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Famology
Providing practical, insightful, and Biblical answers to your questions about family, marriage, and parenting.
Famology
Protecting Young Hearts: Guarding Your Children from Spiritual Attacks
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In a world full of unseen battles, how can parents intentionally guard and protect their young children from the enemy’s schemes? In this episode, we talk about what spiritual protection looks like in everyday family life—without fear, but with wisdom and authority.
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Hello everyone. Welcome to Famology. We're John and Amy Clausen, and uh it's our pleasure to answer your questions each and every week. We've been getting such wonderful questions, especially in some of the live events that we go to. And we want to invite you to some of the live events if you're in the upper Midwest area. Um, we travel to different churches and things talking about family, marriage, parenting, just like we do on this podcast as well. Uh, we also host a marriage retreat uh several times throughout the year, and you can find all that information on our website, gofam.org. It's also a place for you to leave a question for us for this podcast. And so if you have listened to this and you've heard one and you're like, yeah, it didn't really answer my question, or I have a similar question, please submit that. If you have something completely different, um, then just let us know. And we're gonna entertain every question, and not everything will be used on air, of course, but um we like to hear your questions and and uh we will give them our full attention.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_01So we have a good question here this week. Are you ready?
SPEAKER_02Yep.
SPEAKER_01So here's the question: How do you guard and protect young children from the nasty schemes of the enemy? Bum bum bum. Yeah, yeah, that's a big question. Nasty schemes of the enemy, protecting our children. Great questions. Do you want to start?
SPEAKER_03Well, I'm I'm starting with wishing I would have brought a book down. It's just coming to my mind right now. I have a book called Joy, and I am blanking on the name of the author right now. But this particular book is a book of declarations written to be read over your unborn children. And I I found it when I was pregnant with our eighth child, Sadie, and it was absolutely beautiful, but it went into um taking care of some of those uh, you know, maybe generational things and it or that could be being passed down from generation to generation, just just some family stuff, but it's all handled in such a beautiful way that you're just reading truth over your unborn child. And I feel like establishing over them that beautiful place of truth is a great way to start. So if you are, you know, you can still you can read these over your young children at any age, it doesn't matter, but it is specifically written for moms and babies that are inside. It works for babies that are on the outside too. Um, but it's it's called Joy. And if Arthur Burke is the author, it just came to me. Yeah, Arthur Burke in his book Joy. It's it would be a great way to start.
SPEAKER_01So I'm just chuckling because men and women are so different. Yes. So my beloved wife starts with, you know, there's a book about joy about your unborn baby. And I'm kind of feeling like Lord of the Rings. Like you know what I mean? So so you know, every year our sons um our sons watched Lord of the Rings. I've I've been kind of out of that malou. I've I've probably watched it, I don't know, 15 years ago, um, is what the last time I've watched it. Um, but they were talking about it more, and I'm like, ah, maybe I should just watch it again. You know, I haven't I haven't seen it for a while. So I've kind of fired up Lord of the Rings when I've just have you know a few moments here and there um to kind of watch it.
SPEAKER_03Lord of the Rings in a few moments.
SPEAKER_01Well, it's no, it's it's gonna take I am I'm not through it by any means, but I've I'm kind of chipping away at it. Let's put it that way. Um, but it's interesting because you know it's really about the schemes of the enemy, and and so you you know you you look at that from that perspective, and and the schemes of the enemy are real. Okay, so it's real, it's present. Uh there's good versus evil, and um, and he wants us uh, you know, I've heard it said that you know we're really born into a battlefield, and it's hard as it is to say that um we know that that we're representing a kingdom, yeah uh and there's a kingdom of this world um that we are actually here for a purpose to try to expand the territory of the kingdom of heaven. Yeah, um, so there's our there's our battle, and so there's an enemy that really doesn't want that to happen and really wants us sidelined and wants us out of commission. And so uh, you know, just to start out this question, I just want to say that there are schemes of the enemy, it's real. Yeah, uh, and and I'm sorry that you even have to ask this question. Um, but it's true, and I you know, we feel like our children are so young that they just automatically protect it, like like it's just they're so innocent that, but I guess here's the here's the the statement that nobody wants to hear is the enemy isn't a respecter of age. No, it's not um, he's nasty, and his his goal is to take anybody, anywhere, anytime out of the equation. Um, but which also means that we also shouldn't be a respecter of age, and that we can raise our children with this mindset, yeah. Not that we become real enemy focused, Amy and I aren't big fans of that, not that we become sin focused, not that there's a demon behind every bush. That's not the way to live, but to to live with with an ignorance that there is an enemy that actually really wants to destroy us, um, is also not wise. Yeah, and so there's that place in parenting, yeah, and I think that's the heart of this question, where we are alerted, yeah, and we know what our role is.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Is that fair?
