“If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:7 ESV)
I’m going to make a bold statement: sometimes you have to kill the sin before the sin kills you. Sin often enters into our life as a playful, cuddly, fun new kitten. The problem is, sin grows. The more you play with it, entertain it, and allow it to roam in your life, it grows stronger, faster, smarter, more deadly. Imagine if that fun new kitten was actually a lion and you idly stood by while the lion grew into a mature, ferocious beast. Would you really be surprised one day when the lion tried to destroy you?
The Scripture reminds us: Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8 ESV) The problem is that when we give the devil a foothold in our lives, he begins to attack us, pouncing when we are at our weakest. If you could see the end result of the sin in your life that is currently your little plaything, I imagine you’d be much more vigilant. Question, is there a sin in your life that you are allowing to grow unchecked?
I want to share a secret with you. Sin grows best in the dark, far away from the watchful eyes of those who love you, safely tucked in the darkest corners of your heart. The roots of sin grow deep into your heart, gaining strength and position, choking out the things of God as it draws you farther away from the life you are called to. In Genesis chapter four, we see the heartbreaking story of Cain and Abel. Though God warned Cain that his sin was crouching at the door waiting to destroy him, Cain let his jealousy and anger grow into hatred for his brother Abel. This hate, when it had fully grown, lead Cain to commit the very first murder. Brother killed brother, that’s where sin leads.
Now pause for just a moment and carefully consider your life. Is there a sin that you have been slowly allowing to creep further and further into your life? James helps us visualize the growth process of sin:
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:14-15 ESV)
I want to share something you need to know; no one wakes up one day and says, “I’m going to destroy everything and everyone I love today.” But, this is where sin leads. So, what’s the practical application for us? It’s time to STOP playing with sin and kill it. It’s time to stop pretending like we can control the beast and kill it while there is still time. Satan will try to convince you that it’s no big deal, you aren’t hurting anyone, besides you deserve this. Yet, the Holy Spirit is crying into your weary heart: stop, this is going to cause so much more pain than you can imagine.
Often, sin quickly grows beyond our ability to control it. If you find yourself struggling to kill the beast, there are two things you must do: cry out to God for help and seek Godly counsel from brothers or sisters in Christ. We were never created to do this life alone. You know the best way to help kill the sin? Let the Light in. Confess your struggle both to God and to close, trusted friends. With God’s help and the support of other saints, we can break free from sin.
Father, forgive me for playing with sin. Lord, you said that the wages of sin is death. Help me today to acknowledge the seriousness of sin. Holy Spirit, help me be honest with You and with the community you’ve put me in about the struggles in my life. Lord, help me spot sin before it can grow and take hold in my life. Help me make Christ honoring decisions to expose sin in my life so that the Light may come rushing in. Thank you for the freedom I have in Christ. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
