Ephesians 6:10-17
A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
When I got married and had three children I did not know that this scripture reading would be so important. I thought it was about the world and did not realize that in fact it would impact upon my home, the place where I felt safe and secure. The place where I could be myself and have some peace from the demands of the day. This was a naive assumption as over the years the 'battlefield' has become routed in my home. The mighty powers and evil rulers of the unseen world have edged their way through my front door attaching themselves to comments, prejudices, actions, teen attitudes and friendships. Not only that the TV and other media sources have invaded my belief systems and been a source of battles as my teenagers try to grapple with the world and all its lures. Schools with their political correctness have tried to water down religion, morals and parental values through weak religious education. Indeed I found out recently that my youngest is going to be taught 'Religion' by an atheist!
Two of my children no longer take what I believe in as something they want to follow. They would prefer to be free of religion and just be like all of their friends who do not go to church. They do not see the value of a belief system as it appears to get in the way of what they want to do. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil.
I am standing my ground, and showing through my love and actions that God is the most important authority in my life. I pray constantly for my family, asking the Holy Spirit to take authority over their life. I pray into their friendships, asking God to bring faithful servants of His Kingdom to walk along side them. I have handed over my children to God's loving care as the battle against unseen forces continues to rage in my house. I read scripture and put on every piece my armor daily. And I love till it hurts, knowing that I am not alone in this battle.
Being a parent has never been easy, but with respect and a disrespect for authority being at an all time low, it is even more important to put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
With teenage girls not believing that they need to respect their own bodies and thinking that sleeping around is 'okay' as it doesn't hurt anyone, I fear for the consequences of this attitude. This lack of respect for ones own temple is very sad and plays into the hands of unseen forces.
I am so grateful that we already have the Victory in Christ Jesus and no matter what, He, will remain faithful to all my family. However I shall never stop loving or praying for them that their eyes will be opened to the freedom that God offers them. God's spirit is within them and He will never let them go. Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
