God is not the author of the curse or anything related to the curse, such as sickness, poverty and death (John 10:10). According to Genesis 8:22, God established the law of seedtime and harvest. This law is also referred to as sowing (choosing an action) and reaping (the results of an action). Therefore, when we choose to do wrong, we should expect negative consequences. Galatians 6:7-9 says, “ Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”
The source of a cursed life is sin, and the source of sin is the devil—not God. Nothing about living a cursed life is willed by God, because His will is clearly revealed through Jesus. Here’s the true picture of the source of sin and the curse: “But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). God’s intention through Jesus is to free people from sin and the curse!
Ephesians 4:27 tells us to not give place to the devil, and disobeying God is one way a Christian can give place to him. Disobedience opens doors to everything from sickness and disease to destruction and death (Romans 6:23). So, one of the keys to keeping Satan and his destruction out of our lives is for us to obey God (1 John 5:18).
That’s not to say walking in obedience is always easy. It’s not. But we can receive God’s grace to empower us to live above the plans of the enemy. And, when we do sin, it is important for us to understand that Jesus is available—and ready—to forgive us and cleanse us of our sin. All we have to do is ask Him to cleanse us, and then receive it (1 John 1:5-10).
Always remember that we serve a good God who looks for ways to bless and not curse us (Psalm 35:27; Proverbs 10:22; Ezekiel 33:11)!