Lesson 2 — Why Can’t We See? | Spiritual Blindness in the Bible
Updated: 5 days ago
What Does Scripture Teach About Spiritual Blindness in the Bible?
Lesson 1 showed that sin entered, the human heart became deceitful, and mankind began hiding, covering, and blaming.
Lesson 2 asks:
If Truth is standing before us, why can’t we see it?
To understand spiritual blindness in the Bible, we must look beyond what our physical eyes can see and let Scripture reveal the spiritual condition of the human heart.
Lesson 2 — Why Can’t We See?
Taking the Hard Questions to Jesus — One Lesson at a Time
In Lesson 1, we went back to the beginning.
God created good.
Man disobeyed God.
Sin entered.
Death entered through sin.
The human heart began hiding, covering, and blaming.
And God came looking.
Now we come to another question:
Why can’t we see?
Why can truth be standing right in front of us
—and we still resist it?
Why do people sometimes defend the very things
that are hurting them and others?
Why do we hide from the Light
when the Light is what we need?
Come sit with me awhile,
and let’s keep learning from Christ and the Word of God together.
Light Came into the World
Jesus tells us something difficult about the human heart:
“And this is the condemnation,
that light is come into the world,
and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
“For every one that doeth evil hateth the light,
neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
“But he that doeth truth cometh to the light,
that his deeds may be made manifest,
that they are wrought in God.”— John 3:19–21 KJV
The problem is not that God has given us no Light.
Light came into the world.
But Jesus said that men loved darkness rather than Light
because their deeds were evil.
That takes us back to Genesis 3.
Adam sinned.
Adam became afraid.
Adam hid.
When God called, Adam began explaining and blaming.
Why?
Because coming into the light exposes what we have tried to hide.
And that is still difficult for the human heart.
Sometimes we do not merely need more information.
Sometimes something within us
does not want the truth
to uncover what we are protecting.
This is where I must be careful not to point only at someone else.
“Lord, is it I?”— Matthew 26:22 KJV
Lord, am I resisting something You are trying to show me?
Am I defending myself instead of receiving correction?
Am I hiding from the Light because I am afraid of what the Truth will expose?
The Mind Can Be Blinded
Scripture also teaches us that spiritual blindness involves a real enemy.
Paul writes:
“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost
:
“In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God,
should shine unto them.”— 2 Corinthians 4:3–4 KJV
The “god of this world” is not the Lord God Almighty.
Paul is speaking of Satan, who works through deception to blind unbelieving minds.
Satan cannot make darkness become light or make a lie become truth.
But he deceives, blinds, accuses, tempts, and lays snares so that people will
resist the Truth.
Paul also warns:
“Lest Satan should get an advantage of us:
for we are not ignorant of his devices.”— 2 Corinthians 2:11 KJV
In the immediate context, Paul is speaking about forgiveness.
That is worth noticing.
Unforgiveness can become a place where Satan gains an advantage.
Bitterness can affect how we see.
Anger can affect how we hear.
Pride can make correction feel like an attack.
Fear can make hiding feel safer than truth.
The enemy has devices, and Scripture teaches us not to be ignorant of them.
But we must also be careful not to blame Satan for everything
Scripture says can arise from our own hearts.
Our Own Desires Matter Too
James writes:
“But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
“Then when
lust hath conceived,
it bringeth forth sin:
and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
— James 1:14–15 KJV
The Bible shows us more than one influence working against truth:
The world around us.
Our own sinful flesh and desires.
And the devil, who deceives and lays snares.
We should not give Satan credit for every wrong choice we make.
Cain was warned that sin lay at the door,
but Cain still chose to murder Abel.
People are responsible for what they choose to do.
Spiritual blindness does not make murder, abuse, cruelty, or deception acceptable.
It does not remove human responsibility.
And it certainly does not make the person who was harmed responsible for the evil committed against them.
God condemns evil.
The one who commits evil is responsible for that evil.
But Scripture helps us understand
how a person can become so deceived, hardened, or controlled by sinful desires
that they oppose the very Truth that could lead them out of darkness.
Opposing Ourselves
This brings us to a remarkable expression in Scripture:
“In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves…”
— 2 Timothy 2:25 KJV
A person can oppose himself.
We can defend something that is destroying us.
We can protect a lie that is keeping us bound.
We can fight against correction that God intends to use for our good.
And sometimes the person opposing himself
may not even understand what he is doing.
That includes me.
“Lord, is it I?”
Lord, have I ever fought to hold onto something from
which You were trying to free me?
Have I ever believed I was protecting myself
when I was actually opposing myself?
Have I ever been so focused on the speck in someone else’s eye
that I could not see the beam in my own?
Jesus said:
“First cast out the beam out of thine own eye;
and then shalt thou see clearly…”— Matthew 7:5 KJV
Before I decide what is wrong with everybody else,
I need to ask God to examine me.
“Search me, O God,
and know my heart:
try me, and know my thoughts:
“And see if there be any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.”— Psalm 139:23–24 KJV
Sometimes we do not even know what we cannot see.
In Meekness
Scripture also teaches us how to respond to someone who is opposing the Truth:
“And the servant of the Lord must not strive;
but be gentle unto all men,
apt to teach,
patient,
“In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves;
if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
“And that they may recover themselves
out of the snare of the devil…”— 2 Timothy 2:24–26 KJV
The servant of the Lord must not strive.
We cannot argue someone into spiritual sight.
We cannot shame someone into repentance.
We cannot force another person to acknowledge the Truth.
We can speak the Truth.
We can teach.
We can pray.
We can love.
We can obey God.
We can maintain necessary boundaries against evil.
But we cannot take God’s place
in another person’s heart.
We are told to instruct in meekness
because it is God who gives repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth.
That should humble us.
If I see something today that I did not see before,
it is not because I am wiser or better than everyone else.
God gave light.
God showed mercy.
God helped me see.
And I am still learning.
God Commands the Light to Shine
The same passage that tells us minds can be blinded also gives us our hope:
“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness,
hath shined in our hearts,
to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ.”— 2 Corinthians 4:6 KJV
There it is.
The answer to spiritual darkness
is not merely trying harder to think better thoughts.
We need God to shine in our hearts.
The God who said, “Let there be light,”
is still able to command light to shine out of darkness.
Satan blinds.
Sin hides.
The flesh defends itself.
People can oppose themselves.
But God gives light.
Darkness is not stronger than God.
A lie is not stronger than the Truth.
And a snare is not beyond the reach of the One
who can lead a person to repentance and the acknowledgment of the Truth.
The Second Foundation
Why can’t we see?
Scripture shows us that sin does not merely affect what people do.
It also affects what we love, what we believe,
what we defend, and whether we are willing to come into the Light.
The human heart may hide from truth.
Our own desires can draw us toward sin.
Satan blinds, deceives, and lays snares.
And sometimes we oppose ourselves
without even understanding what we are doing.
But God can shine in our hearts.
God can give repentance.
God can bring us to the acknowledgment of the Truth.
So before I diagnose the blindness of somebody else,
my prayer must remain:
“Lord, is it I?”
Lord, shine Your Light in me.
Show me what I cannot see.
Help me love the Truth
more than I love defending myself.
Teach me to walk in meekness
toward those who oppose themselves,
remembering that only You can open the eyes of the blind.
This prepares us for the next question:
Lesson 3 — Why Jesus?
If our problem is deeper than a lack of information
—if sin has affected the heart, the mind, and what we love
—then why is trying to be a better person not enough?
Why do we need Jesus Christ?
We will take that question to the Word of God next.
Christ is the Teacher; I am a fellow learner.
Thank you for sitting with me awhile.
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