Today is another post on, I Have an Enemy. I am using these post to expose my enemy, and yours, for what he is, his main goal, his methods, and the consequences of choosing to follow him. Sometimes we may follow him and not realize it. (1 Corinthians 11:13-15) If you have fallen for his devices, and we all have, remember this one thing. We have a Redeemer, Jesus the Christ and Satan doesn't. That ought to tell you what God thinks of Satan and his angels.
Let's go back to Genesis 4:7 for a moment. God gives Cain a choice. If Cain chooses to do well, he will be accepted. If Cain chooses not to do well, then sin lies at the door, waiting to come in at the first opportunity. God tells Cain that the sin at the door desires him, but Cain should rule over it. By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul tells us the same thing, Test all things; hold fast to what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. (2 Thessalonians 5:21-22, NKJV) Also, please read Titus 2:12.
What did Satan use on Cain? One of the 3? Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. ( 1 John 2:15-17)
I believe by the way Cain responded to God, or lack of response, Satan is using the pride of life on him. The definition of pride in Strong's Greek Lexicon is: an insolent and empty assurance, which trust in its own power and resources and shamefully despises and violates divine laws and human rights. Yes, I think this describes it. Cain had a bad attitude of worshiping God. He was jealous of his brother because he was accepted and not him. He murdered his brother, which definitely violated Abel's rights. Cain had his own self-interest in mind. He wanted to live his life by his own understanding.
How could he avoided this and how can we? Two passages come to mind, but we have to be humble and really want to do them. These have helped me in every walk of life. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5, NKJV) and You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. (Matthew 22:37,NKJV. You do this, selfish pride will never be an issue. Had Cain followed the above, we may have never had the flood. Again, his choices led to terrible consequences
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A few more points. When you read of the family of Cain in Genesis 4:16-24, we read where Cain built a city. His descendants were the originators of those who lived in tents, had livestock, of music and also those who worked in bronze and iron. They began to be self sufficient. I do not find anywhere were they ever spoke of God. He was the one who gave them the talents to do what they did, but they forgot Him, or maybe never knew Him.
Cain reminds me of the parable of the lost son in Luke 15:17-32. Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod. He did what he wanted and his family followed his actions to their own destruction by the flood. Christ told the parable of the lost son. He also went away to a far land. His father blessed him with riches. Away from his father he squandered the riches lived for the lust of the flesh and ended up living and eating with swine instead of his father. But this story ended good. The lost son repented and returned to his father, who loved him very much. Jesus made this possible for us by His dying on the cross
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Next, Satan is ready to take on the descendants of Seth. In Genesis 4:25-26. Eve bore another son and called him Seth. She said, God had appointed her another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain killed. Seth had a son named Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the Lord. It sounds like Seth's family is following God. God has a plan of redemption through the families of Seth, but Satan has a plan of death through the families of Cain.
Satan, in his plan wants to turn the sons of God away from God. How is he going to do it? He still uses the same temptation today. It has been successful all through the ages. What is it? The temptation of the lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh. (Read Genesis 6:1-7) The sons of God, descendants of Seth, saw the daughters of men, Cain's descendants, that they were beautiful. They took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. Satan set it up, the lust of the eyes followed by the lust of the flesh.
Did the sons of God influence the daughters of men to follow God? What happened? In verse 5 we see how deceptive and powerful Satan can be if we let him control our thoughts. Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. All of the sons of God except Noah and his family would be destroyed in the flood. None of them chose to come back to God. They had been blinded by the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life. They wanted no part of God. Does this sound familiar today?
How many faithful Christians do you know who have been taken down by Satan in this manner? I know of some, but a few came back into the open arms of God like the lost son. We have all sinned, but remember God does not want us to be lost. Can't we see His love by Jesus' death on the cross?
How could the sons of God prevented this? It is not like Satan made them do it. He just planted an idea and they allowed it to manifest into sinful actions. These actions come out of the heart.(Matthew 15:19 and Proverbs 23:7) How do we handle it? 2 Corinthians 10:5, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Cain could not capture and control his thoughts.
If you are tempted like this, just reasonably look at the end result. Your family may be broken up, your children may be like Cain's and also the sons of God. They may choose to forget God and live like the world. All of your descendants could be like they were in Romans 1:28. And as even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things that are not fitting.
At the time of the flood, more people followed evil than were saved by the ark. Why would anyone want to give up a powerful loving God, and an eternity with Him, for the evil works of the Devil and eternal damnation?
You and I cannot be friends with world and friends with God. Satan will get us to fall every time. (Read James 4:4) If I love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul and mind, do you think I may have an influence on my family and the people around me to be good? Also, I will go to God's word to help me defeat the devil. A good place to go and read is Ephesians 6:10-20. I almost forgot. Please read Galatians 5:16, I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. NKJV And always, pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17)
Let me give you an important reminder. If you and I are in Christ,(Galatians 3:27) we have a great spiritual blessing. If we are weak and fall into Satan's snare, guess what. Go to 1 John 1:5-10 to see what to do and how powerful the blood of Jesus, our savior is. How can I sin against a God who loves me so much? How about you?
Our country is in a mess. We cannot clean it up will politicians and laws. We must live like Christ, love every soul as God does, and in the most loving way we can, carry the Gospel to them. My brothers and sisters in humanity are not my enemy. The devil who tempts and destroys their lives is.
Continue to join with me and share with your loved one's as we identify our enemy, his methods and his hatred for us and all that is good. With God all things are possible. To be continued next week.
Please share this to others on facebook or by emails. You can send comments to rhepler52@gmail.com . Also my book The Heart Behind the Stone: Develop a Giant Slaying Heart, will help you and your children build a faith like David, and my latest book, 123 Tips for My Grandchildren and Yours, gives tips on how to live in this fallen world. You can go to www.amazon.com to download your copy.
Thanks for reading.
Rick
