Warning! Nudity Ahead!

You will often see a warning on movies if it contains nudity or even partial nudity. In a lot of places, indecent exposure still even carries a fine! Not that that gets enforced nowadays. We often hear that we shouldn’t look at porn and that it’s important for us to wear modest clothing in the Christian world. Why is that? Who determines what is modest for us to wear, and who gets to determine what nudity is? Does the Bible have a standard of modesty, or is modesty simply a standard set by the culture around us? Just writing that last sentence makes me cringe inside. 

Let’s start by looking at what qualifies as men's and women’s clothing. This may seem unrelated, and it is. What does the Bible say about what constitutes men's or women's clothing?

Deu 22:5 "A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman's garment, for all who do so [are] an abomination to the LORD your God.

That’s pretty much it. The determining factor of what is men's or women's clothing seems to be left up to society and our judgment. Men's and women’s clothing should be distinct from each other; that’s the only inference. Is modesty the same as clothing style? If society determines what modesty is, then it should be okay for us to wear whatever society wears, right? If that happens to be free birding it, just you galavanting around in your birthday suit, then that should be okay. Society is our guide on modesty. 

If red flags didn’t go up with the phrase, “society is our guide,” they should have. When is society our guide on anything, let alone what is considered modest or unmodest? Where do we get our standard from? Our guide should be the bible, not what other people are doing, and our standard should certainly not be being better than the world around us. Our standard is the bible!

Alright, enough on that for the moment; let’s take a look at what modesty is. Modesty is a visual thing. If we were all blind, there would be no standards of modesty, at least not visually. Modesty is in our actions as well, so a standard of modest actions would still exist. Modesty, more than anything, comes from the heart, as does any true virtue. Here is an excellent definition of modesty:

Modesty - Mode of dress and deportment which intends to avoid encouraging sexual attraction in others

Modesty is about sex. Advertising what you got or keeping it safe, plain and simple. This definition pretty much sums up what modesty is and is self-explanatory as to why it’s necessary for followers of the Bible. Or is it? I’ll explain in a bit, just in case. Speaking of which, let’s take a look at a few verses on modesty.

1 Corinthians 12:22-24 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.

And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen,

while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity.

In this section, Paul is using the human body as an analogy for the Church and specifically mentions that there are parts to be covered. We'll see later what this includes.

1Ti 2:9 in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, 

but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.

Modest apparel… What would that look like exactly? Later in the verse, it goes into what dressing with moderation and propriety looks like, but it leaves us hanging as far as modest apparel goes, just that women should wear it. The word it uses in greek for propriety means, (drumroll please) respect and reverence. Dressing modestly plays into respect for others, especially respect for guys, as we’ll see. The last part of the section explains that modest dress is part of a profession of godliness.

Modest dress is respectful of others, self-controlled, and essential if we profess to be a Christian. In this specific section, the respect Paul refers to is not wearing expensive clothing to the shame of those who can't afford it in church, but its application is broader than this. Why would this matter? There is a fundamental knowledge gap when it comes to modest dress. What makes modest dress respectful? Well, first of all, it’s respectful to yourself and God. Your body is on loan from God and ought not to be flaunted about. 

Pro 11:22 [As] a ring of gold in a swine's snout, [So is] a lovely woman who lacks discretion. 

1Co 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit [who is] in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 

For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

It’s Not My Fault He Lusts!

We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Everything we do should be in light of that. What are we reflecting back on God by what we are wearing?

Modest dress is respectful of others, especially respectful for girls toward guys. Why? Well, God created guys with specific triggers for marriage and sex, just as He did girls. Guys are created to be very visually oriented, which means that a girl wandering around with everything exposed triggers these instincts that God created for marriage and causes them to sin through lust.

Every man is responsible for the thoughts that appear in his own head. Through the way she dresses, a woman can either make it easier for him to stay pure or make it harder. This is why the definition of modesty is not just covering up; it’s dressing with the intention to avoid triggering sexual attraction. Sexual attraction is for marriage. Outside of that union, we shouldn’t seek to create this sort of attraction in the opposite sex. Guys should be completely in control of themselves, but even the strongest guy can stumble when a woman exposes herself. 

