV

Once again, Paul is instructing one of his spiritual sons, Titus, on how to shepherd and teach women within the church. Although this passage specifically addresses older women and their responsibility to disciple younger women, the themes are remarkably consistent with Paul’s instruction to Timothy. Younger women are encouraged to devote themselves to godly priorities by loving their husbands and children, being self-controlled and pure, managing their households faithfully, being kind, and submitting to their husbands. Older women, likewise, are called to model godliness by avoiding slander and instead teaching what is good. As we continue through Paul’s pastoral letters, a clear pattern begins to emerge: he repeatedly warns against sinful speech while calling women to lives marked by faithfulness, godliness, and the discipleship of others.

“They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.

2 Timothy 3:6-7 - NIV

In a recent episode of his show, Jeremy Boreing quoted this exact Scripture and applied it to the evil work that Candace has been doing online to seduce women to her cause.3 Jeremy Boreing is not alone in seeing this passage as relevant to Candace’s public influence. Others have likewise observed parallels between Paul’s warnings and the patterns that characterize her platform.

But have there ever been truer words to describe the ministry of Candace Owens? She has indeed “wormed her way into people’s homes” and has “gained control over gullible women” (vs.6). She has “loaded her followers down with those same sins” that they are sharing in, and she has “swayed them by all kinds of evil desires” (vs.6). And yes, of course, the more her followers learn from her about the latest speculative conspiracy theory that she teaches them, the more they are never able to truly come to “the knowledge of the truth” (vs.7). Because with Candace the evidence seems to suggest that discovering the truth is often secondary to sustaining narratives that generate controversy, engagement, and money.

“Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.”

1 Timothy 4:7 - NIV

When you read commentaries on this passage, the term “old wives’ tales” doesn’t only refer to the speech of women. It was a common idiom used at the time for foolish superstitions or nonsensical folklore.4 But it is worth noting that the idiom wasn’t called “old husbands’ tales”. Whether the expression reflects cultural speech, common stereotypes, or recurring patterns observed in the ancient world, Paul chose to use it without reserve. At the very least, it fits the repeated pastoral concern he expressed elsewhere regarding women becoming entangled in gossip, slander, and deceptive stories.

Many of the speculative conspiracy narratives promoted by Candace Owens function much like the “godless myths” and “old wives’ fables” Paul warned Timothy to avoid. It’s a different time with different means of spreading these fables and sharing in these sins, but the fallen nature of men and women hasn’t changed since biblical times. This is why we must heed the warning and wisdom of scripture and obey God’s command to “train ourselves to be godly” (1 Tim. 4:7). Training yourself to be godly in the age of social media and podcasting entails guarding your heart and refusing to participate in the sins of the busybody. It means refusing to participate in the sins of slander, gossip, and the spreading of baseless conspiracy theories that cause real damage in people’s lives. It means intentionally filling our minds and hearts with truth.

The technology has changed, but the strategy has not. Millions of women now invite persuasive voices into their homes and daily routines through podcasts and social media. These ongoing conversations shape the way many people think, feel, and interpret the world around them, and this is all having a profound effect on marriages, families, and society at large.

WHAT WOMEN ARE CONSUMING ONLINE TODAY

According to the Pew Research Center, among Americans who listen to podcasts, 44% of women regularly listen to true crime podcasts. Compared to only 23% of men, women are nearly twice as likely to consume true crime podcasts today.5

An earlier academic study from a few years ago found that 73% of true crime podcast listeners in their sample were women.6 And a 2026 survey from this year showed the same pattern: women are more likely than men to consume true crime podcasts (35% vs 27%).7 So this isn’t merely a sterotype—it’s a well-established demographic pattern.

When I look at the direction Candace Owens’ podcast has taken since COVID, it increasingly resembles the storytelling style commonly associated with the true crime genre. Episodes are built around detailed investigations into other people’s lives, dramatic narratives, hidden motives, and alleged conspiracies. Given the demographic data, it is not difficult to understand why that style of content has become especially appealing to many women.

Men consume podcasts like the one Candace provides as well. The consumption of conspiracy theory-related content has been on the rise since more people have become untrusting of our institutions, such as the government. But there also appears to be a noteworthy overlap between the style of content Candace increasingly produces and the demographic most drawn to that style of media.

Many of Candace’s narratives are communicated through highly relational, emotional, and personal storytelling. When those communication patterns are considered alongside Paul’s repeated pastoral warnings concerning deceptive speech, gossip, false teaching, and persuasive influences among women, the parallels become difficult to ignore.

CONCLUSION

Sun Tzu, possibly the most brilliant military strategist in history once said, “Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never be defeated.”8 Another brilliant master of war, Napoleon Bonaparte, is often quoted as saying, “The art of war is to concentrate a superior force at the decisive point.”

We must never forget that we are in a spiritual battle for our very souls, as well as the soul of our nation and our society as we know it. As I stated to begin this article, both men and women have sin. Sin is not unique to one gender, but the ways that Satan targets us in the battle for our souls are unique based on the way God has created us.

Satan understands strategic warfare. He knows the strengths and weaknesses of men and women alike, and he knows how to concentrate his forces at decisive points in order to gain an advantage over us. Therefore, we must with all diligence put on the whole armor of God so that we may stand against the schemes of the devil in our day (Eph. 6:11).

In biblical times, gender roles were more clearly defined through the ways of life that people were born into. I believe the Lord understands the unique pressures, circumstances, and changes we are facing in this modern world, and that the solution for women can’t always be as simple as “get married, have babies, and take care of your home” (1 Tim. 5:11-13; Titus 2:3-5). Many husbands and wives have to work full-time jobs today to make ends meet, but here’s how these sacred Scriptures can be applied to women today. If you become idle with your time, don’t fill that void with media that entices you toward gossip, slander, false accusation, speculative storytelling, or godless myths. Whether those influences come through soap operas, romance novels, true crime entertainment, conspiracy theory podcasts, or social media, they will shape your mind and heart in time. Fill your mind, your heart, and your time with things that are lovely, good, virtuous, and praiseworthy (Phil. 4:8). Live your life to love God and love others. Live your life to reflect the honor and glory of God so that others who view your speech and conduct know who you serve, even if you never tell them.

That’s going to do it for today’s article. I pray this teaching has been a blessing to you.

In our next installment, we’ll continue examining Paul’s pastoral instruction concerning women by looking at the sins of brawling, contentiousness, and division, and how influencers like Candace Owens can sow discord in marriages, families, and churches through sinful speech. We’ll also turn our attention to one of Scripture’s clearest expressions of God’s heart—His special concern for widows. We’ll examine Candace’s public campaign against the widow of Charlie Kirk, why it began within days of his brutal murder, and what the Bible has to say about God’s fierce defense of the widow. My prayer is that this biblical message will not only strengthen women, but also protect marriages, families, churches, and the vulnerable from the destructive power of gossip, slander, division, and false accusation.

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