“…the eyes of man are never satisfied” (Proverbs 27:20)

Praise God for His creation of the organ called the eye in the human body. The eye is the instrument that God has created for man to view his surroundings. The eye is the window to the mind and to the soul. But the eye itself has no filtering process to separate the evil from the good. It has no control over its object.

The eye is a wonderful, wonderful creation of God in man to allow man to see God’s creation and the beauty of the handiwork of God. But with no filtering system of its own, the eye must be regulated. The eye is never satisfied, in that as long as there is a medium of light, the eye is never full. It is always open and viewing whatever comes before it.

The eye must be controlled as well as the tongue. God says of the tongue that no man can tame the tongue (James 3:8). Man cannot tame the tongue or the eye; only God can control the tongue and the eye.

Before regeneration (or the New Birth), man is controlled by his soul, which is the seat of his affections, emotions, passions, etc.

(Ephesians 2:1-3) “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; (2) Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: (3) Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”

This explains the condition of man before the New Birth. The soul and the mind are as one (before the New Birth); therefore the flesh (or the soul) is controlling the mind, which controls the eye. The mind tells the eye what to see and what not to see. But, because the flesh is in charge (before the New Birth); the eye sees the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, without restraint. Everything is directed to feed the lust of man.

But when a man is born of God, there is a separation of the soul and spirit (Hebrews 4:12); there is a New Man that is created in the born-of-God man. (Read Ephesians 4:17-24; Romans 6:4-11.) See 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Now the spirit of man is housed, or indwelt, by the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:14-16; Galatians 4:5-6). Now the eye can be controlled by the Spirit of God (Colossians 3:1-3). See Job 31:1, “I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?” But you must submit to the Spirit and yield not your members to unrighteousness (Romans 6:12-13).

The born-of-God individual has the command to be holy, which begins in the mind (1 Peter 1:15-16; James 1:14-15). He also has the power to control the eye, which allows the visual image to the mind. Therefore, Job made an inward covenant with his eyes to not think upon a maid. The old adage, “out of sight, out of mind” is very true. However, the other four “senses” (smell, touch, taste, and hearing) must also be controlled by the Spirit of God.

When the Born of God (the children of God who have been Born Again from above) does not regulate what the eye views, he sees too much! When he sees too much, or when he does not resist viewing that which causes “lusts” to be formed in his mind, he is headed for a harvest in the flesh that he does not want (Galatians 6:7).

Christian, are you seeing too much?

2 Samuel 11:2, “And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.”

The woman’s beauty was not the problem; David had not made a covenant with his eyes. This one look cost David for the rest of his life.

Are you seeing too much?