Proverbs 27:20 “Hell and Destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.” (NKJV)
This verse is a reminder not to be deceived by our eyes. I would like to highlight this deception in our quest for sexual purity. The more nudity and impurity we indulge our eyes on, the more unsatisfied our souls become. And if the unceasing consumption of something does not satisfy, it is axiomatic that we become emptier the more we imbibe it. Men, who are primarily sexually visual, must know that we can never see the “last” woman and be content. Our evil hearts will desire more perversion. Therefore, wisdom calls for us to exercise restraint with our eyes. True satisfaction for our souls will be found when our eyes gaze on whatever is righteous and abhor whatever is evil.
But is not only our eyes that are insatiable. According to Proverbs 27:20 the Kingdom of Hell will never be satisfied. It will demand more souls and still have room. Along with Hell and our lustful eyes, Destruction will never be satisfied. The word destruction in that verse is the Hebrew word Abaddon. The word Abaddon in Greek is called Apollyon. Abaddon (in Hebrew) or Apollyon (in Greek) refers to a very powerful demon that Revelation 9:11 calls the angel of the Abyss. He is the king over the tormenting locusts that will be unleashed on the earth before Jesus returns. Abaddon could also refer to the realm of this demon- the Abyss AKA the bottomless pit. This is the same pit that the demons in Jesus’ time dreaded being sent to (Luke 8:31).
We are told by Solomon that Abaddon is never satisfied. It could mean that his realm (the bottomless pit) always has room for more demons to be encapsulated therein. Or it could mean that the wrath of this fallen angel can never be quenched. Indeed, if the latter, we see his rampage in Revelation 9 go for five months without mercy on the human beings on the planet at that time. In fact, it seems that the only thing that stopped the demonic rampage of Apollyon and his sea of stinging locusts in Revelation 9 is that his destruction had an appointed time of five months. I reckon that this angel of the Abyss could do five millennia if given a chance.
So similar is the unceasing satisfaction of the carnal desire of men’s eyes. They will lust and thirst and mercilessly go on a sinful rampage. If left unchecked, they will not stop until they consume every possible perversion available. Therefore, wisdom dictates that we train our eyes as Job did.
Job 31:1 “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman.” (NIV)
A covenant is a solemn agreement. It is intentional. It is practical. It has consequences. For us followers of Jesus Christ, we understand that our obedience to God does not grant us salvation. Our obedience to God is an act of worship because we are already saved. We give our bodies to God in sexual purity out of gratitude for his own body that was given to us freely on the cross. A Christian does not need “reasons” to be sexually pure because he/she has one solid one already- the cross. Therefore, the covenant with our eyes is Gospel-inspired. We want to please the God who died for us. Call yourself in for a meeting with your flesh and crucify it. The only agreement that ought to exist between you and your eyes ought to be one that involves righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Here are a few practical things for our insatiable eyes.
Watch what you watch
It is self-defeating to desire a life of purity if we actively consume impurity. Any entertainment that glorifies nudity and sexual immorality is an affront to the cross of Jesus. It is a stumbling block. Pornographic entertainment stokes the fires of lust. It sets our hearts on the same insatiable path of Hell and Apollyon. Make a solemn agreement not to consume entertainment that promotes sexual sin. Better yet, train yourself to be someone who is not in need of entertainment. Entertainment, after all, is not a need. A media fast could come in handy.
Fast
The eyes are windows to the soul. They play such a powerful role in strengthening the flesh. If you feel that the fruit of self-control is lacking in tempering your eyes, you need to kill the flesh. The best way to kill the flesh is to take a fast. Deny yourself food for a day, two, or three, and dedicate that time to repent and ask God for strength over your eyes. This especially helps men who have wandering eyes. If your walk in the streets as a man is an immense burden, your flesh needs to die.
Rev up your spiritual disciplines
As you kill the flesh, strengthen the spirit. The disciplines of prayer, the word, and fellowship are the staple food for our spirit. Your disciplines help you cooperate with the sanctification that God is doing through you. Your disciplines also enable you to listen to the Holy Spirit. The more time you spend in the word of God, the more sensitive you are to scripture’s conviction. The more time you devote to your prayer life, the more sensitive you become to the promptings of God in your heart. The more time you spend in fellowship with other believers, the more open you are to God working in various ways, and the more you recognize His move in your own life.