SPEAKER_03Yep, that's for sure.
SPEAKER_01There's a there's a word, um, you know, when the when the Lord told us to tend and keep the garden, um, those are powerful words, but the word keep is the word shamar. We teach on this word, a powerful word. Uh, but it means to protect or to watch over um kind of a watchman on a wall sort of picture. And and and I I always say I get super frustrated when the culture is making fun of that and calling people helicopter parents and they're too attentive and they're always hovering over their children. Well, actually that's what shamar means. And and so I I you know, yes, you can be weird about it and you can you know overdo it. I that's true for any human being, but but I I I would make the case that we're actually created to watch over our children. Um, and so uh helicopter away, baby. You know what I mean? I mean, you know what I mean to a point. I mean, I think I think it's really, really important.
SPEAKER_03And it's not about, and I in context with this question, it's not about physically hovering over our children, it's being the spiritual watchman over our children and our homes. Exactly. And and one of the ways that we can do this as moms and dads is being aware of the permissions that we're giving in our homes. And those permissions sometimes are voluntary, sometimes are involuntary. Um, you know, we voluntarily give permissions to through the TV we watch, through through the video games we play. What kind of violence swearing context are we allowing into our homes? Uh watching uh horror films gives permission in your home for some of that activity. And if we aren't aware that us partnering with those things even by choosing them gives the enemy permission, then it's time that we wake up because we do give permission to the enemy by the things that we physically allow into our home.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I, you know, I'm very repetitious in this podcast, so forgive me for that. But I I feel like, you know, again, going back to Lord of the Rings. I feel like that in order to answer this question, like how do you protect your children from the nasty schemes of the enemy? The answer is, well, what are the schemes of the enemy? Yeah. Because we we have to we have to be smart about it and we have to know about it. We don't need to live in fear of it. He's a he's a defeated foe, he's not the equal opposite of God. God's in Jesus is in no danger of losing his throne, you know, Satan isn't that good. Um, um, however, he has tactics, and so we have to know what those tactics are. Well, I I I like to as much as I possibly can boil it down to one thing. And I think that one tactic he always has is identity, he always goes after us from the level of our identity. And so I talk so much in this podcast about identity because I think it's such a key. And I believe that, and we talk about not being a respecter of age, I think our kids can learn their identity very early so that they can overcome the schemes of the enemy. Yeah, um, because that's his scheme. He always will come at you to try to convince you that you aren't worthy to be a son or a daughter. That that's his thing. That's all he has. He's a one-trick pony. It's it's his only target that he has is to try to accuse he's the accuser, yeah, he's the liar, and so he tells you that God has abandoned you uh because you've sinned so often, because you've done this over and over again, um, then you are no longer worthy. Yeah, and and and they can do that at a very young age. And he'll he'll come after your kids and he'll say, Oh, you screwed up again, I guess. You know, how dare you call yourself a Christian? How dare you call yourself a son or daughter? And he does that to us to try to separate us from the love of a father. And that's so when you talk about the scheme of the enemy, I believe that's his number one scheme. And so the key is, and and and we'll talk about this so often in podcasts and have in the past, that if we can establish our identity, know who we are, yeah, um, be able to look in the mirror and know who we are and whose we are, then the enemy actually is defeated. Yeah, that's how it works.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. And the blood of Jesus is a very, very, very powerful, and I think that we know that it has the power to forgive sins and it has the power to heal, has the power to protect. And uh Johnny's dad, who just passed away a couple months ago, had a visual of this, and he always carried a red umbrella with him when he was gonna pray or minister over people. And the red umbrella signified that we all are sheltered and covered by the blood of Jesus, and that's where we live. We live under the covenant blood of Jesus, and so symbolically for us as a family, um, we a few years ago, we went through a season where we had car accidents, injuries, just one thing after the other. And we all as a family finally said, enough is enough. And we've we physically have small little decorative red umbrellas that every one of us have in our home. And it's our declaration of war and where we stand. And the funny thing about war in the kingdom of God is it looks like sitting under the red umbrella of the blood of the lamb. He is our shield, he is our pre protection, he is our strong tower, he is our refuge. That's that's who he is. And so, as his children, we can repent of the things that we need to repent of, absolutely, so that we break ties with those things that we've given permission to. And then when we've done every everything that we know to do, then we stand under the umbrella, covered by his blood, and then we apply that blood liberally.