DELIVERING CHILDREN FROM DEMONIZING
(8 of 15 blogs about spiritual warfare and marriage/family, taken from material I presented at a marriage retreat, Winning the Battle For Your Family, in 2019)
Some parents see their children as a burden, a bother and imposition. That leads to rejection. Other parents live for their children and focus everything around them. They use their children to meet their needs for self-worth, accomplishment and meaning in life. These parents make their children into idols. Both extremes are wrong. The truth is our children are gifts from God (Psalm 126:3) and must be seen as such. They belong to Him and are only on temporary loan to us. They are His, not ours. We are stewards entrusted with raising them. We aren’t to either reject them nor idolize them, but to love them and raise them for His glory. Our greatest contribution to God’s kingdom may not be what we do but someone we raise.
Raising them for Jesus means, in part, developing a warrior mindset in them. Too many children grow up indulged, spoiled and feeling entitled to whatever they want. Christian children must grow up with a biblical world view which includes understanding spiritual warfare. They must see themselves as living behind enemy lines and being pursued by an enemy who will do anything to destroy them. They must be trained to fight constant spiritual guerilla warfare. They need to know how to protect themselves from attacks, how to counter attack the enemy to have victory, and how to rescue those taken captive by Satan’s forces. Satan is serious about destroying our children. He fires real bullets!
We train our children to have life skills, educational skills and whatever skill is needed for success in daily life. Too often we neglect spiritual training. Parents leave it up to the church. How can 1 or 2 hours a week counter all they are hit with the other 166 hours a week!
Teach them God’s Word. Of course that means you must first know it yourself! Make sure they don’t just know the facts in their head but that they are motivated to apply it to their lives. They must be challenged to believe because THEY believe, not because you do or because it was what they were always taught. Ask them often: “Do YOU believe this for yourself, not just because you’ve been taught it?” “If you really believe this is true, what changes will this make in your life?”
Memorized Scripture is one of our best weapons in spiritual warfare. When Jesus was tempted He quoted Scripture to have victory over Satan’s (Matthew 4:1-11). Paul says our only offensive weapon is the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17). Psalm 119:9,11 tells us that it’s through God’s Word that we have victory. Quote Scripture to overcome demonic attacks and temptations. Ask God to show you verses that will help against these things. Write them down and memorize them. Say them over and over when these thoughts attack you. That is the only way to victory, and God guarantees it will work!
Instill in your children a love for Jesus. They need to see that in you first of all. If they act like Christians because they fear God or want to impress you, it won’t last. We should start raising them to be like Jesus from the moment of birth. After all, they are His and belong to Him. They are on loan to us temporarily to raise for Him.
Psalm 127:1,3 Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.
Do your children understand spiritual warfare? Can they recognize Satan’s attacks against them? Do they have a good understanding of God’s Word and how to use it to have victory? Do they know how to pray for themselves and others? Do they spent time alone with God each day? Can they survive in Satan-occupied territory when they leave your home?
Jerry Schmoyer
Christian Training Organization