Lisa M. has worked very hard to maintain a growing database about the practice of headcovering. Her site is comprehensive in that it addresses headcovering from various religious perspectives, not just Christian. One of the things in particular about Lisa's collection of headcovering resources that strikes me as fascinating is that there seems to be a never-ending list of stories about headcovering in the news -- stories in which headcovering is seen as a negative thing; as though the world is becoming more and more hostile to the tradition of headcovering and the women who elect to participate in it. Looking through some of the articles Lisa has on her site almost feels at times as if there is an all-out global attack on headcovering. This is not a coincidence.
Satan hates God's creation. He has always sought to distort what God has made, but through the ages, he has taken a particular interest in women. In the Garden of Eden, Satan sought to pervert God's order for the sexes. He approached Eve, asking her, "Has God really said...?" and caused her to doubt her Creator. He told her that God had lied to her, that Lord had not been 100% truthful with her concerning the tree of life because He had alterior motives. Satan targeted the woman in the garden, and he's been targeting women ever since. He has millions of women deceived into thinking that Christianity is oppressive. The simple manner in which he does this is by confusing submission with oppression.
God has commanded women to submit. Satan lies to women and tempts us to rebel by telling us that God has commanded men to oppress. The Bible tells us that Satan is the god of this world. His loyal subjects are continually being raised to power in various governments that force women to cover their hair, face, neck, and shoulders. They declare women second class citizens who are blamed for the fall of man, and their punishment is to be covered. God's way reflects perfect balance that is centered in orderliness. Satan's way reflects violent deviations from this. Satan twists things to extremes: submission becomes oppression, and leadership becomes domination. God's use of the headscarf is symbolic. Did you know that Satan has a symbolic use for the headscarf as well?
There is a whole underworld of perversion known as BDSM. Wikipedia* tells us: "Many activities can be found under the umbrella of BDSM, which include - but are not limited to - forms of social dominance, submission, discipline, punishment, bondage, sexual roleplaying, sexual fetishism, sadomasochism, and power exchange, as well as the full spectrum of mainstream personal and sexual interactions." Within this deviant sexual culture is a subculture that takes pleasure in the use of simple, ordinary headscarves as their preferred "sexual aid".
I first became aware of this perversion a few months ago when I was researching the godly practice of headcovering for myself. I had just completed writing my first headcovering post and was looking for some images to post on my blog, when suddenly, I stumbled upon some images of women that were bound and gagged with headscarves. Interestingly, I did not happen to see any men in these photographs, unless they were playing the role of "captor." Women were the primary focus of these scenes.
My first reaction was typical - "This is obscene." But I suddenly realized that this was perhaps a much deeper perversion than anything else I had ever seen or heard about, because it was symbolic. God has told women to be silent; Satan has them gagged. God has told women to submit, Satan has them bound. And he has bound and gagged them with the very symbol of authority that pleases God! If this isn't a blatant defiance of God Almighty, I don't know what is. As I considered the parallels between the obscene pictures and the scriptures, two verses came to mind:
And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day? (Luke 13:16)
And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years . . .(Revelation 20:2)
A chill came over me. I suddenly realized my choice to start covering my head is so much bigger than me, so much more meaningful than I will ever understand in this life. This is more than just perversion. This is the giant iceberg lying underneath the the global hostility toward headcoverings in almost every society today. The headcovering has meaning to Satan. What exactly? I don't know. But I truly believe the headcovering has a very, very deep significance to him:
For this reason she should be covered: because of the angels. (1 Corinthians 11:10)
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:11-12)
And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. (Revelation 12:7)**
Some feel that the practice of headcovering is not for today. Yet there is a war going on for our souls right now. Even those of us who have been redeemed are constantly fighting a battle we cannot see with our eyes, but we know it's real. I will put on the full armor of God. I will wear the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and have my feet fitted with the gospel of peace. I will take up my shield of faith and extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one as I wield the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. I will also put on the helmet of salvation. But as for me, I have chosen also to wear the headscarf of submission underneath!
*Due to the extreme graphic nature of this topic, I chose not to link back to any references that contained photographs, regardless of how "mild" the pictures were.
**Revelation 12 depicts the dragon waging war with a woman. The woman is not a literal woman, but a figurative expression of the nation of Israel. It is not to be confused with my assertion that Satan wages war on women. He makes war with all the saints, male and female alike.
10 comments:
very interesting post...
what a powerful post, Jennifer! My goodness...it makes one shake her head when she thinks about all the evil in this world that stems from the Deceiver.
Have you begun covering full time or still only in public worship and planned prayer?
Hi, Sammybunny.
I am still only covering in public worship and prayer, but I am not taking the cover off after church service on Sundays. If I go to lunch with friends, I tend to keep it on. Other than that, I haven't really increased my covering that much.
This is an awesome article, as you go beyond what is seen. Thanks for the advert too - I hope people will continue to read things like this and understand even more that we have to go "beyond what you see", and to live what we claim to believe. I'm constantly amazed at how true the statement is (it was used in a song in the movie "Yentl"): "The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize; the less I know!" We are never to get to a plateau and think we have arrived and are finished and enlightened, while on this earth. We must press on; there is always something more. Keep up the enlightening work!
Hi, Lisa. I just noticed your post on enforced veiling this morning. It is amazing how those who wish to cover of their own free will are persecuted, while others have the practice enforced. I really do think these things are more than just coincidence, and when I consider this sexual bondage issue, it makes even more sense to me. Thanks for stopping by and thanks again for your hard work on your blog!
Hi Jen,
I thank you very much with sharing this topic once again. I enjoyed the information you shared about the sacredness of headscarves as well as how satan uses it to mock women. Wow...I would have never known that about some of the practices out there. Weird but interesting how he uses scarves to bind women..etc.....It just left me in a shock.......Wow....great topic...I want to pray about this matter....
Thanks again..
:)
Its so exciting to hear about this topic.
Same here. Public Worship and devotional prayers. I think this is probably how it was meant to me, but one can never be sure. :o) Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for sharing - boy was that something! I never knew of the perversion side of it but it doesn't surprise me. Very well written and well thought out article.
This is a really good article. I was going to quote some stuff from it here to highlight how interesting that point was when i found i was highlighting the whole thing!!!!
Again, great post Jen!
This is an amazing article, I ran across yours while I was researching headcoverings for myself. I have recently been feeling a pull toward covering my head, it is not something our church practices or anything I've read that has brought this about. Just a personal tug that I've felt from the Holy Spirit. I've been struggling with being the center of attention if I do this, a position I do NOT desire. But I've been praying and seeking and everything I read, including your posts, is just making me more and more sure of this practice. I wish I was as articulate as you in my response if someone were to question my "intentions!"
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