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_03So um also the full armor of God. We, you know, this is such a beautiful thing in Ephesians 6. And um, I wrote a set of declarations that you can get on our website for free, or you can buy the little hard copy that we sell. But I'm just gonna read this to you. And this is this is I don't know, if you're watching YouTube, you can see it. It's it's made to be visually appealing for kids so that they can learn about all the different parts of the armor of God. But this is what it says today I put on the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness. I believe your truth and I allow your righteousness to be my guard. I fit my feet with the gospel of peace and strategically bring your kingdom to every place my feet go. I take up the shield of faith so that I can extinguish all evil, and I lift up the sword of the Spirit so I may advance your kingdom. I place the helmet of salvation securely on my head. My mind is washed by the blood of Jesus, and my thoughts mirror his. I live completely aware of the perfect blood of Jesus that frees me to love you and to be loved by you. Because of all you have done for me, my life radiates your love to everyone I touch. And so when your kids, this you could read over them, you know, I will I will change declarations to include my family. So I would say, today, as the Klaus and family, we put on the belt of truth, and I will change my pronouns so that I can declare it over my family. When your kids get older, you can read this together as a family. But when they're younger, you can literally just put on those uh the armor of God each day, just so that you're strategically aware of the protection that's available to us as Christians that live under the umbrella of his covenant.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. We uh, you know, the the words that come out of our mouth, the words that come out of our children's mouth, um have an incredible amount of power.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And uh, and so it's it's the testimony of our lips. And so as we speak over them the truth about who they are, as we as we train and equip them to speak over themselves about who they are, yes, um, that overcomes the nasty schemes of the world. Yes, it does. Um he he's actually left powerless once we know who we are and and that we're safe in the arms of Jesus under the blood of Jesus. Um that's just the way it works. And so the you know, the story I love to tell is Jesus gets baptized, comes out of the water, the father speaks over him truth. Yeah, this is my beloved son, in whom I'm well pleased. He's given him identity. Yes. Um, and it says the Bible says, immediately or instantly, he's drawn out into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil, um, which is crazy. Um, and the the devil approaches him, Satan approaches him and says, I think one of the most preposterous things, it doesn't make any sense, but it does make sense. He says to him, If you are the son of God, I mean our mind can't figure that out because we know who Jesus is retrospectively. Um, but here's Jesus, he's hungry, he's tired, and Satan is trying to tempt him out of his humanness, yeah, and tries to it tries to get him to basically um besmirch the reason that he came.
SPEAKER_03Besmirch. I'm sorry, you're gonna have to define that for me.
SPEAKER_01Came to he came to to abandon the thing that he that he was drawn to do. Okay, um, and and so it says that Jesus knew who he was, used scripture to defend it. Yeah, and then it's I always say it's my second favorite verse in the Bible. Yeah, but it says, and then Satan left. Yeah, and I love that because it was like he had nothing else, and that's why I want to try to convince the listeners of this podcast. He really doesn't have anything else um to actually try to disempower you other than to convince you that you aren't a son or daughter. Yeah, um, and so Jesus Jesus modeled it perfectly, even in his most weakened state, yeah, he knew who he was, and that's how we need to raise our children. That's that's the core of our value, the voice parenting course. Yeah, um, it's all about his voice and knowing what he speaks over us is true, and uh and and training our children in that. Yeah, um, and so you know, and then our kids need to be able to speak it out as the testimony of their lips actually silences the accusation. Um, and so I I love that, and and we just need to be very focused at and as parents in order to do that. And so, yes, there are nasty schemes, but once we know what they are, yeah, we just simply unplug them, yeah, um, and then they have no effect and Satan leaves. Yeah, love that.
