Walk wisely in spiritual sight
Jesus made an incredible promise when He preached to the multitudes on the Mount of Beatitudes. He said that the pure in heart will see God. Indeed, we can all have the eyes of our hearts opened so that we can see God’s glory. We are told to “look at the things that are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). It is the Holy Spirit who gives us the spiritual eyes to see the unseen and discern spiritual matters with wisdom and revelation. It all begins in our hearts.
(简体中文 > 用属灵的眼光明智行事 | 繁體中文 > 用屬靈的眼光明智行事)
Matthew 5:8 NKJV Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
The word for ‘heart’ in Ephesians 1:17-18 comes from the Greek word, kardia, which refers to our ‘heart, thoughts, and feelings’. The word for ‘know’ in the same verses comes from the Greek word, oida, which refers to ‘see, perceive or know’. In other words, we need to ask the Lord to open the eyes of our thoughts and feelings so that we are able to see and perceive what God has prepared for us.
Ephesians 1:17-18 NIV I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart (kardia – heart, thoughts, feelings) may be enlightened in order that you may know (oida – to have seen or perceived, to know) the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,
Spiritual perception and revelation are very important to followers of Jesus Christ because “where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint…” (Proverbs 29:18) Spiritual sight can keep us in check and aligned with the Lord’s will.
It is God’s way to communicate visually
Our Creator is a God of supreme intelligence and creativity. He often uses simple to understand imagery to communicate rich messages that have multiple layers of meaning to those who thirst to know Him more.
1. Parables
Jesus used parables extensively, all of which involved metaphorical stories that required spiritual wisdom and insight into the Old Testament to unlock their meaning.
Matthew 13:34-35 NKJV All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.”
2. Metaphors
The Lord also uses many metaphors in His Word, such as Isaiah 43:19; “Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert,” or Isaiah 3:24; “And so it shall be: Instead of a sweet smell there will be a stench…” which combine colours, feelings, and even smell.
3. Demonstration
There is an account in the Bible where the Lord asked Jeremiah to visit a potter and observe him at work because He had something to tell Jeremiah (Jeremiah 18:1-11).
There, God explained that He is like a potter who works on the clay (Judah), but if the clay resists or becomes spoiled, the potter reshapes it or plans judgment. Similarly, God instructed Jeremiah to warn the kingdom of Judah that if they would turn from evil, then He would relent from disaster, but if they persisted in wickedness, He was going to bring them ruin. Just like how clay responds to a potter’s hand, His plans depended on their response.
4. Visions
The Bible has many examples of people who saw visions. Examples include Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel to Ananias, Cornelius, Stephen and the apostles Peter, John, and Paul. Their visions revealed God’s glory, angelic beings, future events, divine instructions.
Visions can be highly symbolic or factual depictions, pictorial or text, full colour or muted. They can be open visions, where someone sees angels present that others can’t see (2 Kings 6:17-20). Sometimes, we can even experience déjà vu where we get a sense of having been and seen a place or scenario before.
5. Dreams
Dreams are another form of spiritual sight when our conscious minds are less active and analytical. The Bible shows us that there are people who receive God’s messages through dreams. They are called dreamers, as opposed to seers who see visions while awake. An example of a dreamer is Jospeh, Jacob’s son and an example of a seers is the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 9:19).
Job 33:14-15 NKJV For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds,
Faith and unbelief also involve seeing spiritually
The Holy Spirit dispenses different spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4-11) that we use to serve others through God’s grace and power. There are spiritual gifts that involve us seeing and perceiving. Examples include the gifts of faith, healing and miracles where we ‘see’ the end result beforehand. We can also ‘see’ past, present or future with the gift of words of knowledge, prophecy and distinguishing between spirits.
Ephesians 3:7 NKJV of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.
On the other hand, doubt and unbelief cause us to not be able to ‘see’ God’s will. Moving with spiritual sight requires faith.
God gives us spiritual insight to serve a purpose
Seeing things in the spirit often involves spiritual perception and understanding. This is what Jesus referred to when He said “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.” (John 9:39 ) The original Greek for the word ‘see’ here is blepó, which includes the meaning, ‘to behold, perceive, and take heed.’ Spiritual sight involves beholding, perceiving, and taking heed. Here are some examples.
