Day 9: Tuesday, January 14

“What is Attacking My Life?”

(Patty Tena)
Recognizing the Sin of the World

In 2021, I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. This type of breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body when cancer cells break away from the original tumor in the breast and travel elsewhere, causing damage. I was told that metastatic cancer is like a watering can inside your body; these cancer cells move through the bloodstream or lymphatic system like water, affecting organs and bones. In many cases, there is no cure, and treatment can only extend the patient’s life for a little longer. Being diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer is devastating for the entire family, but the most tragic outcome is dying from the cancer of sin without knowing God.

Sin, like cancer, can destroy our lives. If we do not detect it in time, it metastasizes, affecting not only our lives but also the lives of our loved ones. It weakens us to the point where we feel hopeless. The enemy uses this attack to diminish our strength and take full control of our lives. He wants us to live in fear of a painful and hopeless future.

1 Peter 5:8-9 says, “Be sober-minded; be vigilant. Your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

This cancer, or sin, affects everyone. In Genesis 3:17, we read, “And 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.’” The earth has been cursed because of sin, and as a result, all human beings die—whether from illness, accidents, or the natural course of life. As believers, we have hope. Jesus Christ came as the answer to this cancer (sin); He is the antidote. We must turn to Him so that He can restore us and give us a new purpose and vision for our lives.

Does this passage guarantee that God will heal us from cancer or other diseases in this life? No, that is not the intended meaning. It is important to understand that diseases are NOT a punishment but the result of living in a fallen world due to sin. Consequently, these diseases can affect the physical body of a child of God but should not impact their spiritual life. In the life of a believer, we must remember that “all things work together for good” (Romans 8:28). “All things” includes diseases such as cancer. We know that He can heal our bodies if it is His plan or lead us to enjoy eternal life. The final victory over the curse of sin is already ours in Jesus Christ. God forgives our sins, and one day, He will take us to a place that He has prepared for us.

Are you still a prisoner of the cancer of this world, or are you free in Jesus Christ?