Is Sin Crouching At Your Door

“Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? 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.” Gen 4:6-7

The Lord told Cain these simple words: “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 MY SUBDUE IT TO BE ITS MASTER.

Cain wanted so much not just for his offering to be accepted but to be accepted by God. But Cain's heart was not obedient in faith and his deeds were evil. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. 1 John 3;12

God only takes pleasure in our offering when we are striving to live a righteous life according to His will. Cain was wrestling with jealousy (crouching at his door) God was telling him to subdue it (subdue def: to conquer and bring into subjection: to bring under mental or emotional control, as by persuasion or intimidation; render submissive) to master it!!! However as we read we know that was not the case was it? Cain didn't master the sin in his heart and because of it the sin mastered him to the point of killing his brother, Abel.

Today we can apply this same message God gave to gain to our own lives. Sin is crouching at our doors as well. It crouches at the door of our hearts as well. The outside world can influence us with all its trappings. We also must consider our  feeling and emotions about things can distort the truth of what is really going on in our life, causing offense, bitterness, and anger. However, there is a sure fire way to subdue and master the sin that crouches at our door.

First we can seek God. To know Him and who He is. We can study His Word and apply it and live by it daily. The Lord was not pleased with Cain's evil heart, his offering was from a heart that wasn't obedient or righteous. We must understand that God is more pleased with our obedience than anything we could sacrifice for him.

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Luke 11:9
I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings. Hosea 6:6

for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy 1Peter 1:16

Second we can take every thought captive. If the enemy can get us to believe a thought that comes in our mind about something then he has gained ground to our heart.
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete. 2 Cor. 10:3-6

Third thing and last thing is we can submit to the Lord and as David cried out to him we can also...

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Psalms 139:23

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Surely you desire truth in the inner parts ; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem. hen there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you; then bulls will be offered on your altar. Ps. 51


Closing Thoughts

We must subdue sin and master it, just as God warned Cain He warns us as well. We must realize that the devil is always crouching at the door of our thoughts and our hearts longing for us to give him a way in. We must know who we are in Jesus. We must know His word and stand upon it for it is our weapon when the enemy comes at us.

We need to remember that we may impress man by outwardly looking good and doing good,  By offering our time and money, we may give and serve as as sacrifice to the Lord. We may get the praise/acceptance of man as well. But what should not forget is that what God sees is so much more important than what man sees because God sees the motives of our hearts just as He did with Cain. Man can give us acceptance, praise and blessing but it is only temporal. What God gives is so much more than those three things because what He gives us is eternal!!! He gives us His eternal love, His eternal peace, and most of all eternal life through Jesus Christ.

Rooted in Christ
Jackie