1. Guidance
The apostle Paul was convicted to go to Macedonia to preach the gospel after he saw a vision of a Macedonian man appealing to him.
Acts 16:9-10 NKJV And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
2. Direction
Joseph, Jesus’ father, was instructed to take Jesus to Egypt to escape from King Herod who wanted to kill him.
Matthew 2:13 NKJV Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”
3. Warning
King Abimelech was warned in a dream not to take Abraham’s wife, Sarah, to bed because she was a married woman.
Genesis 20:3 NKJV But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.”
4. Encouragement and comfort
The apostle Paul was encouraged in a vision to continue preaching the gospel and not to be afraid in spite of great opposition.
Acts 18:9-10 NKJV Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.”
5. Reassurance
Abraham was reassured that the Lord was his ultimate reward through a vision, after he turned down great earthly riches from the kings whose goods he had helped recover.
Genesis 15:1 NKJV After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
6. Correction
Peter was shown a new thing that God was about to do, which was to bless the gentiles with salvation and the Holy Spirit. The Lord corrected him in his understanding of God’s will for the gentiles.
Acts 10:10-16 NKJV Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.
7. Revelation
Daniel receive the revelation of king Nebuchadnezzar’s dream after he earnestly sought the Lord.
Daniel 2:19 NKJV Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
We see that when the Lord chooses to show us something, it will always be intentional and have a purpose. The visions and dreams recorded in the Bible had eternal consequences for multitudes of people. Therefore, spiritual sight will often lead to action.
We do, however, need the Holy Spirit’s revelation to unlock the full and complete message behind the visions and dreams we receive.
For instance, a vision that involves oil can have several possible meanings. Oil can represent the Holy Spirit (1 Samuel 16:13, Matthew 25), consecration and dedication to God (Exodus 29:7), abundance (Jeremiah 31:12), healing (Luke 10:34), or gladness (Psalm 45:7, Isaiah 61:3).
A vision that involves a dove can represent news of safety just like how Noah’s dove returned with an olive leaf (Genesis 8:11), the Holy Spirit, who descended like a dove at Jesus’s baptism (Matthew 3:16), innocence, like how Jesus told the disciples to be “innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16) or a sacrifice for purification (Leviticus 1:14).
How can we discern and decipher what the Lord is referring to specifically?
Like a good Father who teaches His children through two-way engagement, God invites us to dig deeper for richer understanding. He promises us, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)
Spiritual understanding begins with the Bible. God’s Word is the lamp that sheds light in the spirit. It is also the basis on which we reference and check everything against. Secondly, it requires a heart that is hungry to learn more directly from the Holy Spirit. We should always be asking Him for understanding because He is the Source of true and eternal wisdom.
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
Spiritual sight can be tainted by a defiled imagination
Our spiritual sight, however, can be tainted by a defiled imagination. It is important to give up our imagination for the Holy Spirit to control so it is not led by our flesh, or in other words, our innate sinful nature. Our sinful nature will always oppose the Holy Spirit. Our imagination, led by the flesh, tends to focus on our own worldly, sensual, or physical desires rather than the desires of the Holy Spirit. This, the Bible shows us, will lead to death because our human nature is by default, fallen and spiritually dead.
Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
Romans 8:12-14 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
In fact, the Bible shows us that mankind’s imaginations became so evil and grievous at one stage that God resorted to bringing the great flood in order to wipe out the wickedness found in civilisation and give the human population a fresh start. Only Noah, who God found to be God-fearing and righteous, and his family were left.
Genesis 6:5-6 KJV And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
We need to be careful to create a filter for our eyes because the things we choose to look at will feed our minds and therefore, our imaginations. The brain has a natural ability to re-organise itself in response to different stimulus through a process called neuroplasticity. It forms new neural connections, strengthens existing ones, and eliminates unused pathways according to what we repeatedly expose ourselves to. In other words, the brain learns to favour what we keep thinking about and looking at.
Therefore, if we choose to look at sinful things with our eyes, the whole body can become “full of darkness”. Darkness is also a euphemism for the demonic. The Bible is warning us against giving evil spirits access to our bodies when we sin with our eyes. This is because our minds and consciences will become defiled.
Matthew 6:22-23 NKJV “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
Titus 1:15 NKJV To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.
