• Is Your Eye “Simple”?
    The Watchtower—1986 | May 1

    • Influence of the Eye

      5. To what extent was the eye involved in Eve’s temptation by Satan?

      5 Consider the case of the first woman, Eve. The extent to which the eye influenced her actions can be seen from the Bible’s account of her encounter with the Deceiver, Satan the Devil. (2 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Timothy 2:14) Satan suggested that ‘her eyes were bound to be opened’ if she would just ignore God’s command and take and eat the fruit from “the tree of the knowledge of good and bad.” How did she respond? The Bible tells us: “Consequently the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was something to be longed for to the eyes, yes, the tree was desirable to look upon.” She allowed her eyes to dwell upon something forbidden to her. That was a deliberate misuse of the eye. What was the result? “So she began taking of its fruit and eating it.”​—Genesis 2:17; 3:4-6.

      6. How does the eye influence our actions?

      6 No doubt this was not the first time Eve saw “the tree of the knowledge of good and bad” or its fruit. But something different was happening. This time it appeared to be “something to be longed for to the eyes” and “desirable to look upon.” Longing and desire normally are qualities not of the eye but of the heart. But what the eye sees intensifies the longing and desire of the heart, so much so that action may result. In Eve’s case, such action led to disastrous consequences for herself and her husband Adam, as well as for all their future offspring, including us today.​—Romans 5:12; James 1:14, 15.

  • Is Your Eye “Simple”?
    The Watchtower—1986 | May 1

    • 8. What lessons can we learn from the examples of Eve and Jesus?

      8 What can we learn from the foregoing examples? First, that what we focus our eyes on can reinforce the good or the bad desires of our heart. This may lead to action that will bring either blessing or disaster for ourselves and others. Second, it is clear that the eye is a favorite means by which Satan moves to deceive his victims. Of all the “designs” that Satan uses to mislead mankind, this appeal to the eye appears to be one of the most powerful.​—2 Corinthians 2:11.