God created man to have fellowship with Him. Satan’s goal is to destroy that fellowship and everything that God said was good. When God was finished creating the earth and everything in it, He saw that it was very good. God placed man in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it. God saw it was not good that man was alone so He took a rib from Adam and created Eve to be Adam’s helper. They were to become one flesh. Together they were to be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it, and they were to have dominion over the fish, birds, and every living thing that moves on the earth. God had a perfect design. Life was good and fellowship with God was sweet.
Satan did not like what God had done and set out to destroy. Satan deceived Adam and Eve to go against God. What happened after that was not good. At that moment, death, pain, sorrow, and tears entered the world. Satan continues to draw people away from God and an abundant life using lies and deception.
Satan knows how powerful the family unit can be and it is his goal to destroy it. God created man and woman to have fellowship with Him and as the means to carry out His plan of procreation. God also uses the husband/wife relationship to pass His legacy down to the next generation. When the family unit is run God’s way, it works. When a man takes on the responsibility to love, care for, and nurture his family, life is good. He cannot do that all on his own so God designed a helpmate to help him with that task. Selflessly, they are to come together with the same goals so the family can be all God created them to be.
The following are some ways that Satan has deceived people in order to destroy the family:
- Tear apart God’s design for authority in the family
- God gave man the responsibility to love, care for, and nurture his family. Man was to sacrifice his wants and desires to benefit the family. He was to lead his family in a way that would bring honor and glory to God’s name. His home was to be a safe haven where love and sacrifice abounded. Satan deceived man to take his position of authority and use it for his gain instead taking care of his family. As a result, women were stepped on and torn down. When they got tired of being treated like dirt, they rebelled. I believe the feminist movement came out of being mistreated by men. Man being the head of the household was/is not the problem; the problem was/is man’s abuse of his position. We need men who will step up to the plate and take seriously that it is their job to provide for, love, and take care of their families.
- God designed for parents to train and teach their children about Him and His commands. Satan has done everything in his power to undermine the authority of parents. Satan has gotten our country in a place where parents are too busy (two parents working, sports, TV, etc) to talk, teach, and train their children and has replaced them with “things” that are talking, teaching, and training children to do and be everything that goes against God. Children are being deceived left and right. Parents are trying to stop the rebellion by just controlling the behavior. Parents need to get back to talking, teaching, and training their children.
- Make the sexual union just an activity
- God designed sex as a way to keep His creation going. In Genesis Chapter Two, God created man male and female, blessed them, and instructed them to be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. A male and a male or a female and a female cannot multiply. God’s ideal is that a man and woman come together in love and that love produces children. Those children are a part of each of them and together they are to raise them to love and honor the Lord.
- The “Free love” movement started in the 1960’s and has played a huge part in breaking down the incredible bond that a one-and-only relationship can have. We see this movement has caused men to be irresponsible when it comes to raising their own children. It has caused men to look at women as sex objects instead of a treasure to be gotten and kept. Women have been used and tossed away like dirty rags.
- Sex is a wonderful, powerful gift from God. A pure, intimate relationship is filled with love, joy, and great satisfaction. It is a safe place where two people become so entwined that nothing can tear them apart. God designed sex to be part of the way a man and women become one flesh physically, emotionally, and spiritually. God tells us in Hebrews 13:4 that the marriage bed is honorable and undefiled. Sex outside of the marriage bed will be judged.
- Allow others to take over the responsibilities that were given to the parents
I believe it is very important to have people walk alongside the family to help pass along good values and ethics. The problem is when you have too many people stepping in, your children end up being taught things that go against what you are trying to teach them and confusion sets in.
For example:
- Children go to schools where not only is God not welcome, children are often taught things that go against God’s ways and commands. Many schools undermine the parents.
- Often, parents expect the church to be the ones to be responsible to pass God’s legacy to the next generation. The church has your children a couple hours a week. Deuteronomy Chapter Six is clear that it is the parents’ job to pass God’s legacy to their children 24/7. We see with 80% of kids leaving the church after youth group that we need parents who will teach and talk about God everyday in their homes.
- Children are having children and expecting the grandparents to take on the responsibility that is meant for the parents.
- Boys are getting girls pregnant and walking away from their responsibilities and expecting the government to take on what they should be doing.
As Christians, we need to wake up and fight against the attacks of Satan. Where do we start? What can we do? I will discuss in future blogs what can be done to strengthen the family once again. Feel free to share other ways that you feel Satan is attacking the family.
Living For Him 