On the other hand, the more we think about and meditate on the Lord, the more our brains will transform physically to be filled with His light and His glory. The Bible calls this being transformed into the same image of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
1. Exposure to pagan art, ungodly imagery and idols
Our human imagination draws on visual images we have seen. God created the human brain to have unlimited memory capacity (2.5 million gigabytes). The brain will capture and record every image forever, even if we can’t remember them in the moment.
Our memory bank of images can therefore, interfere with what we see in the spirit. For those exposed to a lot of pagan art, ungodly imagery and idols in the past, this can be an issue, because our imaginations can automatically pull out things from our subconscious memories that are not of God and our hearts may deceive us into thinking that we have just heard from the Holy Spirit. This is why the Bible tells us to test all things. The Lord Himself will confirm if something we see is from Him or not, but we need to make it habit to check all things with the Holy Spirit first.
Jeremiah 17:9 NJKV “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 NKJV Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.
2. Trauma
Some of us have seen things that have traumatised us and left wounds in our souls. Trauma affects our ability to see certain things in the spirit with neutral lenses because we may get triggered by certain scenarios. Examples include having seen our parents fight viciously when we were little, encountering bloodshed, or being in life-threatening accidents etc.
It is good to receive inner healing and deliverance prayers from our trauma.
3. Horror stories
Many Christians place more faith in frightening ‘ghost’ stories, horror movies, or paranormal ‘accounts’ that they have seen than in the Word of God. This is a huge deception. We find ourselves in this situation because the average mainstream church does not adequately equip its congregation to discern the demonic and we do not study the Word adequately for ourselves. The fallback is to lean on unreliable third party sources.
We need to keep in mind that fear is not from God but from evil spirits. Demons will fabricate or exaggerate ‘real life stories’ that will glorify the kingdom of darkness and leave us trembling and believing that we have no real power over them. Such lies block us from from seeing the glorious power and authority that the most high God has given to all those who believe in Him. We need to remember that demons trembled when they came across Jesus who was filled with the Holy Spirit. We too are meant to strike terror in evil spirits because we are filled with the same Holy Spirit!
James 2:19 NKJV You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!
Mark 3:11 NKJV And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, “You are the Son of God.”
Matthew 8:28-29 NKJV When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”
4. Witchcraft
Christians with backgrounds in witchcraft tend to tap into spiritual things more easily, but it could be under the influence of spirit of divination rather than the Holy Spirit. We can pull an example from the Bible.
Many who heard the possessed girl mentioned in Acts 16:16-18 say, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation” might have assumed that she was inspired by God but no, she was being led by a spirit of divination. Even though she was pointing people to the truth, Paul still cast the spirit of divination out of her because he would have no association with the demonic in his ministry.
It has been observed that Christians today can claim to speak on behalf of God and really believe it — but can actually be under the influence of a spirit of divination because they never repented of it and expelled those spirits. That is why we must test everything others speak over us with scripture. We should also observed their lives and testing the fruit.
The Lord has sent open rebukes to those who claimed to speak on His behalf but had seen futile visions and spoken false divinations that were not from Him. This is a warning we must all pay attention to.
Ezekiel 13:7-8 NKJV Have you not seen a futile vision, and have you not spoken false divination? You say, ‘The Lord says,’ but I have not spoken.” Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against you,” says the Lord God.
5. Drunkenness, drugs, hypnotism
God created us to always have our conscious mind alert.
1 Peter 5:8 NKJV Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
The frontal lobe of our brain, which is responsible for planning, decision-making, problem-solving is always working, whether we are consciously thinking or consciously imagining. There is an element of control where we can still pull the plug, so to speak, on anything ungodly that enters our minds.
Drunkenness, drugs, and hypnotism, however, bypass the frontal lobe of our brains because such activities temporarily disable this part of the brain. That may lead people to ‘see things’ that are not from the Holy Spirit because they have left the door to other spirits. Demons will give false misleading visions and imaginations.
If we have been exposed to any of the things above, it is crucial we go to the Lord in prayer and repent before God the Father and command all related evil spirits that had entered our bodies, temples of the Holy Spirit, to leave in Jesus’ name. Our vessels need to be purified and cleansed so that we are ready, sanctified and useful for our Lord and Master, prepared for every good work.
2 Timothy 2:20-21 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
Seeing things that are not of God
In certain cases, discerning what is from the kingdom of darkness, and not from God, is quite straightforward. These include:
- Things that are black in colour
- Darkness, shadowy figures and creatures of darkness eg. werewolves, vampires, zombies, elves, fairies, wizards etc.
