When life feels uncertain, we need confidence and clarity in our faith. But those are often the times when things seem cloudy. Hard times leave us spiritually, mentally, and physically tired. The rejuvenating feeling of sitting with the Father for our quiet time turns into us dazing into the confused spaces of our minds, struggling to focus on our prayers and God's Word. Seeing with eyes of faith during tough times requires us to keep going through the motions, and repeating the truths we know, and the work God has already done in our lives. For God promises that when we seek Him with all of our hearts, we will find Him. Even when we're tired. Even when it's hard. Even when it doesn't feel the same as it does in easier seasons of life.
In the first book of C. S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy, Out of the Silent Planet, Dr. Ransom is surprised to learn that there are beings on Malacandra that he cannot see. Or rather, he does not yet have the ability to see. Ransom finds himself on a new planet and soon learns that his assumptions were wrong. The beings are not terrifying, bloodthirsty monsters but living creatures with values and unique skills. Upon hearing of spirit-like beings called the eldila, he questions his friend, Hyoi, why he cannot see them. As Hyoi tells him, “But eldila are hard to see. They are not like us. Light goes through them. You must be looking in the right place and the right time; and that is not likely to come about unless the eldil wishes to be seen” (Scribner, 1938, p. 77). Only when Ransom believes in these beings and knows what to look for can he distinguish their presence from the movement of light on the ground.
We can likewise suffer from spiritual myopia. With eyes shut by fear and unbelief, we fail to recognize the Lord’s work around us. All that we focus on is the situation that is causing us difficulties. Yet Scripture helps remedy our shortsightedness by strengthening our faith. We read stories about Elisha or the blind receiving sight, and we are encouraged to trust in God even when the situations around us seem hopeless or challenging. As we study these events in the Bible, we come away with an increased sense of God’s presence and work in our lives.
Seeing with eyes of faith means trusting that God is present, active, and fighting for you even when circumstances make that hard to recognize. This article explores how Scripture trains believers to move beyond fear and spiritual shortsightedness into steadier trust in the God whose work is sometimes unseen.
What Does It Mean to See with Eyes of Faith?
To see with eyes of faith means to trust God’s presence and promises even when you cannot physically see what He is doing. It is not denial or wishful thinking. It is the kind of spiritual sight that believes God is at work beyond what fear, uncertainty, or appearances suggest.
How Does the Biblical Account of the Prophet Elisha Show Us That God Fights for Us?
Like Elijah and many other prophets before and after him, Elisha faced threats from people who did not appreciate his role. The king of Aram (i.e., Syria) grew suspicious of his men, thinking that one of them served as a spy for Israel. But they told him that the only reason he kept failing in his attacks was that Elisha knew of his plans. As they said, “Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom” (2 Kings 6:12, NIV). So, the Aramean king decided to capture Elisha.
The soldiers surrounded the prophet in Dothan. His servant, seeing the vast number of men and their chariots, grew frightened. He asked Elisha what they would do–surely the two of them could not stand against an entire army! But the man of God was calm and affirmed that there were more on their side than the number of enemies (2 Kings 6:16-17). What he was essentially saying was, “Have faith, God is on our side.” And then Elisha prayed, not for his own sake, but on behalf of the servant: “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see” (2 Kings 6:17, NIV). That was when the servant saw, with eyes of faith, the flaming chariots of God’s angelic army surrounding them. There was no reason to fear. Unlike the servant, the soldiers were struck with blindness, though their vision was restored upon Elisha’s prayer. Through Elisha, the Lord led the army to Samaria and peacefully brought an end to the raiding attacks by the Arameans (2 Kings 6:18-23). The great Lord was the One who protected and provided for His people; they needed only to trust Him.
This passage captures the theme of Hebrews 11:1, which describes faith as “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (NIV). Throughout the Bible, we find the Lord encouraging people to trust Him, despite not knowing the outcome. Abraham trusted God by following His commands to go to an unknown land (Hebrews 11:8). Before engaging in battle to take possession of the Promised Land, Joshua was told to find courage in the Lord who went before them (Joshua 1:9). Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah believed that God would fight for them––and He did (2 Chronicles 20:15). It required faith, a confidence that trusts without seeing, for them to believe that God would fight for them and surround them with His angelic host (Psalm 34:7).
What Does Jesus Teach About Spiritual Blindness and Sight?