These triggers, when uncontrolled, can certainly motivate wrong behavior in the form of sexual assault. Before I get into this next section, let me state something loud and clear: it is always the assaulters who are the evil ones in a case of assault. Always. There is never an excuse. That being said, let me illustrate this point with a short story.

A man went for a walk in a bad part of the city. In his hand, he carried a bulging black briefcase. From the seams, cash protruded and fluttered in the breeze. As he went along, a group of men rushed out and attacked him beating him severely and stealing the briefcase. As the man lay there bleeding and wounded a wise old man who had been watching from across the street hobbled up to him. The wounded man looked up hopefully, but the wise old man just shook his head and jabbed him with his cane as he prepared to hobble past. Surprised, the wounded man asked, "Why do you poke me and not call the police? Those men stole my entire life's savings!" Continuing to shake his head in disgust, the wise old man replies, "This is true, my son, that they were evil men, but you, my son, were the fool." A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, But the simple pass on and are punished. Proverbs 22:3

That's all on that topic. However, modesty should be motivated by more than just self-preservation. A great motivating factor should be love and respect for your brothers in Christ, just as you probably desire to be loved and respected in turn. This love, more than anything, is what should be the motivation behind covering up, but sadly, it doesn’t seem to.

Matthew 22:39 NKJV — “And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

Quite often, it is the exact opposite, with girls in the world intentionally dressing in a way to subjugate and gain the attention of men. Just look at so called influencers on Instagram and the girls of OnlyFans. It's little more than online prostitution. You would never expect to see this behavior in the Church of God, but sadly, the world bleeds over. Unfortunately, it’s not just worldly girls who dress this way.

“Dress how you want other women to dress around your husband.” - Kim Doebler

“It’s not my fault he lusts. Why should I have to cover up just to possibly prevent him from lusting? He should just not lust!” Though this appears to be sound logic on the surface, it has a fundamental flaw. Even a strong Christian warrior will stumble when a girl who is exposing herself walks by. A strong man will look away as soon as she comes into view, but even that quick glance is enough to cause stumbling. We all have our battles to face, and this happens to be one that is common to every guy. Though it may seem innocent to dress "cute," you are giving something away that belongs entirely to your future husband.

Rom 14:13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in [our] brother's way.      

Luke 17:1 NKJV Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe [to him] through whom they do come!

In some small measure, we are our brother’s keeper, and we are responsible for our actions that cause them to stumble. This is the flaw of the previous argument. There’s another short story that fits well with this idea.

One day, a family invited a man over for dinner. This wasn’t just any man, though. This man was someone who had recently just started attending church with them after overcoming a decades-long battle with alcohol. He still was tempted by it, and it wouldn’t take much of a push to push him back into alcoholism and away from God. The family had grown to love this man very much and considered him part of their own family. The mother cooked a splendid meal, steak, potatoes, gravy, the whole works. As part of the meal, the father planned to serve wine. Shocked, the mother reminded him that the man they were inviting was a recovering alcoholic and that wine would be a terrible idea. The father slapped his forehead, thanked her, and started to remove the wine glasses.

Why would the dad remove the wine glasses? Is it perhaps because he recognized the temptation he would be subjecting this man too? The father loved and respected this man, so why would he put something out for him to see that he knew would cause him harm? What if we applied this same careful love to the topic of modesty? Every guy is dealing with lust on one level or another, even if it doesn’t seem like it.

Where does the motivation to wear revealing clothing come from? I don't pretend to know your motivation, but self-examination is in order. These are the motives for the girls I have seen, and the motives for every industry that uses scantily clad women to sell their product. It's about sex, and sex sells.