- Sexual perversions
- Conflicting messages
- Condemnation
If a person can see demons, they should be able to see angels too. But if they only see demons, then they probably need deliverance from evil spirits.
Beware visualisation
A deception that we need to be careful not to fall into is visualisation, which is rooted in witchcraft. Visualisation is when we conjure up an image or scenario based on our own desires and try to plant it into our own life stories. For example, in the new age, people are taught to train their brains to ‘see’ mental pictures that depict desired outcomes, such as getting rich, getting a promotion, meeting an ideal spouse and so on. The Holy Spirit is not in the lead, but the flesh. We decide the outcome and not God.
This is different from using our imagination to imagine a story as a neutral third-party, such as picturing what Jesus saw and felt on the cross.
Always seek the Holy Spirit and walk wisely in spiritual sight
Growing in spiritual maturity and discernment takes practice and time. The more we walk with and seek the Holy Spirit every day, the more we will get to recognise His ways and when it is our flesh that is influencing our imaginations instead.
1. Share without bias and presumptuous interpretations
If we believe we have seen a vision or had a dream that has a message for someone we know, we can simply convey what we have received. It is not advisable to try to interpret it, as personal bias or emotions often get in the way.
An example can be found in the New Testament when the prophet Agabus brought a word for the apostle Paul. God had appeared to Paul earlier and told him he must witness for Him in Rome (Acts 23:11). Later, Agabus described how the Jews at Jerusalem would bind Paul and deliver him to the Gentiles. Paul’s friends were very upset and pleaded with him not to go. They let their emotions and imaginations run ahead of them. Paul insisted on going nonetheless. In Jerusalem, the Roman soldiers carried Paul off, not to harm him, but to protect him from a violent mob of Jews that was trying to kill him (Acts 21:31-36). We see that it was this very incident that led to Paul winning an appeal to go to Rome. If Paul had listened to the counsel of his friends, he would have been out of God’s will and plan.
Acts 21:10-14 NKJV And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ” Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.”
Only the Lord can give us the correct revelation. Therefore, we should refrain from interpreting anything too soon and always ask people to test a vision or dream that we have shared with them. Nothing is definitive until the Lord confirms it through one or more other witnesses.
2 Corinthians 13:1 NKJV … “By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.”
2. Share with love and humility
Additionally, it is important that we share all things with love. If we ever try to convey something in any spirit other than love, then it is wise to wait and ask the Lord to deal with our hearts first. A heart that is pure ensures that God’s message is conveyed in His love and kept pure. We do not want to be the reason a message from the Lord becomes defiled.
1 Corinthians 16:14 NKJV Let all that you do be done with love.
3. Ask the Lord to open our spiritual eyes to the state of our own temples
One thing we can do is to ask the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to show us the state of our temple for the Holy Spirit. This is one way to gain guidance on what needs to be repented, removed and cleansed. It is not about visualisation and conjuring what we want to see but relying on the Holy Spirit to show us. We may be surprised at what we see.
4. Invite God to use our dreams
Before we sleep, we can dedicate our sleep to God and invite the Holy Spirit to bring us revelations through our dreams and help us remember them. It is helpful to keep a record of our dreams because some of what we are shown can be relevant weeks, months or even years later.
5. Use our spiritual sight for Bible study
One good practice we can develop is to be the ‘eyes’ of different people in the Bible and ask the Lord to help us experience and understand what they saw, heard, felt and even smelt. This not only brings historical accounts to life and helps us connect with the Word of God. It helps sharpen our perception. We can ask the Holy Spirit to show us what He wants us to apply to our own lives.
6. Beware spiritual pride
Finally and most crucially, we must beware spiritual pride. Receiving visual messages from the Lord does not make us special or more important than someone else. God has no choice but to move through sinful and imperfect people and we are all sinful and imperfect. Let us not imagine that He uses us because we are ‘special’ or more ‘elevated’ spiritually. Spiritual pride is very subtle and very corrupting! Let us ensure our flesh is crucified to the cross so it never defiles our walk with the Lord and what we perceive.
Galatians 5:24-26 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
May this sharing be a blessing to you as you seek to love the Lord with all your heart and walk wisely in spiritual sight.