Guarding Your Children - Angela Grice
Guarding your Children
For our 25th Anniversary last year, my husband and I took a trip to Ireland. We had always dreamed of traveling there and finally made plans to go. One thing I wanted to do was visit a ton of castles. Castles have always intrigued me, and just thinking about the age of the buildings and how the people lived at the time they were built really, interests me.
At one castle in particular, The Rock of Cashel, in County Tipperary, it was amazing to be standing inside a building that dated to 1100. They started building it more than 900 year ago! As the years went on, more and more was added to the castle, making it a strong fortress against invasion.
The main reason people built castles was to protect their families. Most castles had many layers which attackers had to tackle in order to breach the castle walls. The Rock of Cashel was built high upon a hill made of large boulders. It was the perfect place for this castle’s location because you can see for miles around in each direction. If anyone was coming to attack it, there was plenty of time to ready the soldiers and prepare for a defense.
There are so many ways Satan can attack our children these days. Evil influences can enter your home through television and movies, social media, the internet, YouTube, game systems, music, friends, activities, sports and more. If we aren’t in our towers watching for these breaches to our home, it could be too late to do anything. As mothers, we can learn so much from a medieval castle design to teach us about guarding our children from evil attackers and invaders.
Let’s look at some of the layers of protection used by castle builders.
Outer Gate – this will stop people before they even enter the first layer. Ask yourself, “What business does this person have here?” Question their motives. Check for hidden ways to enter. Things are so much different today than they were when we were kids. There are tons of hidden entry points.
2. Moat – this layer is filled with obstacles and makes it hard to move beyond. Don’t just open the doors to your home and allow visitors to come and go as they wish (even through the internet).
3. Outer Wall – The first “wall” you come to. Make outside influences justify their purpose in your child’s life.
4. Buffer Zone – This area is between the two walls and has no places to hide from view. They are completely out in the open here. Evil influences will not want to hang out here for very long for fear of being seen and stopped.
5. Look Out Points – All castles have towers or look out points where you can climb up very high to look down on any possible threats or dangers that may be approaching. This is so important. Pray for wisdom from God to be able to see the dangers. Some dangers do not appear dangerous at first, so you need help from others and God to spot them.
6. Inner Wall – This layer keeps threats away from the place where your family feels most comfortable.
7. Inner Courtyard – the place where your children play and relax. It is very easy to lose your children to evil influences here, especially if you do not know they are there. Search for them here. Do periodic checks of all electronic devices and game systems. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
8. Home Wall – The final layer of the home itself. Most guests were only allowed to enter the inner courtyard and not beyond that.
9. Home – the ultimate place of safety. Be diligent in watching out for your children’s safety.
Are your children protected from evil influences? Are there any gaps where predators, attackers and invaders can come in? Immerse your children in biblical truth, monitor what and who influences them, pray for them faithfully, lead them to hate sin and have an appropriate fear of God, and encourage them to make their own decisions with the help of God. Our children need protection from harmful worldly and evil influences.
Ephesians 6:10-13 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.