Spiritual Warfare

The foundation of our existence, the breath of our soul, and the battle for eternity is all spiritual. The affections of our heart and soul are constantly embattled between the love of the world and the love of our Creator. We live in a world that is antithetical to the world God intended. We asked for this. We created its current condition.

It is a hard concept for people to wrap their heads around generational sin. How could the actions and decisions of our previous ancestors effect, not only the general world around us, but more specifically our individual lives? I mean, don't we have control over our own decisions and destiny?

The reality is, the environment we live in today is a byproduct of generational sinful decisions that have influenced our worldviews, lifestyles, ambitions, and motivations.

To start with the most obvious example, Adam and Eve. Their sinful decision to be enlightened with knowledge. Genesis 2:15-17 speaks of the Edenic Covenant. This covenant in Eden is the first of the general or universal covenants. In it, Adam is charged to do the following:

1. Populate the earth (Gen 1:28)
2. Subdue the earth (Gen 1:28)
3. Exercise dominion over the animal creation (Gen 1:28)
4. Care for the garden of Eden and enjoy its fruits (Gen 1:29; 2:15)
5. Refrain from eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, under penalty of death (Gen 2:16-17)

This covenant was terminated by man's disobedience, when Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, resulting in their spiritual and physical deaths. This failure necessitated the establishment of the covenant with Adam (Gen 3:14-21), which will be discussed further at a later time.

The sinful decision of Adam opens up a broken and sinful world from which every human is born into. I will demonstrate how brokenness perpetuates itself from insatiable desires which is then passed down along from generation to generation.

Cain and Able, the offspring of Adam and Eve, were the dichotomy of what the world was intended to be and what it has become. A character of divine worship versus a character of manipulation and greed. The meaning of Abel signified sorrow, while Cain stood for possession.

Abel, a lover of righteousness and believer that God was present at all his actions, excelled in virtue. Employed as shepherd, Abel relied on all that God provided to him. The growth of his assets were born naturally of their own accord as God intended and created to be. Thus, from God's provision did Abel give back the first fruits. 

Cain, being wicked in his ways, was wholly intent upon getting through all means necessary. Being a farmer and working the land, Cain contrived the ground to produce unnaturally in order to gain exponentially. As his name implies, Cain was fully interested in himself and his possessions. Cain manipulated and invented ways to force the ground into producing. It was perversion of a perfect and harmonious world created by God.

God's preference of Abel's offering over Cains enraged him into a violent act of murder. His punishment from God was banishment and wondering of the earth. This fueled Cain's wickedness as he sought to procure everything that was for his own bodily pleasure with complete disregard to the people around him. Cain became very wealthy through rapine, violence, and robbery. He became a great leader of men practicing wicked ways that changed the way of simplicity wherein men lived before. Author of weights, measures, and land boundaries, Cain changed the world into craftiness and manipulation. He created the world into a possession oriented society whereas accumulation became a symbol of wealth and prosperity.

The conditions and mindset put forth by Cain has been carried out from generation after generation. The only thing changing are the tools. Ideas and methods are continually coming out to improve and manipulate the very fabrics of society. There will always be a benefactor to these changes. Changes require more laws, regulations, and red tape. Laws, regulations, and red tape require more change and manipulation.

Better systems, new ideas, advanced technology, etc. are all forms of a generational manipulation that was created by Cain. Being born into a certain generation, you become subject to the current practices of its time and many times to the changes and manipulation that occur thereafter.

It is time to bring life back to simplicity. Recognizing and honoring God's provisions. God created the Earth for our pleasure and He said it was good. Let's recognize that.