Families face many challenges today. It can be difficult for families to cope with day-to-day life, let alone unravel themselves from the sins that entangle us. As parents, we don’t want to see our children stuck in sin. We spend their formative years helping them to combat sin and live God-glorifying lives.
But everyone stumbles into sin at some point. We shouldn’t fight it alone. But with so many families living separate lives, how do families fight the battle of sin together?
Here are 7 ways to fight sin as a family:
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1. Pray Together
The saying, “the family that prays together, stays together” is true. It is really hard to be mad at someone when you are on your knees praying. Matthew 18:20 says, “when two or three are gathered, there I am with them.” Satan uses sin to divide families. Yet, Jesus relied on the words of His heavenly father whenever He was tempted. The account of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness shows us:
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, "It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”
Instead of relying on His own strength, he relied on the Scripture he had hidden away in his heart.
When a family prays together, it bonds them in a special way. It creates an environment where family members can be honest in their prayer lives. It creates a sense of trust, and intimacy is built when a family feels free to pray for themselves, their friends, and the world.
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2. Read God’s Word
It seems like this might be an easy solution, but the word of God does not only encourage us, but it convicts us of our sin as well. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
3. Be Nurturing
When God convicts us of the sin in our lives, it is easy to want to run away and hide. Like Adam and Eve, we want to cover up our sin, or risk being condemned for it. But God removed our shame for us on the cross. One of the things children need from their parents is the promise a parent is going to be there for them no matter what. When a child knows a parent is there for them, it is easier for them to confess their sin without the risk of judgment.
Nurturing can come in many different forms. Praying together as a family or praying one-on-one child is a great way to keep the lines of communication open so when a child does fall into sin, they know you are there to extend a hand and help them through the process of wholeness.
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4. Recognize Sin for What it Is
Although it can be hard to hear if a family member is in sin, don’t worry. James 4:7 says, “submit yourselves then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” We can put on our armor of God every day. During your prayer time as a family, role play and pretend you are warriors preparing for battle. Ephesians 6:14-17 says, “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Sin is a battle. Every family needs to prepare for it. There is no better preparation than to arm your family with the truth of God’s word, to be secure in your family’s salvation and being willing to make peace no matter what sin is plaguing the family.
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5. Be a Good Role Model
Children learn behaviors based on what they see at home. Parents, although they don’t have to be perfect, should do their best to be good role models for their children. Letting your children see you pray and spend time in the Word is good for them. This will increase the likelihood they will want to follow in your faith.
Although Christ atoned for our sins on the cross, a good role model is a parent who says he or she is sorry when they make a mistake, offers to make peace when necessary and tries to live out what they learn in Scripture. By modeling these qualities, a child will learn in tangible ways what the Bible says. When children can do this, they will see Scripture move from a working head knowledge to becoming the hands and feet of Christ.
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6. Be Authentic
Jesus was not a fan of the Pharisees. This was because they were experts in the Law—and were not afraid to show off how much they knew. Jesus said to them, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside, you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” The Pharisees cared more about their appearance than about living for God. They knew all the right things to say, but their actions spoke volumes about what they believed in their hearts.
Children don’t need a parent who knows all the right things to say yet acts differently. Your actions as a parent speak volumes to the message you send to them about what you think, feel and believe. If you can be a parent who makes amends when you are wrong and lives out your life in ways that show you really follow Christ, this will go a long way in battling sin as a family, rather than individuals.
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7. Know Whose You Are
It is one thing to say you believe the Scriptures, it is another to live like it. As a family, go through the Bible and find Scriptures that reiterate who God says you are. A great verse to start with is 1 John 3:1: “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” There is nothing we can do to separate us from God’s love. When each family member remembers who they are in Christ, it helps for them not to fall into sin.
Parenting is never easy. As parents, we need to make sure we support our children in every way, especially when sin is involved. When we as parents can act as good role models, providing the example of authenticity, peace and love, the enemy will have no choice but to flee.
Michelle S. Lazurek is an award-winning author, speaker, pastor's wife and mother. Winner of the Golden Scroll Children's Book of the Year, the Enduring Light Silver Medal and the Maxwell Award, she is a member of the Christian Author's Network and the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. She is also an associate literary agent with Wordwise Media Services. For more information, please visit her website at michellelazurek.com.
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Originally published Monday, 18 May 2020.