Upon noticing a man born blind, the disciples were filled with questions. Had the man sinned, or his parents? Surely someone had acted wickedly to result in the infirmity of blindness. However, Jesus quickly corrected their faulty assumptions. As He told them, “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,’ Jesus answered. ‘This happened so the power of God could be seen in him” (John 9:3, NLT). God had planned to use this man’s infirmity for His glory. As in 2 Kings 6, sight played a significant role in John’s account of the healing of a man born blind. Not just physical sight, but the spiritual ability to recognize the working of the Lord. Once the man was healed by Christ, he testified to the truth that he had been blind but now could see. Yet the Pharisees continued to interrogate him. They had the evidence from the man and his parents that he had been born blind and now was miraculously healed, yet they refused to believe.
In contrast to the Pharisees, who continued in unbelief despite clear facts, the man believed in Jesus and worshiped Him (John 9:35-38). He was blessed because not only had he received sight but had been spiritually enabled to notice the works of Christ and believe in them. The Lord contrasted the faith-filled sight of the man with the supposed sight of the Pharisees: “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind” (John 9:39, NLT). The religious leaders suffered from spiritual blindness since they claimed to have knowledge yet failed to notice the Divine Wisdom in front of them. They fulfilled what Christ had mentioned earlier of people hearing yet failing to understand and seeing yet failing to see (Matthew 13:13-15).
May we all develop eyes to see the work of the Lord and the willingness to offer our lives as conduits to display His kindness. Whatever hardship or suffering we are experiencing, our God can use it to bring Himself glory. In turn, we become strong when we are weak because of Christ’s work in us (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
How Can You Develop Eyes of Faith?
Faith is not merely a blind leap into the darkness; it is a solid trust in the person of the Lord. Elisha knew the angelic army was around him because he trusted that God would protect him. Likewise, the man born blind who received sight trusted in Jesus, believing that He was the Son of Man who healed people of their infirmities. We truly “see” when we believe. Charles Spurgeon eloquently described this reality in his sermon “Eyes Opened” in 1908. As he said, “There is a proverb which says, ‘Seeing is believing,’ but that is not true, for there are many things that we see, which, if we are sensible persons, we shall not believe, since our eyes are very apt indeed to be deceived, and optical illusions are very common. If you turn the proverb round the other way, and say, ‘Believing is seeing,’ you will often find it comes true.”
We often assume the opposite, believing that we must see with our eyes before we accept anything as reality. In many ways, God does give us physical evidence of His loving presence–we have the earth and everything in it to point to His kindness. Our Lord also willingly held out His nail-scarred hands and showed His side to Thomas to show that He had indeed been physically resurrected (John 20:27). But faith is about believing, and therefore truly seeing. As St. Anselm famously wrote, “For I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand.”
Spiritual sightedness involves developing a strong trust in the Lord. We hold firmly to the belief that God is fighting for us even when we cannot see it because His Word affirms this is true. Seeing with eyes of faith requires a firm grasp on the promises of Scripture, which provide anchors when we feel unmoored in life. The more we study the Bible, the more we will trust in the character of our Lord. There are times when God’s power and glory are evident through unlikely sources. Other times, however, the Lord’s work is unseen. Whether the deeds of our God are evident or not, we can pray, as Elisha did for his servant, to develop spiritual sightedness–– to see with eyes of faith. Then, when we encounter seeming silence from our Savior, we can rest assured that He is at work fighting for us even if we cannot physically perceive it. As Moses said, “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:14, NIV).
How Can You Practice Eyes of Faith This Week?
Practicing eyes of faith often begins with slowing down long enough to remember what God has already said. Choose one promise of Scripture to return to when fear rises. Pray honestly about the situation that feels most threatening, and ask the Lord to help you notice His presence instead of only your problems. Spiritual sight grows as we keep bringing our attention back to God’s character, not just our circumstances.
Frequently Asked Questions About Spiritual Blindness and Spiritual Sight
- What does it mean to see with eyes of faith?
Seeing with eyes of faith means trusting God’s presence, promises, and work even when you cannot physically see what He is doing. - How do you trust that God is fighting for you?
You trust that God is fighting for you by holding to what Scripture says about His character and care, even when circumstances feel uncertain or threatening. - What does Elisha’s story teach about spiritual sight?
Elisha’s story shows that God’s protection and power can be present even when human eyes cannot yet perceive it. His servant needed faith-filled sight to see that they were not alone. - Why is spiritual blindness dangerous?
Spiritual blindness keeps people from recognizing the work of God, even when the evidence is right in front of them. The article contrasts that blindness with the faith-filled sight of the man healed by Jesus in John 9.
For Further Reading
- What Does It Mean to Walk by Faith and Not by Sight?
- Will the Lord Fight for Us if We Are Still?
- What Does Faith in God Really Look Like?
- What Does the Bible Say about Guardian Angels?
- How Can We Trust God When We Are Feeling Distressed?
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