And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him (Genesis 4:6-8).
Some principals of the Spirit of Cain that we need to know:
1. Spirit of Cain is a kind of competitive spirit that leads to jealousy and revenge that if not addressed promptly can bring out intention to kill.
If God only ignored Cain’s offering, he might not be angry. But the problem is he knew and saw with his eyes that Abel’s offering was accepted by God. The situation became more complicated because Abel was his brother. That means he lost the competition with his brother. This has involved issues of prestige, self-esteem, etc.. That caused his heart became hot and his face looked angry. Unfortunately, Cain did not immediately address them, whereas God had warned. Finally, he realized his intention to kill Abel and received God’s punishment.
2. Spirit of Cain is the work of the devil that manifested itself through a life of a person or group of people in order to kill the Divine seed or seed of a new movement that will be started by the Lord Himself.
Spirit of Cain is actually a manifestation of the devil’s work in order to kill the Divine seed or seed of movement that God will begin through a person’s life.
Abel was a descendant of Adam who ‘passed down’ the Divine seed or God’s image in Adam while Cain’s seed inherited the sin of Adam. That’s why the devil used Cain to kill Abel so that the move of God to multiply the divine seed or the image of God through Abel can be quenched. The ultimate goal was to make sure the seed of sin grew and filled the earth. That’s the plan of Satan.
3. Spirit of Cain is usually manifested through people who have a close relationship with us, which are most likely to kill us.
Cain was Abel’s brother. That’s why the devil used Cain to kill Abel. Actually, the thing to be killed is the ‘truth’ that Abel brought. But Satan does not know how to kill the truth inside a person. All he knows only how to kill physically. It is all he could do.
Spirit of Cain manifested itself again in the life of Joseph’s brothers. They were jealous of Joseph. Then from that jealousy emerged hatred and from that hatred emerged intention to kill.
“And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him” (Genesis 37:4).
And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams (Genesis 37:19-20).
Note the same pattern occurred. From jealousy emerged hatred, from hatred emerged the intention to kill. And actually, the thing that wants to be killed was Joseph’s dream or plan of God in Joseph. But again, because of his ignorance, the devil did not know how to kill a plan of God in a person.
All he knew only how to kill physically, that was the attempt made by Joseph’s brothers. But God foiled the plan and helped to give an idea to the devil to kill the plan of God in Joseph. Suddenly there was the Ishmaelites passed by and the idea to sell Joseph as a slave emerged. They thought the important thing was that Joseph’s dream died. After all, if Joseph became a slave, his dream would not have happened.
Joseph’s dreams died and they profited from the sale of Joseph. Brilliant idea! But remember! This idea arose not because the Devil was creative, but because God wanted to save Joseph. Satan could never think (his brain could not measure) that from a slave, God could bring Joseph rose up to the palace. This story shows how genius God is and how stupid the devil is. How great God is and how weak the devil is. It turns out the devil is not as great as many Christians think he would be. Praise God for that!
4. The spirit of Cain is manifested in many families and the churches, the places where God keeps the people whom He will rise to be movement leaders.
Family and the church is the place where Lord is keeping, preparing, and equipping people who he will rise to be movement leaders. That is why Satan always looks for people he can use to manifest the Spirit of Cain to kill the people that God has prepared.
5. What Satan does through the spirit of Cain will not succeed in killing the move of God.
Believe me, no matter how hard the devil tries to quench the move of God, he will not succeed. Abel was killed and Satan thought he had succeeded, but the Lord raised up others:
And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years and begat a son in his own likeness, and after his image; and called his name Seth (Genesis 5:3).
And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD (Genesis 4:25-26).
God raised up Set who inherited the image of God in Adam. From Set birthed the offspring who called the name of the Lord!
The move of God can not be stopped by anything and anyone. Spirit of Cain will not succeed in stopping the movement of God. Spirit of Cain will not succeed in killing the dream of God, the plan of God in us! Amen!
Also read: Who is Right, God or Satan?