Modesty is about sexual attraction, either encouraging it by lack of clothing or discouraging it by covering up, and as daughters of God, you ought to glorify your Father with what you wear. Why the booty shorts, the low-cut shirts, the crop tops, the bikinis, and the mini skirts? Why indeed?

Women want to feel beautiful and desired by a man. The message women have heard their whole life through movies, magazines, books, and even music is that the way to be beautiful is to expose for the world to see what God gave them only for their husband. The societal and peer pressures behind this are tremendous, and it is a violent struggle! It’s not easy to walk against the current of society; in fact, if you do, society will fight against you the whole way. Not at all coincidentally, Satan has found a way to harm not only girls but guys as well with this one lie; beauty is in exposing yourself. Where does true beauty actually come from?

Most girls aren’t exposing themselves with the intention of harming guys, not consciously, at least. Because of societal pressures, the subconscious is often in the driver’s seat with an excuse that, “I only dress this way because it’s comfortable.” Really?

Something seems off about that. It would seem that if it was really about comfort, we could logically assume that we would see guys wearing similar styles of clothing.

Well, when was the last time you saw a guy in the church wear a pair of short shorts, a bikini, or a revealing shirt? Never is the answer, I would imagine. I dearly, genuinely hope that no is the answer to that question. That would be very disturbing if the answer were yes.

If we think about it, is it really about comfort on the girl's part?

If clothes that cover everything are so uncomfortable, then why are guys not also uncomfortable?

In fact, it seems to be the exact opposite when girls wear clothes that expose everything; they seem decidedly uncomfortable. 

Satan has tricked women into exposing themselves for the sake of beauty when all along, the real beauty lay in true modesty. Through movies, pictures, and social media, Satan has glorified scanty clothing and lowered women to the standard of being an object of lust. If Satan’s influence is the driving force behind immodesty, this then begs the question, to whom are we submitting with the way we dress?

“[A Letter to the Culture that Raised Me] I'm not here to be on display. And my body is not for public consumption. I will not be reduced to an object, or a pair of legs to sell shoes. I'm a soul, a mind, a servant of God. My worth is defined by the beauty of my soul, my heart, my moral character. So I won't worship your beauty standards, and I don't submit to your fashion sense. My submission is to something higher.” ― Yasmin Mogahed

Modesty - Mode of dress and deportment which intends to avoid encouraging sexual attraction in others.

If this is modesty, then immodesty is dressing in a way that encourages sexual attraction. The real kicker is that it’s to create sexual attraction in people who aren’t your spouse. Where is God in that?

Where is the glory that He has placed in our hearts?

If it’s not His glory shining from us, what message is it that we are sending?

Who or what are we submitting to?

The sad part is that dressing in such a way shows a lack of value for one's own body. Chances are they did not have a father to teach them the value of what God gave to them and how to respect themselves and others. If you dress to show your body off to everyone, then you don't respect yourself or value yourself. Very few 12 year olds dressing immodestly are doing it with ill-intent; they just want to look cute like all the other girls. Without a father to teach them that they are valuable and worthy of respect, this is a disaster. We were created for one other person, not everyone who walks by.

Humans are social creatures and tend to follow social trends. Combined with an innate knowledge of what is attractive to guys, this deadly combination leads girls to expose themselves in order to feel beautiful. That is the question in every girl's heart, “Am I beautiful?”

How they answer this question directly affects how men answer their question, “Am I a warrior? Do I have what it takes?”

When girls answer their question by wearing skimpy clothing, they create an opening for an answer to the guy's question. Both answers are false and lead to semi-destruction, at the least, in that they prevent both parties from reaching their full spiritual potential. Now that we have a reason for the skimpiness, let’s look at what the Bible says about it all.

The Biblical Solution

You have probably often heard the old instruction, “Save yourself for marriage.” If you haven’t, well, now you have. What does that really mean, though? Does it just apply to not having sex before marriage, or does it go beyond that? 1 Corinthians 7:4 says,

The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband [does]. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife [does].

