Beautiful Battles at Home

Mary DeMuth's newest release, Beautiful Battle, has caught the attention of this mama. In the following video, Mary talks about one aspect of spiritual warfare we face as moms on a daily basis. My soul resonated with her story, as I've faced similar incidences in my own home. Watch the video, and then join me below for my story of overcoming the demonic influences in our home.

 
Beautiful Battle: 2 from Ufilmhouse.com on Vimeo.

I woke from a deep sleep to the terrorized screams of my three-year-old son. Rolling out of bed, I found my feet and ran to the bedroom adjacent to ours, my husband following behind. There stood Ezra, grasping his toddler bed frame with knuckles as white as the headboard. His eyes stared blankly out the window, widened with fright. His mouth hung open as the screaming reflected back off the glass and throughout the room.

It was evident to me he saw something outside naked to my visible eyes. By the look on his face, it could only be demonic. This mama knows when it's time to draw out her spiritual sword. Without thinking twice, I snatched my son from his terrorized bed and began to pray. (Insert tongues here.)

Daddy, who is also spiritually battle-ready, decided it was time to rearrange the room. Yanking the bed from its place at the window, he swung it up against an interior wall. He drew the blinds shut and arranged for a dresser to stand guard in front of the window.

We opened the closets to let any boogie men out and proceeded to anoint the room with oil crosses. Pleading the ever-protective blood of Jesus Christ, we brought peace and security back into our son's room.

Jesus has given us parents authority over the demonic strongholds in our childrens' lives.

"Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.
 He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick."

~ Luke 9:1-2

"And He said to them, 'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

~Luke 10:18-20

When our children come under the attack of the enemy, we have the Victor on our side. Call on His name, and the demons will flee.

For fun, I've included some photographs of our Warriors for Christ. I hope you enjoy them!

Ezra fell asleep reading the Word.

Gideon fell asleep ready for battle.

Hannah is a Worship Warrior.

Mary DeMuth is having a contest. You could win a copy of Beautiful Battle. To find out more, visit her blog. I'd love to hear your thoughts about your beautiful battle! Leave a comment below, and I might use it in a future blog post about spiritual warfare, my topic for this week.

~ Family Friday ~

Is It Spiritual or Just Bad Behavior?

As I was discussing children, things of the Lord and the issues of life with a friend, I began to see some things concerning my kids from a different perspective. I stopped looking at their behaviors in the natural and began to discern certain aspects in the spiritual.

The next evening, I sat in an uncomfortable chair with a seat of gold, listening to another woman share from the Parable of the Lost Coin. Her main point became the need for spiritual housecleaning in order to find that precious thing we've lost. Again, I received a new perspective concerning my children and their behaviors and attitudes. 

Between the two, God revealed that the issues I've been dealing with, rebellion, incesant whining and a lack of joy, are not physical or earthly issues. They are spiritual issues hanging over and onto my children. 

I had always wondered why disciplinary actions were not working with my children, no matter how consistent I was. I could put my children in time out, remove priviledges, ground them or even take them to the woodshed (no, I'm not abusive). When none of these techniques worked to stop the behaviors or change the attitudes, I would become frustrated and discouraged as a mother trying to raise children of good character who enjoy life and know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." (Ephesians 12-13) After receiving the Lord's promptings that weekend I realized I was fighting a spiritual battle, not one with my children. Where I was attempting to discipline in the natural, I needed to begin to battle in the spiritual.

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:3-5) It's time to go to battle in prayer. My war is not with my children. My war is with the things that would try to keep my children from the knowledge of God. My war is with the spiritual attitudes that come against all that I pour into them throughout the day and during their nightly prayers. 

I have pulled my copy of Stormie Omartian's The Power of a Praying Parent off the shelf. Since she has chapters concering joy, listening to the truth vs. the lies, rebellion vs. obedience and more, I am able to get very specific in my prayers concerning my individual children. I continue to pour the Word into them when I speak with them concerning their attitudes. I have realized physical discipline isn't what is needed when dealing with attitude and emotion. No. My answer is prayer.

I am thankful for this revelation. I have hope where despair tried to creep in. I have peace where frustration reigned. And my kids have a new mother who understands her authority in the role of parenting. It's through the victory that Jesus provided on the cross.