When God created Adam and Eve, he first prepared a beautiful and abundant place for them to live. Adam and Eve were very prosperous.

God commanded them to take dominion over everything in the Garden. Eve sinned when she started walking in the flesh. She didn’t take dominion over her flesh so she couldn’t take dominion over the serpent. If you want to take dominion over all things, you must first take dominion over your flesh.

What are the consequences of not taking dominion over your flesh? What happened when Adam and Eve didn’t take dominion?

#1 Their fellowship with God was broken

Adam and Eve used to walk in the Garden with God everyday, but when they sinned, they were separated from God. They were sent away from the Garden and lost that personal connection with Him.

#2 Death came into their lives, first spiritual and then physical

Their disobedience immediately brought spiritual death. They also brought physical death to their lives.

Ephesians 2:1
1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,

#3 Their lives were shortened and they became physically weak and susceptible to disease

Disobedience causes weakness in our bodies. Disobedience causes us to be susceptible to disease. Our sin weakens our immune system.

#4 Their personal relationships were broken

Adam and Eve’s relationship suffered. Trust was broken. They became accusing, critical, judgmental, condemning, and blaming. They even blaming and criticized God.

Genesis 3:12-13
12 Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”
13 And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

#5 They damaged their own souls by increasing their sin

Genesis 3:10-11
10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”

Sin comes with shame and humiliation. No one wants to feel humiliated, so we become defensive. When we disobey God and lose that power and position, we become very insecure and defensive. Insecurity causes pride and arrogance. Adam and Eve experienced this, too.

When God spoke to Adam and confronted him, Adam justified his position and sin. He blamed God and Eve instead of taking responsibility for his sin. Adam and Eve immediately started walking in the character of Satan.

When we start operating in blame and defensiveness and pride and justification, we stop walking in the character of God and start walking in the character of Satan. Everything in God is light and truth and goodness. Satan is everything dark and sinful.

When you have sinned and God calls your name and asks you, “Where are you?” or “What are you doing?” you just need to repent and confess and change. You don’t need to explain or blame or justify. You don’t need to become defensive or arrogant or prideful. You don’t need to walk in the character of Satan and increase your sin.

Adam and Eve put fig tree leaves on themselves in order to hide their shame and humiliation. Humiliation and fear is rooted in pride.

#6 They lost the position of leadership

Genesis 3:15-19
15 And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.”
16 To the woman He said:
“I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception;
In pain you shall bring forth children;
Your desire shall be for your husband,
And he shall rule over you.”
17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:
“Cursed is the ground for your sake;
In toil you shall eat of it
All the days of your life.
18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,
And you shall eat the herb of the field.
19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
Till you return to the ground,
For out of it you were taken;
For dust you are,
And to dust you shall return.”

Adam and Eve’s disobedience brought a curse even to the earth. From that day, we’ve worked very hard to bring prosperity from the earth.

When Adam and Eve sinned, their authority and power over the earth was given over to the devil.

Luke 4:5-7
5 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”

John 16:11
11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

1 John 5:19
19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

This is the reason that Jesus came, to restore authority and power. He came to restore what the devil stole from us.

God wants to restore us. Today is the day to take dominion back, through repentance and obedience.

God bless you,
Pastor Sun East

More in this series:
Part 1: God wants you to prosper and here’s the key
Part 2: Was Jesus poor?
Part 3: God didn’t create beggars in the Garden of Eden
Part 4: Take dominion over yourself first
Part 5: What are the keys to remaining prosperous?
Part 6: Poverty is a Choice
Part 7: Givers are more blessed than takers