Our children are in trouble, and many are unaware of it. Good vs. evil is very real and at work.
The battle of good vs. evil is as old as God vs. Satan. But we are seeing it on full display in the current culture wars that surround our lives and the lives of our children. Good vs. evil is being flipped on its head. Unfortunately, the ultimate effect and fallout will most likely be seen in the future generations of our children and children’s children.
As parents, this ought to both concern us to increased prayer and motivate us to increased action.
We are seeing firsthand the prophecy of Isaiah 5:20 come to light… “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”
The widening gap between good and evil…
Never in our lifetimes has there been such a wide gap between the views of what is good and what is evil. And never before have the lines become so blurred and often even oxymoronic in nature. That which is biblical, moral, and absolute is considered ‘evil’, while that which is unbiblical, corrupt, and often defies common sense is promoted as ‘good’.
Our enemy is clever, and he never changes truth overnight, but he takes more of a “bite-size” approach. Think about it with me…
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Just a few decades ago, many things in our culture would have been illegal and frowned upon.
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Many of those same things, just a decade ago, were considered ‘acceptable’, just as long as it doesn’t personally affect me.
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And now today, if you don’t fully embrace those things and speak only positively about them, you are silenced and condemned as filled with hate and intolerant.
Going from a Christianized to a secularized culture requires some subtle yet intentional culture shifts, and the enemy knows this. And such a shift cannot take place unless it happens in the hearts and minds of today’s children. Our children have a target on their backs.
We’ve seen this shift already in the numbers of young people who have left the faith in the past generation. It can be seen in the secularization and neutralization of the Church when it comes to standing for Biblical truth. It is evident through the indoctrination rather than the education of our children from every conceivable angle in our society.
But some things never change…
God has been clear in his word:
Romans 12:9 Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
Much of what was standard Christian morals have been taken for granted in our country for many generations. It was a part of the fabric upon which our society was built. Yet that foundation that has slowly been eroding is now rapidly crumbling right before our eyes.
Abhorring what is evil and cleaving to what is good has shifted to accepting what is evil and leaving what is good.
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We have seen this in the devaluing of human life. The value of life is no longer based upon what the Bible clearly says but is only ‘sacred’ when it fits one’s own personal views of morality and convenience.
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This is clearly seen in the fight against injustice in our nation. There are those who justify immoral and illegal activity based upon taking a stand for ‘right’, while those who clearly speak up against such things are silenced, threatened, and shamed.
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And who would have thought that in ‘the land of the free’ there would come a day when it would in any way be considered “good” to disrespect and intentionally harm those who have dedicated their lives to protect and serve us? Calling all the good guys the bad guys is simply a new way of calling good evil, and evil good. One of our core values as a nation has always been respect for authority. Our children need to understand the need to defend our authorities, not defund them.
- And sadly, in many ways, these issues are only the tip of the iceberg.
Romans 1:22, 25 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools… Who changed the truth of God into a lie.
Our culture is at war with godly values…
There is an all-out attack by the enemy upon our values, our families, and our future. His goal is to change the heart by changing the mind. He doesn’t want a generation of people to think for themselves, but to be spoon-fed their poison. And people’s minds are changed gradually over time, especially America’s youth.
It’s more true now than ever that “He who controls the mind wins the battle.“
Ultimately, we are at war for our children. I’m not suggesting that we put up our dukes to fight everyone we disagree with. But I am totally suggesting that we be willing to fight for our family and our children’s future, especially within our own home.
God has given us clear responsibility and accountability for our home. This includes the conversations that we have, the world-views that we espouse, and the values that we form there.
Remember that no one will care for and protect the heart and mind of your children like you.
Parents, our enemy is out to make evil look good. He is out to make intolerance look like tolerance, to mask uniformity as diversity, and to brand any form of moral absolutes as bigoted and fanatic. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. This is the increasing irony of good vs. evil that we must not be blinded to.
Let me be clear, this is not a political issue. This is a spiritual warfare issue of good vs. evil and the consequences of clashing world-views at war.
While I hate to see what is happening to our society, I hate even more to see how it is harming our families and our children.
So what can a parent do?…
One of the greatest advantages you have as a parent is “home court advantage”. You have as much control over what happens within your home as you are willing to claim.
It’s time that we start having regular conversations with our children about what is going on in the world. Because the enemy wants our children’s hearts and minds. And everything that they are being fed from the world is often working against us as Christian parents.
We must be:
- Having regular conversations with our children.
- Addressing the issues of good vs. evil in our society.
- Equipping our children with a balance of biblical truth and grace.
At the same time, we must equally help our children understand that our ultimate hope is not found in any movement, but in a man, Jesus Christ. And we are called to be His light in the midst of the darkness.
In an effort to help your family have these important conversations, here are some verses and questions to use to get you started: (Simply click the image to save for later… Be intentional to remain positive in your approach to develop a proper biblical perspective for your children and their future.)
May we stand together. Pray together. Trust together.
The increasing irony of good vs. evil will continue. But this is a battle we cannot afford to leave our children to figure out on their own or to fight for themselves.
Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Let all your things be done with charity. I Corinthians 16:13-14
