Ruling Over Sin
by: Janie Denney
January 14, 2026
“The LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, and you must rule over it.’”
Do you make light of sin?
The Holy Spirit has revealed to me how culture is numbing believers to the weight of sin. I see this all over social media, where even Christian influencers and accounts are posting “relatable” memes, which, at the root, endorse our sinful nature.
One example: There is a social media trend where you post a picture and say “this and yap.” What is “yapping”? It’s gossip. What is this communicating to believers? It’s okay to gossip. It’s okay to vent. However, Jesus would say otherwise…
This is not an easy topic to write about. How can we escape the patterns of sin? Well, we can’t fully, for we sin every day. We’re human and live in a broken world as a result of the fall of mankind in the Garden. But, as followers of Christ, we are called to pursue righteousness. We are commanded to put off our old selves — to deny the flesh, to deny the temptation to sin. We see this in the very beginning of mankind: The Lord tells Cain that he must rule over sin: Genesis 4:6-7 says, “The LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, and you must rule over it.’” The Lord tells Cain that he must rule over sin. You and I are invited (and commanded) to do the same for sin’s desire is for us.
James 4:7-10 says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”
James is telling readers that they need to resist the devil by submitting themselves to God. He says to cleanse our hands and purify our hearts. In verse 9, he writes, “Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom” (James 4). Why does James tell us to be “wretched and mourn and weep”? Why does he tell us to turn our laughter into mourning and our joy to gloom? He is urging believers to repent for their sin, worldly attitudes, and actions. Do not be deceived. As followers of Christ, we are meant to be a city on a hill, a light for all that cannot be hidden. We are called to be set-apart and light bearers for His glory.
Sin is not a light-hearted matter. Jesus says if your right arm causes you to sin, cut it off—for it is better to lose one part of your body than to go to hell (Matthew 5:30). Although this is extreme language, Jesus puts it this way to show us the weight of sin.
I referred to this quote in my “Radical Obedience” devotional: Rees Howells writes in Rees Howells: Intercessor, “The closer a person is to God, the more terrible is the least sin seen to be.” Today, what the Bible classifies as sin seems radical—even to Christians.
Romans 6:12 says, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.” Sin is tempting; its desires are for the flesh. We must deny the flesh, pick up our Cross, and follow Jesus moment by moment! We are living a spiritual battle where sin is crouching at the door.
What sin areas of your life have you made light of? It’s time to repent and rule over sin! It’s time to turn from our sinful ways and turn to Jesus—pursuing Him wholeheartedly and in purity.
I pray every day that Jesus would fill me up, so it is not I who lives and responds but He who lives in me (Galatians 2:20). Thank you, Lord, for the blood of Jesus that washes away all of our sins! “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, NIV). The Lord sees us as pure. Let us pursue righteous living and purity, filled with him, washed by the blood, and confident in what He did on the Cross. He defeated sin, and by His blood alone, we are saved, healed, redeemed, and called holy and blameless.
Prayer
Lord, You are worthy of all of our praise and adoration. I humble myself before You today and present myself as a living sacrifice for Your glory. Thank You for the power of the Cross and resurrection. Lord, I ask that you help me rule over sin. I cannot do it on my own. Show me areas in my life where I have made light of sin. I give You space to correct me. Open my heart to receive Your conviction. In Jesus' mighty name, amen.
Worship: Jesus Paid it All
Further Study
James 4, Psalm 119:9-16
Related Posts
Do you make light of your sin?
The Holy Spirit has revealed to me how culture is numbing believers to the weight of sin. I see this all over social media, where even Christian influencers and accounts are posting “relatable” memes, which, at the root, endorse our sinful nature.