Teach Your Kids to Fight! Spiritual Warfare for Children
“When I am afraid, I will trust in You. When I am afraid, I will trust in You.” Over and over she said these words aloud as she tentatively ventured into the dark room. Then she spotted it. The prize she sought…Mickey Mouse! She grabbed him. And SWOOSH! She was gone. Fast as she could. Back into the living room and the safe haven of the fluorescent bulb. “I did it! I said my verse, and I wasn’t afraid!” And with that Mikaela (only 3 years old at the time) had just fought and won her first encounter with spiritual warfare!
Warfare Can Be Child’s Play
The concept is not hard. The Word has power, and it is our weapon against every tactic of the enemy. Even a child can fight this battle.
Psalm 56:3 was the verse of the month for Mikaela’s preschool. When she said she was scared to go into the dark room to get her toy by herself I told her she was never alone and to remember her verse. She immediately put the Word to work and won her fight with fear!
“For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds,” 2 Corinthians 10:4
“For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword,” Hebrews 4:12a
Faith Like a Child
Mikaela was memorizing scripture before her second birthday. I say this not to brag on her or myself but rather to make a point; our kids are designed by their Creator with a much greater capacity for His truths than we often realize.
Go ahead, give it a try. You’ll be amazed how quickly your little one will catch on. I remember vividly having an ultra sound while pregnant with Holden and Mikaela (then 2) asking the technician if she knew John 3:16. Thankfully, she did! And they proceeded to quote it together. 🙂
John 3:16, Prov. 3:5 and Matthew 22:37 are great ones to start with. Practice in the morning over breakfast. Say them before bed. And the greatest time I’ve found is driving around in the car. Turn off the radio and tune your kids into the Holy Spirit! Seeing them discover His Words for the first time will bless your soul.
So go ahead…teach your kids to fight!
Practical How-To’s
Write out these verses several times on 3×5 note cards. (And any other scripture the Lord may bring to your heart for your child.) Choose one to start with. Now, place a card on the kitchen table, on their nightstand, in the car… Each time you see it say it together. They will memorize faster than you imagine. And in my experience, it wasn’t long until my babies began reminding me of scripture right when I needed it most.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,” John 3:16a
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart.” Proverbs 3:5
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Matthew 22:37
The Word is alive and active. Plant it in the hearts of your children and imprint it on their minds. Plant and water the seed of the Word of God in your kiddos. Then watch in wonder as the Master of the universe causes it to grow!
“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:6-9
For more on spiritual warfare for you and your kids check out:
