July 1, 2025
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God’s people must cut themselves off from major channels of temptation. They must practice strict separation, but there is no possibility of spiritual victory if the individual is not willing to guard the eyes. The strongest filtering system and the most diligent accountability program will not protect you if you don’t guard your eyes. Temptations are not limited to the internet; they are everywhere. Pornography walks the streets today!
Guarding the eyes is a primary biblical way of protection. “I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I THINK UPON A MAID” (Job 31:1). “I will set no wicked thing before MINE EYES” (Ps. 101:3). “Turn away mine EYES from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way” (Ps. 119:37). “Let THINE EYES look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee” (Pr. 4:25). “Lust not after HER BEAUTY in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids” (Pr. 6:25).
No one can do this for me. There is no anti-fat pill that works without watching what you eat, and there is no anti-lust pill that works without guarding what you look at. This means that I will not look at wicked things on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, on YouTube. I will not look at wicked things in video games. I will not look at pornography, whether “hard” or “soft.” I will not look at dancing girls and beach party girls. I will not look at sensual magazine covers. I will not look at the indecently clad women of Hollywood and Bollywood and the fashion industry, the rock & rollers and hip-hopers, and the indecently clad ladies parading in society today.
Guarding the eyes is a choice of the heart. I can’t always control what my eyes see, but I can control how I look at it and how many times and for how long. I can control what I stare at and what I meditate on. It’s been said that you can’t keep a bird from landing on your head, but you can keep him from building a nest there!
Emeal Zwayne uses the acronym NOPE - Not One Peek Even. “I saw a couple of very scantily dressed women jogging near my car as I drove through my neighborhood. As soon as I caught sight of them in my periphery, I automatically exclaimed, ‘Nope!’ I instantly felt a strong resolve rise up in my heart, and it flooded my whole being with a mixture of unwavering determination and satisfying joy. I remember that as soon as this happened, I wished I could somehow come up with a meaningful acrostic that would help focus my mind and strengthen my resolve anytime I’m tempted to lust. About five second later, four words instantly popped into my mind--Not One Peek Even. ... Peeking is where it all starts. And peeking will definitely result in piquing your interest when it comes to the area of lust. ... If you think about it, you’ll realize that there is an edgy flare associated with the word nope. It comes loaded with tenacity and attitude. ... No other attitude will do when dealing with the temptation to lust. A flavorless no is insufficient. Our will must bellow out a thunderous nope. When possible, I recommend saying the word aloud. ... If you’re really serious about fighting like a man, brother, then you’re going to ... need to be brutal about how you deal with what comes across your eyes and what crops up in your mind. ... When I say NOPE in times of temptation, I combine it with five declarations associated with love and directly correlated to five fingers on one of my hands. As a citizen of God’s kingdom, I imagine myself extending my hand toward a plow, as Jesus referenced in Luke 9:62, and determining not to look back toward any sexual temptation that would lure me away from my God. As I envision myself reaching out to grab the plow, I say the following give things in successive order, as I systematically wrap each of my corresponding fingers, one by one, around the handle: ‘Not One Peek Even--because I love my Lord, I love my lady (wife), I love my lineage (my children and grandchildren), I love His lambs (other Christians), and I love the lost (unbelievers). and then I hold on tightly with a firm and unyielding grip” (Fight Light a Man).
The more you build up your spiritual life by abiding in Christ, immersion in God’s Word, and such, the more strength you will have to guard your eyes.
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