Master the Beast

ID 85231234 © Mikael Males | Dreamstime.com

A beast lives in your home. Wary eyes watch every move. Fangs drip. Claws grip the ground as the beast gathers himself for an ambush.

And his prey? You.

God minced no words as he spoke to Cain about sin, “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it (Genesis 4:7 NIV; emphasis mine).”

The Hunter and the Hunted

“Sin is crouching at your door.” Cain had already sinned by bringing an unacceptable sacrifice to God. He now had a choice: confess and repent or nurse his grudge against the LORD.

Sin hunts relentlessly. Not content with its first feeding, it crouches at the door in search of more. God tells us to flip on the porch light. Call out that sin. Confess it. Bring it into the light. Move from the hunted to the hunter.

The Appetite

“It desires to have you.” Don’t be fooled. Sin craves you like a dieter craves carbs. It won’t be satisfied until you’ve been destroyed. Physically. Emotionally. Relationally.

Sin will feed on every emotion, every fear, and every shred of flesh you have, then it will crack open your bones, and suck your marrow dry. Give no quarter. 

The Boss

“You must rule over it.” You can, you know. Master the beast. When we enter a relationship with Jesus, Christ breaks sin’s hold over us. When the Holy Spirit comes into our lives, He empowers us to master the beast, in whatever form it takes. 

Do you have a pet sin? One you’ve coddled? Allowed in the house? Fed even?

For me, being right became that pet. I thought being right gave me value. Worth. Credibility. 

Instead, it devoured me. 

I went to war over it. I lost sight of the value others brought. I lost value—or so I thought—when others dismissed me.

It had to go. 

So, I released it. My right to be right. 

It stays outside now. No more fangs. No more claws. No more entry. 

Are there other sins that crouch at the door? Yep, but I have a Shepherd. Together we master the beasts. 

Workout of the Week: Master the Beast

Memory Verse: “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it (Genesis 4:7 NIV).”

Meditation Passage: Romans 6

Do It: Team up with the Holy Spirit. Start by finding an appropriate Scripture, memorize it, and apply it. 

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