Introduction
You don’t have to look far to see families that have fallen apart. Maybe it has affected you or you know someone who has a broken family. It is no surprise as we see the skyrocketing divorce rate.
From the deterioration between the husband and wives to the rebellion of the children the strongholds of Satan are evident. We quickly learn that the sins of the parents are easily passed onto the children.
Satan has been using these strongholds for thousands of years. Actually it can be traced back to the first family, Adam & Eve. I believe that Satan has made his goal, next to destroying you, to destroy the family. He knows that if he can destroy the family, or at least change its purpose, then he can destroy a nation.
As I told you last Sunday, revival in the church begins in the home, revival of a nation begins in the family, but also we can say that destruction of a nation begins in the destruction of a family.
Today I want to look at the strongholds of the family that Satan uses to tie down or hinder the family.
What is a stronghold?
The word stronghold is used eight times in the Bible. Each time it can be defined as a fortress or hold. It gives us the idea of great castles with their high walls that almost seemed to be impregnable. Maybe even Jericho who’s walls rose 50 to 60 feet in the air. Actually it is said that Jericho had two walls one 6 feet thick and the other 12 feet thick. This seemed to be impossible to overcome.
Yet the Bible says that when the Israelites came to the city the inhabitants of Jericho shut the city up in fear. They were afraid. You see no matter what strongholds the devil has on your family the devil is afraid of the Lord. He knows that there is one that is greater and stronger than he is. He knows the verse “Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world”.
And we know the story the walls fell. The Bible not only says they fell but the fell flat. Yet they had to fall. It was the only way Israel could get to the promised land. Let me tell you the only way you will have peace and happiness in your family and for that matter in your life is that you break the strongholds that the devil has placed. You begin to tear down the strongholds. And with the power of God you will not only make a hole but they will be destroyed. Oh if we could only see it in our family.
The devil knows this but he is a crafty and cunning creature. He will try to convince us that what we have is alright. He will try to deepen his claws in your family and tell you not to worry. Or he will attack your family and make you want to quit. But we must call it like it is and “Resist the devil for he will flee”.
You see the devil has been doing this for years. Our family is not the first family to be attacked by the devil. He actually began with the first family Adam and Eve.
Divide and conquer: divide the parents, divide the children
Satan’s first stronghold of the family is selfishness
In the verses we read we see that after God had created Eve and looked at his creation and his new family he saw all that he had done and said that it was good. But this joy would not last for long.
You see the Devil and God had this battle going on. We don’t know how long but it could have been a numerous of years. The devil wanted to be God and take in all the glory. When his attempt to take over heaven failed and he was cast out of heaven he tried the next best thing. If God would not worship him he would destroy God’s creation. And so he set out.
The first stronghold that the devil uses against the family is the stronghold of selfishness. If the devil can get you to believe that you would be better off by not listening to God and his word. If he can get you to believe that the family was designed for your pleasure and when you get tired of them you can just leave. If he can get you to believe that you need to be looking out for number one and the pleasing of your self then he has got you.
You see when you have got your focus on yourself then you loose focus on others. This is what Eve did. Satan convinced her that she would be better off if she didn’t listen to Adam, who is the one that gave Eve the instructions, and did it her own way. He convinced that she could become and God. And that God is a liar. And you see that is a lie he has been telling us for centuries. And people have been duped into this. They have been convinced that God is not important, especially at my age as I have heard. That church is not important, I don’t need it. And that as long as I am happy I am alright.
This is selfishness and this is a stronghold that the devil places in the lives of the family. It creates disorder. It creates disunity.
And it wasn’t just Eve. Adam stood by as the Bible says and listened to all this and being a passive male did the same thing. First of all he should not have let another man or serpent talk to his wife. Second of all he should have protected his wife and not given in.
Selfishness in a family will cause people to reverse roles. Oh how we need to realize God did not create the family for our pleasure but for his.
Rebellion
Next we learn how sin not only affects the family but also the children. Adam and Eve bore two children Cain and Able. We don’t know their ages but we assume that they were taught the ways of the Lord especially when we see that they are sacrificing.
