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| Photo courtesy of crosswalk.com |
I have become convinced in recent months that I am truly naive about the source of much of the conflict within the walls of my own home. In fact, I am wising up to the fact that many of the battles of will I face with my children have much more profound spiritual implications than I ever realized! I often find that I am quick to climb into the boxing ring with my kids, thinking I am doing battle with their words and wills. But as a follower of Christ, I ought to know better. The Apostle Paul speaks about the true battle at hand...
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12
And I recently read an article that speaks to the fact that this battle is particularly fierce with regards to our children. The evil one would love nothing more than attack our "least of these" and, like the birds in the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13), snatch up the freshly scattered seed of God's Word on the footpath before it even has the chance to take root.
Fortunately Paul goes on to speak to what we must do in this battle...
"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." (Eph 6:13-17)
And while many of us know this truth with our heads, we must embrace it with our whole heart and soul and recognize that this spiritual prescription applies to every moment we parent our little ones. Instead of putting on our boxing gloves, we must equip ourselves with God's spiritual armor and walk around the boxing ring, ready to coach, encourage, pray for and fight FOR our children...not AGAINST them.
Sadly, too many of us parents are ill-prepared and ill-equipped for the spiritual battle that rages within our homes each day! I've linked the article that was very eye-opening for me, and I pray it would be for you, too, dear one! Read it over prayerfully, and let us be aware and ready to fight in the real battle at hand!
http://www.churchleaders.com/youth/youth-leaders-articles/249804-parenting-means-wrestling-demons.html
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