What constitutes spiritual warfare? Maybe the first question should be, ‘What is spiritual warfare?’ Wikipedia suggests it is, “the concept of fighting against the work of preternatural evil forces.” Biblically, we first see it at work with the serpent’s lies in the Garden of Eden, Genesis 3:4-5. The conflict between forces of darkness and the Light has been present since the beginning.

C.S. Lewis depicts the battle well in The Screwtape Letters when Screwtape urges his apprentice devil to “encourage the humans to take the pleasures which our Enemy (God) has produced, at times, or in ways, or in degrees, which He has forbidden.” Attacks typically start with a lie that produces a temptation that, in turn, is allowed to manifest into an addiction, love for an idol, a dependent relationship or other sinful engagement.

You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. – John 8:44. The devil is alive and well today in our culture spewing lies through media that willfully repeats them ad nauseam. The good news of course is that, as a Christian, one has the power of the resurrected Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to rebuke him. But as God told Cain, “… if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”- Genesis 4:7. The clarity between right and wrong, good versus evil exists with the word of God but culture is always crouching at the door to introduce confusion. It is through Jesus the Christ, the Word become flesh, that dads can glean spiritual clarity in a confused culture. Culture is always at work to gain an upper hand influence over a generation. Lies that pervert absolute truth have introduced a new level of confusion when it comes to self-identity, drugs, alcohol, hooking up and pornography. The charge for dads and moms is to provide spiritual influence through their day-to-day example in the home that will glorify the Heavenly Father and provide the grounding the next generation needs to make wise choices in the midst of today’s cultural influences.

With her Delusion series, Laura Gallier provides parents and kids with a C.S. Lewisesque fictional depiction of spiritual warfare going on today, particularly around children. Through excellent writing and story-telling, complete with multi-sensory imagery of the spiritual realm, she provides a resource I highly recommend for all dads and moms. The home must be a safe place for discussion around all things spiritual – what to embrace and what to rebuke. The charge to dads is to tune-in and stand firm against spiritual warfare.

Prayer guide: Father, thank You for Your word and Your victory over evil. I confess I have belittled spiritual warfare and allowed the serpent’s words, “Did God really say …?” to introduce confusion around Your commands. Forgive me. I commit to tune-in to a new level of sensitivity to the devil’s schemes by reading Scripture, The Screwtape Letters and the Delusion series. Help me lead the way in equipping my family with discernment to know what to embrace and what to rebuke spiritually to Your glory. That is the dad You call me to be and that’s the dad my kids need to see. Amen.

A faithful father tunes-in and stands firm against spiritual warfare.