SPEAKER_03And then it's just the last thing that I want to share is that uh fear belongs in the enemy's camp. Fear always is an emotion of the demonic.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_03And and when we um are wanting to pray over our children, uh, if it they're little, if they're young, you know, uh teens, if they're adults, we need to, before we begin to pray, spend time looking into the face of the father until he becomes so ginormous and the enemy reaches his proper size so that we have no place for fear and 100% place for trust, and we become captivated by him. And that just comes by spending time and reminding ourselves who he is, the creator of all the universe who spoke it into existence with his word. He is all powerful and almighty. The enemy is a created being who fell and he can only counterfeit what the creator can do. And so we have to begin our prayers when we're looking at, you know, praying uh, you know, protection over our families, that it comes from that place of enormous faith in who God is. He is enormously powerful. We are made in his image. We have the blood of Jesus that was shed for us, that defeated the enemy for all of time. And when we have that expanding before us, then we can come and we can pray for protection for our family, not from a place of fear, but from a place of trust and great confidence in who he is.
SPEAKER_01So one of the other really powerful words that the Father gave us as families at the beginning of the creation uh is the word subdue. So, you know, fill the earth, be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. That was actually handed to families uh as a mandate. And so the word subdue is actually the word kibosh, if you ever put a kibosh on something, that expression. Um, and and the literal interpretation of the word kibosh is actually footstool to put something under your feet. And so we were actually given uh given dominion on this earth, and the enemy was to be under our feet. The only way the enemy got power is if Adam and Eve gave it to them, gave it to him, and that's exactly what happened. He was powerless um until we actually gave him our dominion. Well, Jesus came and brought the dominion back to where it belonged, and actually uh he has all authority in heaven and earth, and he's given it back to us. And so we're we're actually supposed to run still with the subduing power of Jesus and his blood. And so the enemy is defeated, um, but we need to keep him under our feet. And here's the sobering part the only way that he gets power and dominion is if we give it to him. And so we're we're supposed to rule in the presence of our enemies. But here's the crazy part, I believe. I believe this is a a gift given to mothers and fathers, grandparents, um, to because it's it's a family mandate.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_01Um, and so if you're a grandma and grandpa listening to this, I hope you are. Um, if you're a mom and dad, if you're a big brother and sister, and any of these relationships that we have, um, we actually have the authority to put the enemy under our feet. Yeah, um, and so that's true for young kids, it's true for older kids. Um, we can actually tell the devil where he can go, um, and that's under our feet, under Jesus' feet. The Bible says that Jesus says heaven and his throne and the earth is his footstool. That's the word subdue. So he's he's subdued, it's already done, it's under his feet. And the only way that he gets that Satan gets empowered is if we give it to him again. And so we just need to we need to understand our our rightful position um of sitting in Jesus in heavenly places, and that the enemy is under our feet. And so don't lose heart, mom and dads. Don't lose heart, mom and dads, of prodigals or kids who have walked away. Um, just speak with authority and take that place that was given to you to subdue the enemy. Um so you know, we can we can protect them, we can guard them from the nasty schemes, but we can also just subdue them. Um, just put them down where they belong so that they don't get a chance to touch our children. Um, and that's that's our role. That's that's one part that we play in the kingdom. That's good. It's a big part. It is a big part. Yeah, we need to take it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, we do.
SPEAKER_01Do you want to close us in prayer?
SPEAKER_03Sure. Lord Jesus, we are thankful that your death and resurrection has given us authority. That's what your blood has done. And as your brothers and sisters, we walk in all the things that you walked in. You said that we'll do even greater works than you've done. And you had every ounce of authority over the storms, over the demons, over sickness, over death. Yeah. None of it could hold you. No, Lord, show us what it looks like to walk in the authority that you've given us, fully confident, fully trusting. Yes, God, and executing your will on the face of this earth, and it all begins in our homes. We thank you that your good hand is on our children, that your good hand is on our marriages, on our families, and that you are trustworthy with it all. We love you. And by the blood of Jesus, we say amen.
SPEAKER_00Amen. If you would like to submit a question for Johnny and Amy to answer on a future episode, head over to the FAMology page on our website at gofam.org, or simply click the link in the caption below. And if you're enjoying the show, be sure to leave a review or a comment wherever you listen or watch. It really helps us out. Thanks for tuning in, and we'll see you next week.