But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. (2 Corinthians 4:3–4—NKJV)

The story of a very ambitious man was in the news this week. The man is afflicted with a disease that has caused his blindness. The same disease has caused the blindness of his mother and of his 15-year-old daughter. In order to be an example to his daughter that anyone can succeed in the pursuit of a dream, he has just graduated from community college with his auto mechanics degree! He gets around with the use of a cane. Once he is briefed on the repair needs of a car, he is able to repair shocks, brakes, water pumps, and perform other basic repairs. I applaud his perseverance and his achievement. I also wish him well in his search for a job.

He must be a very sharp person just to complete a job. If he is anything like most of us, he will get caught up with what he is doing and easily misplace a tool, and will have a long search ahead of him every time he drops a nut or a socket. I also wonder at the dangers which will surround him every day with the potential of catching a finger in a fan belt or misaligning a floor jack. Certainly, there must be jobs which he should not attempt for his own safety, or for the hope of a good repair, or for the sake of getting a repair done under a deadline. Though he has prevailed despite his blindness, he still operates under the limitations of his blindness. He is dependant upon those who work alongside him for his own safety, for the procurement of the right parts, and for evaluation of every job. I am in awe of his courage just as I am thankful for the gift of my own sight.

The deficits that he attempts to overcome every day are illustrative of the spiritual deficits of every unsaved man in understanding the world in which he lives, and also the world to come. Our text states that unredeemed man is blind—spiritually blind. He is dependant upon other men around him for insight on spiritual things. If he hearkens to the wisdom of non-Christians around him, he will come to the same end as our Lord described in Matthew 15:14: “They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.” Unknown dangers surround the spiritually blind; the road ahead is unknown; his certainty is limited to the reach of his cane; and he has an even greater deficit than a blind man—his mind is blinded too.

Spiritual, mental blindness is found in this quote of Albert Einstein: “The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible.” When a man makes use of the laws of the universe in order to make observations, posit models, and draw conclusions, he is comprehending something that ought to be incomprehensible if there is no Creator, especially one to whom every man is accountable.

Our text indicates that Satan is the author of man’s spiritual blindness. He is described as the god of the age. John 8:44 states concerning him, “You are of your father the Devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” Satan is the god of the “age,” a word that encapsulates the atmosphere of every culture and era. The current “age” is the sum of the views, dreams, ideals, movements, and general tenor of the generation in which you live out your life. This world is never going to lead you into the light of the Gospel, not with Satan in charge, who blinds the minds of men. If you listen to the opinions of mere men, you are headed to the ditch along with all the rest.

John 3:19–20 explains the problem: “And this is the condemnation that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” In John 8:12 Jesus declares, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” Once you have been born again through faith in Jesus Christ, you will know the truth of the words found in Ephesians 5:8, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” Colossians 1:12–13 and 1 Peter 2:9 further explain the fact that, at conversion, the cure for man’s spiritual blindness is found and applied in the light of God’s truth. Just as Lazarus was called forth by Christ from the darkness of the tomb into the light of glorious day (John 11:43) so He calls forth into the light every convert who believes in His finished work on the cross. Like the healed blind man stated, “One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see” (John 9:25). Worship the God of Truth in the light of His Word. Trust and obey.