A husband and wife’s bodies belong to each other, but even more, their hearts. Our hearts take quite a beating in this old world of ours, emotionally and physically. Our hearts get battered in the storm especially when we don’t guard them. If our hearts have been broken, there’s still hope. Christ will heal our hearts if we ask and help us present a whole heart to our spouse. This isn’t an excuse to give away what doesn’t belong to us, however. Better for the heart to have never been broken in the first place. 

We can think of Christ healing our heart as a potter gluing a broken pot back together. The potter can mend the pot to where it’s useful for cooking and holding water again, but the scars of the broken places will always be there. If we desire to heal our hearts, it requires repentance and godly sorrow as well as a change in our actions.

How does our heart get smashed up in the first place? If we give away our hearts to multiple people, what do we present to our spouse at our wedding? An incomplete, worn-out item that multiple people hold pieces to unless we seek healing from God. How does this apply to saving one’s self for marriage? Simply put, doing anything with an unmarried woman that you wouldn’t do if she was married is adultery. I.E., holding hands, kissing, cuddling, etc. Christ addressed this in Matthew 5:28,

"But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Why would this be except that our bodies belong to our future spouses and to Christ? Therefore we treat everyone as though they are someone else’s future spouse—because they are. They are our brothers and sisters in the Spirit, to boot. In light of this, saving one’s self for marriage would mean saving everything for our future spouses that, by rights, belongs to them. 

Malachi 2:15‭-‬16 ESV Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. 

16 “For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”

Where does the Spirit reside but in the heart?

Galatians 4:6 ESV And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”

Emotionally and physically. Christ will heal our hearts if we ask and help us present a whole heart to our spouse. This isn’t an excuse to give away what doesn’t belong to us, however. This requires repentance and godly sorrow as well as a change in our actions. Now we begin to unravel the mystery of modesty! Our bodies belong to our spouses, whether present or future; barring all that, they belong to Christ, so what would set a standard of modesty better than this?

Well, now we get into an area of visual treasures. There are parts of the body that should only be seen by spouses as they are treasures of the eyes. Song of Solomon talks about visual treasures several times in describing his bride. She also uses treasure-like imagery to describe various parts of Solomon. Our bodies belong to our spouses. Why do we steal from them by offering our bodies out for all to see?

What is the motivation for doing so?

We have a sort of standard even in the observation of the world. What do girls uncover when they are trying to get attention on social media?

The boobs, butt, and mid-drift. It’s a professional standard to cover up these areas in the workplace. Why? Is it possible that employers recognize something that people in the Church refuse to?

Why is it that prostitutes dress scantily?

Is it possible that showing off skin is recognized as alluring?

Is it possible that advertisers have realized that putting a woman in their ad showing cleavage will grab the attention of men and sell more product?

This presents us with a dilemma. If dressing a certain way makes us look like prostitutes or people of “loose morals,” at the very least, what sort of light does that shine on God? 

We are supposed to show and reflect the glory of God that is supposed to be in our hearts. We bear the image of God, both in our hearts and physically. Everything we do is a reflection of that, whether for good or evil. As the light of the world, we are supposed to stand out as different from the world. This goes beyond just not participating physically in our dress and speech. What if we looked at the world as our old self?

Our old self prior to baptism was undoubtedly part of the world, containing all of its characteristics. Now, however, we are a new creation in Christ, and where once our hearts were called “Desperately wicked,” they have been transformed by the renewal of Christ.

Christ dwells in our hearts and has set our hearts free from the bonds of sin. Does how we conduct ourselves inside our heads and out for all the world to see reflect the glory of Christ within us and our redeemed and new heart?

Does it make the world hate us or, at the very least, look at us ascant?

Have we stepped away from the lusts of the flesh and crucified our old self?

Have we crucified the world in our hearts?

The Old Man and the skin of sin was removed when we went under the water. Our hearts were circumcised at baptism, and we were given a new heart.

Colossians 2:11-14 KJV — In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 

12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 

13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 

14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

We now bear the mark of the most high God on the invisible, but very real part of us called our heart. Do we honor the glory God has bestowed upon our hearts?

