Jesus often made mention of the need for eyes that see and ears that hear. Jesus was speaking of the need for perception and understanding of His word. Matt. 13:15 – “For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest haply they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should turn again, and I should heal them.” The absence of spiritual wisdom was the underlying reason for which Jesus was crucified. (1 Cor. 2:6-8).
Spiritual awareness involves the exercise of our senses to discern good from evil (Heb. 5:14). Spiritual awareness involves foresight. For example, we might have the wisdom and knowledge to get ourselves out of a hole, but do we know how to recognize the hole and avoid falling in? That’s foresight. Satan’s traps are disguised. “A prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.” (Prov. 22:3).
It is
always wise to leave an environment ripe for temptation. This requires both awareness
and resolve. These
environments are always hard to turn from. Lust will always conquer a person
who has not crucified himself to the world (Gal. 5:24; 6:14). The saying
that “where there’s a will there’s a way” applies to the fulfillment of lust as
well as to overcoming lust.
