Stryper - Open Your Eyes Lyrics
Lyrics
Signs surround us
We fail to see
Through the simplicity of ourselves
Our crimes have found us
We try to escape every day from this cell
There's no way out when you're living in hell (unless you)
Chorus:
Open your eyes
Loosen the vice that constrains you
Open your eyes
Burn the disguise that you wear
Open your eyes
Break the unfaith that controls you
Open your eyes
The truth will be there
Stones have crushed us
Water has rotted
The walls of our crumbling domain
The fire has rushed us
It's burning the waste that we grasp and cling to
There is a way out, but you'll never climb through (unless you)
(Repeat Chorus)
Video
Stryper - Open Your Eyes
Meaning & Inspiration
Stryper’s "Open Your Eyes," released on August 16, 2005, from their album *Reborn*, stands as a powerful call to spiritual awakening, a raw and urgent plea for introspection and transformation. The song’s essence lies in its relentless examination of humanity's fallen state and the divine remedy offered, guiding a listener through the stages of recognition, confession, and the ultimate embrace of truth.
The narrative begins by acknowledging a pervasive spiritual blindness: "Signs surround us / We fail to see / Through the simplicity of ourselves." This powerfully depicts our human tendency to overlook profound spiritual realities, often hindered by our own self-focus or a simplistic understanding of the world around us. Scripture consistently highlights this spiritual blindness, as seen in Romans 1:20, which states that God's invisible qualities are clearly seen in creation, leaving us without excuse, and in 2 Corinthians 4:4, where it is explained that "the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers." Following this recognition, the lyrics confront the inevitable consequences of our choices: "Our crimes have found us / We try to escape every day from this cell / There's no way out when you're living in hell." Here, the song paints a vivid picture of sin's enslavement, a "cell" representing the spiritual bondage that results from our transgressions. Romans 6:23 starkly reminds us that "the wages of sin is death," while Proverbs 5:22 illustrates how the cords of our sins hold us captive, making escape through human effort impossible.
The chorus serves as the song's central, impassioned exhortation, a desperate cry for release: "Open your eyes / Loosen the vice that constrains you." This urgent command to "open your eyes" resonates with the biblical promise of deliverance, akin to Isaiah 42:7, which speaks of opening the eyes of the blind and freeing captives. The "vice" symbolizes the crushing grip of sinful habits and worldly attachments, urging a release into the freedom Christ offers, much like Galatians 5:1 declares, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free." The call continues with "Burn the disguise that you wear," a demand to shed all pretense, hypocrisy, or the false self we present to the world. Ephesians 4:22-24 urges believers to "put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." This transformation demands authenticity. Further, the song implores us to "Break the unfaith that controls you," targeting the unbelief and doubt that hold so many in spiritual paralysis. Hebrews 3:12 warns against "a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God," highlighting how skepticism can become a controlling force. The ultimate promise of this spiritual awakening culminates in the declaration, "The truth will be there," echoing John 8:32, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free," and ultimately pointing to Christ Himself, who proclaimed in John 14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life."
The second verse further illustrates the devastating effects of living apart from divine truth: "Stones have crushed us / Water has rotted / The walls of our crumbling domain." These powerful metaphors depict the inevitable decay and destruction that befall self-made foundations, reminiscent of Jesus’ parable in Matthew 7:26-27 about the foolish builder whose house collapses in the storm. Our human efforts and worldly pursuits, when not anchored in God, inevitably crumble. The lyrics then introduce a purifying force: "The fire has rushed us / It's burning the waste that we grasp and cling to." This imagery evokes a refining fire, one that exposes and consumes what is worthless and temporary, as seen in 1 Corinthians 3:13, where fire tests the quality of each person's work. Malachi 3:2-3 similarly speaks of God as a "refiner’s fire," burning away impurities. The verse concludes with a poignant reminder of human limitations: "There is a way out, but you'll never climb through." This reiterates the core Christian message that salvation is not earned by human effort or ability. Ephesians 2:8-9 declares, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast," emphasizing that the way out is a divine provision, not a climb we can achieve on our own. "Open Your Eyes" ultimately serves as an urgent evangelistic anthem, calling humanity to shed spiritual blindness, break free from sin's shackles, and embrace the liberating truth found in Christ. It’s a compelling testament to the transformative power of divine grace, an enduring message of hope for those trapped in spiritual darkness, offering a clear path to renewal and life.