Whose image do we show the world is on our heart?

Is it the old self resurrected, or is it the circumcision of Christ?

Old Testament Solution to New World Problems

If even the world’s workplace standard (depending on your occupation, of course) holds that cleavage, midriff, and butt ought to be covered, what should we as Christians think? This isn’t to say that we should be basing our standards off of the world for what is or is not modest. This is just pointing out that even people in the world recognize (for the moment) that there is such a thing as modest and immodest. If even those in the world can recognize this, perhaps we should take another look at what the Bible says since these standards are the leftovers of a more godly society. 

If we are talking about specific standards of what is and is not modest, where should we start? Does the Bible actually say anything about clothing standards? Rather than specific clothing types, perhaps it talks about what needs to be covered from view for it to be considered modest. Let’s start with shorts and skirts; how long do they need to be to be modest?

Exo 28:42 And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach: 

Welp… There it is. What’s interesting is that the specific people mentioned here are men, not women. These principles don’t apply just to a single sex. According to the Old Testament, modesty means covering our thighs. The thigh is the area between the hip and the knee, so, according to Exodus, knee-length garments are considered modest.

The Hebrew would be waist to the knee if it was literally translated into modern English. We have a standard here, but it fails to mention the other half of the body. Is it okay to run around topless, then? Well, we need to talk about visual treasures next. The Song of Solomon is useful for introducing the concept of visual treasures, but if we want true clarity, we must look to other places, such as the section in Exodus and Proverbs 5:15-20.

Pro 5:17-19 Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee. 

Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.

[Let her be as] the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.

Clearly, cleavage belongs to the husband and no one else. Based on these verses, we reach a standard. In the Song of Solomon, he mentions breasts multiple times, and she also mentions her breasts as an attribute. There is a consistent theme throughout the Old Testament of thighs and breasts being attractive attributes, with the section in Exodus specifically mentioning that thighs must be covered to maintain modesty. Another verse to look at is Ezekiel 23:3 and verse 10, which specifically mention breasts in connection with nakedness being uncovered. We can see in Leviticus 18:8 that nakedness belongs to the spouse, which jibes perfectly with 1 Corinthians 7.  In Nahum 3:5, we approach something of a standard. 

Nah 3:5 "Behold, I [am] against you," says the LORD of hosts; "I will lift your skirts over your face, I will show the nations your nakedness, And the kingdoms your shame.

The point of this section obviously isn’t to establish a standard on modesty, yet it tells us a lot about what God considers to be such. He lifts her skirts over her face to reveal her nakedness. Why lift her skirts all the way over her face to reveal her nakedness if just the lower half is associated with modesty? Perhaps it is because there is more to nakedness than just what’s down below. What if the standard of nudity covers from neck to knee?

This would fit with why God would lift Israel’s skirts so high. Now, the term “from neck to knee” disregards the fact that it also exposes her calves and ankles, but we already have an established standard of covering from the knee to the thigh in Exodus.

Thus, we can make the statement “from knee to neck.” This means knee to neck on the torso, and it doesn’t refer to the arms. 

Really, this is a pretty easy standard to adhere to if we are seeking to obey God and if we are not trying to create sexual attraction in the opposite sex. No cleavage, no thighs, and no mid-drift. 

Since our bodies are on loan from God, we owe it to Him and our future spouses to take care of them by eating healthy and exercising. Just as we owe it to them to take care of our bodies in this manner, we also owe it to them to preserve our nakedness for them alone; how we dress shows where our minds are.

Simply put, immodesty is a way of boasting about ourselves and not valuing what God has given to us. If you think you must wear skimpy clothes to be attractive to guys, think again. There is little more beautiful than a real woman who dresses modestly. That is a woman who is wife material. Girls in skimpy clothing send out an “I’m easy” signal and a strong “you don’t want me as a wife signal.” In the Church, this rarely means, “I’m easy,” but that is the signal this sends. Real men don’t want an easy woman; they want a mother for their children and someone to stand beside them to build a family. A strong and faithful woman worth fighting and dying for.

