This post is Day 14 in a series of studies about “1 John”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

Feel free to comment below with your own thoughts about each verse and how you will be acting on each thought. Also, if you haven’t yet signed up to receive the notifications of new studies, you can do that today (the form is at the bottom of the page).

1 John – Day 14

God told Cain that sin is crouching at his door, it desires to have him, but he must master it. God is still saying that to all of us today. It is our responsibility to resist the enemy at the door, whatever that enemy may try to persuade us to do.

1 John 3:11-13

For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 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. Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.

The Thought

John continues his theme of loving one another by quoting the first Biblical reference to demonic activity after Adam and Eve were banished from the garden. It didn’t take long for the enemy to get a grip on mankind. Just 2 brothers existed and one killed the other because of jealousy (Genesis 4:1-12).

The thing I am most challenged by in that story is the end of verse 7. God said to Cain: “Sin is crouching at your door, it desires to have you, but you must master it.”

God is still saying that to all of us today. It is our responsibility to resist the “enemy at the door”, whether that “enemy” is a tendency to murder or to criticise, to feel self-righteous or proud, to ignore somebody’s need, to cheat on the taxes, to tell “white” lies.

The “world” will hate us whatever we do, just because we are Christians. So John tells us not to be surprised. Millions have been murdered because of their faith over the years, and many more are still to lose there lives for Him (Revelation 6:9).

Action

Pray today that you will be able to resist evil when it knocks on your door, and ask the Lord to give you angel gatekeepers who will help you resist the devil so that he flees from you (James  4:7).

Remind yourself today of John 6:14. Jesus is the Way, the only way to Father God. He is The Truth, no matter how much modern media will try to persuade us otherwise. He is the Life, in the true meaning of the word, Life worth living. Everlasting Life in Heaven with Him.