An old adage says that the eyes are the windows to the soul, demonstrating the ability to look into a man’s eyes and see either the good that drives him or the evil. Jesus gave us the same impression when He said:
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.
Matthew 5:28
If a man has decided to sin in his heart, it will occur in deed, as man has a tendency to run to sin. When Eve was tempted by the serpent in the Garden of Eden, she lusted with her eyes for the fruit on the tree in the midst of the garden. Knowing it was the only tree God had instructed Adam and Eve not to eat from did not dissuade her in this pursuit. The New King James Version says that the fruit was “pleasant to the eyes,” but the literal translation is it was a desirable thing. The Hebrew word for pleasant or desirable is תַּאֲוָה [taʾavah /tah•av•aw], and other times the word is used in the Old Testament, it is translated “lust” or “greedily.” This applies directly to the last of the 10 Commandments to not covet.
Satan also attempted a similar ploy with Jesus after our Lord’s baptism, 40-day fast, and journey in the wilderness:
5 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.” 8 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
Luke 4:5-8
Though this verse can just as easily apply to the “pride of life,” as Satan is appealing to the lust for power that most men have, it also can reflect the “lust of the eyes,” as Satan had Jesus look upon the seemingly desirable cities. I remember a friend taking his children to the foothills above Palm Springs and pointing out the lights below. “Those,” he said, pointing to the distant city, “are the lights of the places dominated by Satan.” Then he pointed to the stars in the sky and said, “Those are the lights controlled by God. Which do you desire the most?”
The majority of the men I have come in contact with have been most tempted by sexual lust. I find it interesting that Satan did not use that ploy in his temptations of Jesus. Maybe he knew that Jesus was faithful to His bride, and that bride includes each of us as believers. Men seem to be driven more by the desires for food and sex, and along with it, power and greed. Pretty things seem to appeal more to women, at least from my perspective. So whether it is a pretty piece of fruit, a diamond necklace, or the city lights of what man created, Satan offers these to men and women in an attempt to get their eyes away from God.
Why do we desire more than the Lord wants to give us? That is an interesting question, especially when you understand that when our hearts are aligned with the heart of God, He gives us the desires of our hearts. God blesses us more than we ask to be blessed, as He loves us so much that He can’t help but demonstrate that love for us.
In this battle with Satan, learn to accept what the Lord wills and what the Lord gives. Desire is a slippery slope that begins in childhood. One of the first words a baby utters is “Mine,” and that selfish desire for more possessions never can be satisfied. The world’s richest man of his day, John D. Rockefeller, responded when someone asked him how much enough money was. “Just a little more money than I have,” was his notable response. Instead, God has called us to be content wherever He has us!
9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
1 Timothy 6:9
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