Yet God had a way to sacrifice and it was made clear. But we see that Cain came with his way. Cain rebelled against God and God rebuked him. As the Bible plainly teaches “Obedience is better than sacrifice.” It is better to obey God than offer sacrifice. Cain’s sacrifice was not accepted because he was going to rebel against the command of God.
Satan will use rebellion to tear down a family. When a child rebels against authority. That is why it is so important that at a young age a child is taught the authority and respect of a parent. Children have a natural tendency to resist, it is called the sin nature. But if a child is taught properly they will respect the authority of a parent. There is a difference between fear and respect. Fear is forced and respect is earned.
When rebellion is allowed to run rampant there is chaos. When a parent rebels against God’s command there is chaos. When children rebel against parents there is chaos. This is Satan’s tool. He knows that if he can keep your family in chaos and keep your life in chaos then he knows he can keep your mind more on your problem and confusion than on God. Oh we need to break the stronghold of rebellion. If we have never claimed our authority as a parent we must begin today.
Unresolved Anger
The last thing we see that happened is Cain got angry. God told him that “sin creepth at the door” waiting on an opportunity to get in. If he opened the door it would get in. This is why we are told in James, “not to give place to the devil”. If we give him place he will take it. If we open the door he will come in. Just as we hear the about the famous painting of Jesus standing at the door and knocking and notice that there is no door handle the door is opened from the inside. So is the same with sin and the devil the door opens from the inside.
In our families we need to resolve our anger. We must not carry a grudge. We must deal with it. Actually the Bible tells us that we need to deal with it before the sun goes down. If we don’t then it can easily lead to murder. Cain was so angry at God and his brother that he killed him. He murdered his brother in cold blood. You may not murder your brother in cold blood. You may not lure him to a field and kill him but you can just as easily do it with words. Anger makes us say things that under normal circumstances we would never say. Anger blinds us and causes us to feel self pity. It causes us to feel that the whole world is against us.
Oh how blinded we become when we allow the devil to build the strongholds in our families. You see the Bible says that the Israelites marched around the city 13 times until the walls fell. Why? I believe one of the reasons was because God wanted to give the city ample opportunity to repent instead of being defeated. If we keep the walls or strongholds in our family we will be defeated.
How to break the stronghold?
1. Recognize that you are fighting a spiritual battle
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
2. Ensure your foundation
Let your children know who is the Lord of your house and show them. This is what I began this family series with. It is so important that we make God our foundation so that he can stabilize the family and bring order to the home. Parents if you want to break these things that are tearing down your family then you make a decision today, “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord”. And you stand by your guns no matter what you face. Father you must stand for this. You must be a man, a real man, a godly man. Mothers you must make sure that what is in your home is of God. Children you must listen to your parents.
3. Build a strong marriage
We must also build a strong marriage. Strength lies in unity
4. Obey the biblical account of marriage.
Wives submit to your husband. Husbands sacrifice for your wife. Partnering together for the work of the Lord
5. Raise obedient and respectful children
“Spare the rod and spoil the child”. Listen to the mandate of scripture. Know that teaching a child does not mean just a continual negative attitude but sure you give your child more encouragement that discouragement. Being consistent and keeping balanced. An extreme to one side or the other could be deadly.
We as Fathers must learn not to provoke our children.
Conclusion
I think it is time that we began to take the advice of Nehemiah. When the nation was threatened by the power of the enemy he said in Nehemiah 4:14 Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
He is telling us, “Don’t be afraid: remember who is Lord, he is great (almighty, all powerful, all knowing God) and terrible (his wrath is great, his vengeance is greater), fight for your brother, fight for your sons, and your daughters, your wives and your families. Fight, fight, fight.
Hey I know it seems to be in some families that you do your best as a parent and it seems that the devil gets a hold of them. You have tried your best but they still don’t follow him. Let me tell you I don’t know what will happen with my children. I am praying and hoping that they will walk with the Lord but I will tell you if they are drawn it the hands of Satan it won’t be without a fight. All hell may come against me but we will fight. Praise God we will fight.
Isaiah 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper;
