Bring them [your children] up in the discipline and instruction
of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4).

What are parents, Sunday school teachers, youth workers, and
pastors to do in the face of Satan’s assault on the minds of our
children? Let’s begin by stating what we can’t do.

First, we can’t bury our heads in the sand. This is not the time
to respond in denial or claim that our Christian kids are immune
to this kind of problem. Satan’s seductive activities are aimed
at destroying the church at its point of greatest vulnerability:
the family. The enemy is after Christian families in general and
the families of Christian leaders in particular. Half of all my
counseling regarding demonic influence has been with Christian
leaders and their families.

Second, we can’t run in fear. Remember: Thanks to the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ, Satan is a defeated foe. The war
against the seduction of our children is a winnable war. If we
retreat instead of advance, we forfeit ground to the enemy that
doesn’t belong to him. We must exert our authority in Jesus
Christ and claim His victory in the lives of our children.

How can we do that?

First, we must become aware of the spiritual nature of the world
we live in. Our children are growing up in a seductive world.
Many of the things that surround them are subtly influenced by
the New Age Movement, the occult, and Satanism.

Second, we need to understand how parents and parenting styles
can either assist or block the resolution of a child’s spiritual
conflicts. If a child comes from a dysfunctional home, it’s
rather pointless to deal with his problem only to send him back
into the home that caused the problem in the first place.

Third, we need definite strategies for protecting our children
from spiritual assault and helping them resolve their spiritual
conflicts. This is a winnable war, and it is a war we must win
for the sake of our kids and the cause of Christ.

Dear Father, keep me alert to spiritual opposition and bondage in
my children, and equip me to assist them in appropriating Your
freedom.

This daily devotional is published and distributed by
http://www.GOSHEN.net/ . It is written by Neil Anderson at
http://www.freedominchrist.com/ .

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