Divided loyalty leaves us unstable and spiritually imperiled, just as divided attention causes us to lose both pieces of information when two stimuli compete. Scripture makes plain that double-mindedness or split allegiances endanger spiritual growth and ultimately salvation. James warns that if prayers vacillate between doubt and faith, we may end up with nothing, for a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. His remedy is a single, fixed focus on God's will: draw near to God, cleanse your hands, and purify your hearts, since the heart becomes contaminated when it tries to maintain two competing, warring allegiances. Jesus likewise teaches that no servant can serve two masters; he will hate one and love the other, so we cannot serve both God and mammon. The foundation for this is the first and greatest commandment, given in Deuteronomy 6:5 after the Shema: the LORD is one, and we are to love Him with all our heart, soul, and strength. The heart, meaning the core of thinking, feeling, reasoning, and affection, must be guarded with all diligence, because the issues of life spring from it. Solomon directs us to look straight ahead and not turn right or left, like spiritual blinders that keep us from destructive distractions. Jesus teaches that if the eye is single, the whole body will be full of light. An undivided focus on God's truth brings blessing to the totality of life.

Divided loyalty is no loyalty at all, because no one can serve two masters (Luke 16:13). We cannot please both man and God (Galatians 1:10; I Thessalonians 2:4), and worshipping God according to the traditions of men is worship in vain (Mark 7:7). Whatever we serve is our god, so we either delight in God and His Law and serve Him all day long, or we serve our own lusts. People can become enslaved to career, car, home, spouse, children, medicine, hobbies, television, novels, or countless other things. In serving these, we please them or ourselves and fail to give God pure devotion. Anything held as more important than God is an idol, and idolatry is woven into breaking the first commandment. Wavering commitment cannot coexist with the fear of God or with serving Him in sincerity and truth. Israel, which spent years sporadically worshipping other gods before Joshua called it back to commitment, shows the pattern, and God brought calamity upon the people each time they put other gods before Him (Judges 2:11-15; 10:6-14). God desires unswerving devotion to Him alone. Seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness is a fundamental part of keeping the first commandment. Jesus models this undivided loyalty by submitting completely to the Father's will: "Not My will, but Yours, be done" (Luke 22:42).

Divided loyalty leaves a person without clear direction, because no one can serve two masters and God will not share first place with mammon. In Matthew 6:22-24 Christ uses the Greek word haplous, meaning single, whole, or clear, for the "good" eye. If the eye and aim are single and devoted to the truth, the whole person benefits. A person who splits interest between God and possessions has no clear orientation. Since the eyes cannot focus on two things at once, no one can truthfully claim devotion to God while keeping one eye on investments, world events, hobbies, jobs, sports, or entertainment. Christians may have many responsibilities, such as family, work, and recreation, but none of them may pull against the main goal. Each must serve the Kingdom of God, so that even a job is done as if God were the boss. Matthew 12:25 says a divided house cannot stand. In the Parable of the Sower, the thorns of worldly cares and riches crowd out the word and leave a person unfruitful. James calls the double-minded man unstable in all his ways, a fence-sitter who cannot be trusted, and urges such people to purify their hearts. Hebrews 12 says to lay aside every weight and distraction and run the race with endurance. The remedy is to reorder priorities: "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness."