One Look And He Was Hooked
An interesting example of the power of sight and sound is Alypius, a friend of the famous writer Augustine. The popular entertainment of the day was gladiatorial contests in arenas where contestants fought to the death. Romans often justified these “games” on the ground that the gladiators were condemned criminals who deserved to die anyway. For some time Alypius would not go because he believed it was wrong. One day some fellow students caught him and took him with them to the colosseum. Even then he was determined not to look, so he kept his eyes closed. That worked for a while, but when he heard the crowd roar at one point, curiosity got the best of him and he opened his eyes. What he saw made an indelible impression on his naive soul. A gladiator was lying on the ground in his own blood with his opponent victoriously standing over him.
That one glance was all it took. Young Alypius became a huge fan of these contests and was so addicted that he talked others into going. He came to love what he had hated, and it controlled and ruined his life until he decided to give it up.
Achan was a soldier in the Israelite army that invaded Jericho. The soldiers were warned not to take the gold and silver because these were to go into the treasury of the Lord. The battle went well for the Israelites. But then Achan saw the gold and silver. In that instant he forgot God and took them (Josh. 7).
David “saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold” (II Sam. 11:2). His life was never the same after that one glance. He committed adultery with her, impregnated her, and had her husband killed. He paid for his sins for the rest of his life.
When a young man looks at pornography for the first time, that image is there to stay. So are the next pictures or videos he sees. That is why pornography is so addictive and so destructive. It is like a cancer of the soul that resists treatment. But unlike cancer, this malady of the soul is a choice. Achan could have taken the gold and silver he saw to the treasury. David could have turned and walked away. Any man, young or old, who sees a vile image can refuse to dwell on it or look at it again. We can blame the internet, but the internet does not force any man. The ancient Roman world was full of pornography, but Christians could avoid it. Christians today can do the same.
Kerry
West End church of Christ • November 1, 2026