Genesis 3:20-4:7

“You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” (Genesis 4:7, NLT)

The struggle between good and evil is as old as mankind himself. From the moment that sin entered the world there was the conflict between the spirit and the flesh. Before the Fall, the flesh was subject to the spirit. But everything changed when sin corrupted the human family.

Now Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden so that they could not eat of the tree of life and live forever in their sinful state.

In time, Eve gave birth to Cain and then to Abel. Abel became a shepherd and Cain a farmer. At harvest time, both men brought gifts to the LORD. Cain brought some of his crops, and Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock.

“The LORD accepted Abel and his gift, but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.” (Genesis 4:4–5, NLT)

Why did God accept Abel’s offering but not Cain’s? Was God showing favoritism? No, because He is just. Evidently, there was more going on behind the scenes. Cain was seeking God on his own terms while Abel was seeking God on God’s terms. God told Cain, “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

Sin was at the door of Cain’s heart ready to pounce on him like a lion. Cain had to choose whether to master sin or let sin master him. It is the same choice we all must make.

I wonder what would happen if we saw sin not as something to entertain us but as a hungry lion ready to devour us? There is only one way to master sin so that it does not master us. We must be strong in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and say “No” to sin. Then God will accept us, and sin will not have power over us. If we don’t do this, then sin will take us down.

You can turn your struggle into surrender. You can be ruled by sin, or you can rule over sin. It’s your choice.