Detecting and Destroying the Roots of Our Sins

Preparing Our Children for Spiritual Warfare
Proverbs 22:6, Ephesians 6:4-11, Deuteronomy 6:6-7,
Proverbs 22:6, and Colossians 3:21

   The most important task God has given to parents is to raise their children “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord,” which includes preparing them for spiritual warfare against the forces of evil.

• Satan’s battle against our children starts the moment they are conceived in the womb, and if they are allowed to be born, the battle increases each year.
• Most parents do not understand how severe Satan’s battle is upon our children, especially in those first few years.
• According to the Scriptures, it is the parents’ responsibility, and primarily the fathers, to protect those little children from evil through their prayers and their obedience to God’s Word.

This is the timeless truth behind Proverbs 22:6, where the wisdom writer said: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

A parent’s first priority is to lead their children to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.

• By their verbal instructions – daily Bible readings, praying the blessing at the table, monitoring the media that goes into their minds, and praying with them each night as they go to bed.
• By their living demonstration – letting them see your faith in God in the daily activities of life, especially in how you relate to each other as husband and wife, and how you react and respond to the other children.
• In Philippians 4:9, the Apostle Paul wrote: “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”

   A parent’s second priority is to lead their children to become a devoted disciple – a “follower” of Christ.

• Ways that will not work:
  • Ephesians 6:4 – “Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath.”
  • Colossians 3:21 – “Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.”
• The way that will work:
  • Parents are to train their children to follow their example of faith.
  • Ephesians 6:4 – Fathers are to “bring their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”
  • The word “nurture” means to “nourish” or to feed.
  • Parents must discover the “specific spiritual need” in each child’s life, and then feed them with the precise application of the Word of God, admonishing them to follow their example of obedience to the Word of God.
• Luke 2:52 – “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”
• It was a balanced growth of the mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional elements of man.

According to the consensus of child psychologists, children go through six stages in their development, and each stage offers a new opportunity for parents to influence their children to trust in the Lord.

• During the pre-natal months, the child’s environment in the mother’s womb is affected by the spiritual well-being of the mother. When there is love, joy, peace, kindness, and gentleness in her heart, the baby understands that he/she is welcomed.
• During the first year, a child learns to totally trust their parents in everything. It is that trust that will one day give the parents the opportunity to lead their children to trust in the Lord.
• In the next two years, that child will learn to express himself/herself and discover that freedom has some limitations. It is in this time we call the “terrible 2’s” that the love and security of parents will help that child to understand and trust the love and security of God.
• From about 3-6, that child will learn more about himself/herself and their surroundings than at any other time. This time is crucial, because it is where the behavior of the child is shaped; many times, forever.
• From age 6-12, their search for freedom grows stronger, as the influence of others begins to equal their parents
• From age 12-18, the goal of every child is to discover their own identity and their own purpose in life, apart from the direction of their parents. Parents often see this as being rebellious and stubborn, but the youth see it as their cry for independence

Someone is going to shape that heart and mind and fill it with love and ideas about life. God said it should be the parents, and it is their responsibility to direct that child’s heart and mind toward God.

There is wide acceptance by those who work with children, that the years from 5-9 are the most crucial years in a child’s life, and therefore the time when parents need to have the greatest influence in their lives.

• Before age 5, their greatest need is love and security.
• After age 9, their greatest desire is for freedom and independence so they can discover their own identity.      
• But between the ages of 5-9, children are learning who they are, where they came from, and how they are going to relate to this ever-enlarging world, and they are learning all of this from the ones who are the closest to them; their parents

THE FOUR NEEDS IN EVERY CHILD
ONLY PARENTS CAN MEET

Write the term: GREAT, GOOD, OKAY, OR NOT AT ALL

SPIRITUAL –
A HEALTHY CONCEPT OF GOD –

MENTAL –
A HEALTHY CONCEPT OF SELF –

EMOTIONAL –
A HEALTHY CONCEPT OF LOVE 

PHYSICAL –
A HEALTHY CONCEPT OF THE BODY

• If you had this kind of NURTURE as a child, you need to be very thankful for your parents, for you are truly blessed.
• If you didn’t have this kind of NURTURE as a child, you need to exercise forgiveness, and let God’s grace make up the difference in our life.