“Dear girls, Dressing immodestly is like rolling around in manure. Yes, you will get attention, but ALL of it will be from pigs.” Sincerely, Real Men

Porn, Instagram, and Snapchat are simply online methods of prostitution, a medium through which Satan has designed a way to steal from women, especially targeting young women. This is a great tragedy, and it teaches girls that their only value is in what they can expose for men to see, and with the same action, it teaches young men that this is the only value women possess. The sheer evil behind this is staggering! The wife is the heart of the home, and Satan has gone directly for the heart, and by destroying the heart he has brought down the head as well. 

We glorify God with the way we use our bodies, or we dishonor Him. The way we dress will reveal whether we are sexually motivated or not—prostitutes dressed in a very sexually motivated way even in the Bible times. Coincidentally, most girls nowadays dress more like prostitutes than even in the old West. They advertise everything they have to offer for everyone to see, and like an open fish market, nothing is left to the imagination. Why is everything in the modern world sexually motivated?

Even car dealerships use sex to sell their products. Remember the war?

Satan would love nothing more than to cheapen God’s gift to marriage and His design and purpose for our relationships, and we play right into his hands.

Proverbs 7:9-12 “at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in.  Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent. (She is unruly and defiant, her feet never stay at home; now in the street, now in the squares, at every corner she lurks.)”

Isaiah 3:16-19 “The LORD says, “The women of Zion are haughty, walking along with outstretched necks, flirting with their eyes, strutting along with swaying hips, with ornaments jingling on their ankles. Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion; the LORD will make their scalps bald.” In that day the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces, the earrings and bracelets and veils.”

Out Of The Heart, The Mouth Speaks

Modesty is from the heart. The way we think comes through in the way we dress and the way we wear our clothes. This applies to both men and women! I haven’t addressed tight clothing, such as yoga pants, in this article for a specific reason: the bible doesn’t have much to say about tight clothing. Nothing at all, really. In our hearts, we know whether something passes the test or not, and a big clue comes from an honest assessment of our motivation for wearing a particular item. The way you wear your clothes shows what’s in your heart. If you are wearing modest clothing and in a modest way, not flirtatiously but with grace and dignity, that shows a godly heart. Any other way shows something different altogether for both guys and girls.

The way a woman carries herself and the way she dresses ought to promote the following types of words: modesty, discretion, wisdom, beauty, elegance, and refinement, but not sensuality, luxury, or extravagance. -Paul Washer

“It's like the old question, "Do you lock your house to keep people out, or to protect what's inside?" Should a person act modestly and dress modestly in order to prevent intrusion from the outside, undesirable things from happening, or to preserve and maintain what is inside: the delicate and sensitive ability to have and maintain an intimate relationship.” ― Manis Friedman

Mark 7:21-23 “because it’s from within, from the human heart, that evil thoughts come, as well as sexual immorality, stealing, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, cheating, shameless lust, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness. All these things come from inside and make a person unclean.”

Ezekiel 16:30 “What a sick heart you have, says the Sovereign LORD, to do such things as these, acting like a shameless prostitute.”

1 Peter 3:3-4 “Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.”

We must ensure our manner of dress and the way we carry ourselves is in line with God’s ideals and not based on the world’s. We are ambassadors of His Kingdom; therefore, let us walk according to the way God has set before us and never surrender to turn aside to the course of the world. 

Footnote:

¹See "How I Committed Adultery" for more information

Authors note:

It would indeed be surrendering to dress loosely. This is a great battle, and no one is saying that it's easy to stand against the pressures of the world. We all have our battles to face, and it is easy for not a one of us. We must all do what we can to help each other in their battles. As Christians, we must have love and understanding toward each other and not be hasty to condemn a brother or sister in Christ. However, there are standards to uphold, and we must encourage one another toward those standards.