Will you engage in the battle for your family?

On December 12, 2010 I heard a phrase roll off the tongue of my then 5 year old son that no mother should ever have to hear. In the most evil voice I have ever heard my son use, he said “I wish I had a gun so I could shoot you…then you’d be DEAD! I hate you!” As he ran down the hall and into his room slamming and locking the door behind him, the words cut through to the VERY core of me. Even to this day the very thought of those words shoot through me with a chill that I can’t explain.

That night I was completely and utterly horrified. Dozens of thoughts and conversations began to litter my head “does he realize the implications of what he’s saying? Of course he doesn’t, he’s only 5 years old!” I reasoned. “Does he really want me dead? No, of course not! I’m his mother and he loves me!” Question after question cluttered my mind. “Does he understand what dead means? Does he understand the lasting effects it would have on him? What about his father? What about everyone else if he were to do what he so angrily spewed out?”

I sat on the floor in a puddle of tears, my mind in a state of absolute chaos. I had no clue what to do. I was afraid of my own son. I needed Jesus to help me, but I didn’t know how to pray. The only thing I knew to do was call out His name and He would hear me. 

"Jesus... Jesus.... Abba Father... Jesus"

Even if I didn’t make an audible sound (which I couldn’t) He knew the situation and could intercede in my weakness. (Romans 8:26 – 27) I sobbed and continued to call out the name of Jesus. There is such power in that name. Soon, a sense of peace and calmness washed over me. When I had composed my self enough to pick up the phone, I called my mom and we talked and prayed. I thank God every day that He blessed me with a Godly mom who prays for me! The next morning I also incorporated the prayer power of close friends. Their prayers are working but I too have a part to play. I have to engage in the battle and pray...even if I don't know how or what to pray. 

That is why this story doesn’t end there. Since that night in December, I have taken a proactive (princess warrior) approach to winning the spiritual battles going on in my house. Shortly after this night, a few friends agreed to come over and blessed my house. After arriving home from work that night, I could tell right away that something was different. There was a sense of calmness. In fact, I could feel a sense of God’s peace in a way I never had felt in the house before. It was a wonderful feeling. It was quiet. There was no anger present. For days it remained calm (chaos free) and I continued to thank God for what He had done. Through the blessing of my home, my friends (prayer warriors) had declared that the house belonged to the Lord and that the spirits of anger, offense, disobedience, and defiance were not welcome there. They had declared this for my house, but I hadn’t declared anything…until… one Sunday afternoon several months later.

I was busy making dinner so my husband decided to take my son upstairs for a shower. My son wanted no part of the shower so the “battle of wills” began and continued to escalate as they moved up the stairs and into the bathroom. I could hear the anger in one voice and the defiance in the other. Tired of hearing it all, I slammed the dish towel down on the counter and in that moment I engaged in the battle.

“God, I need your help right now. Satan, I have had just about enough of you! Get behind me (Matthew 16:23), this time you are not going to win because I am going to stand up and fight for my family!” 

 I boldly walked to the foot of our staircase and my sword drawn and ready (the sword of God - Eph. 6: 10-17) and confidently said “spirit of anger you are not welcome here – get out of this house in the mighty name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.”

With sword still drawn I continued “spirits of opposition and defiance you are not welcome here either – get out of this house and go to the very depths of hell where you belong. As for you Satan, my husband will love me as Christ loved the church and he and my son will be might men of God and you cannot have either one of them in the name of Jesus Christ – now get out and stay out!” 

I’d say I was on a bit of a mission, wouldn’t you?

Now here’s the cool part – in that instant everything got really quiet upstairs. The crying and carrying on stopped. All I heard was talking in a regular voice and the sound of running water. 

Laughter instantly replaced the chaos of the moment.

You could have knocked me over with a feather. Don’t you just love it when God shows up? I looked up toward heaven and said “Um, thanks God. I know it’s not going to be that easy all the time but I sure appreciate you showing up in a big and mighty way tonight. You never cease to amaze me.”

My faith increased that night in a BIG way and since then, I have resolved to pray big, bold princess warrior prayers until something happens. I know I can’t go into this battle lightly and I know things will probably get worse before they get better; but so be it. In the end I know who ultimately wins the battle! I will continue to equip myself daily with the proper armor (Eph 6:10 - 17).
 

Romans 8:36-39 (MSG) So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture: They kill us in cold blood because they hate you. We’re sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one. None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.