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Day 4, Spiritual Warfare

And do not give the devil a foothold. Ephesians 4:27 (NIV)

Leah lived with her mom and six siblings. Leah, fifteen, was the oldest. Daily she was responsible for helping the younger ones with baths, making supper, cleaning the kitchen, and doing laundry. Her mom didn’t work and always had different men hanging around the house. Leah knew her mom did drugs, got drunk, and sold her body for sex to these men. She also knew she had to keep her three little sisters locked in her bedroom at night or they would be taken advantage of like she was. When her mom was passed out or high, the men wanted Leah to fulfill their wishes. Most nights she locked herself in the room and pushed the dresser against the door, hoping they’d give up and quit knocking. So many nights she stayed on the floor, holding the dresser in place, trying to hold back the fearful tears, unable to sleep.

No matter where Leah went, she had guys following her. Some tried to grope her. Others made sexual comments. She never dressed flaunty or wore clothes that showed skin, these boys and men were drawn to her like magnets. Leah tried to ignore it. Pushed them away. Told the bus driver or store clerks. But they wouldn’t leave her alone. She felt like a target was on her back.

At school, Leah loved her English classes. She was quiet, but her poems, essays, and answers were deep and thoughtful. Her teacher noticed the pain behind her words and hoped she would keep sharing. One day, Leah wrote a creative story that was an obvious cry for help. It was enough to make a phone call to Child Protective Services, which led to Leah and all her siblings being placed with an aunt on the other side of town.

Leah changed. She talked more. Her aunt did the cooking, cleaning, bathing, and washing and only asked Leah to assist occasionally. Her siblings each had a bed, and she even had her own room for the first time. Leah’s writing changed as she learned to live in a safe environment. Her aunt made sure they did homework and attended parent/teacher conferences. There were no men in and out of their home. And Leah learned to actually sleep at night.

Leah’s teacher noticed the changes and asked her to eat lunch in her room one day. The teacher made small talk for a few minutes, then she told Leah she was seeing major changes in her life in a positive direction. Leah smiled, hesitated, then spoke. “Thank you for making that call. I prayed you would see through my words.”

Her teacher reached over, patted her arm, and smiled. “You’re welcome.”

“I never felt safe. I always felt like I had a target on my back. I felt dirty. And I know this sounds crazy. But I always felt like something evil was watching me. Tormenting me in my dreams. I barely slept.

“But it’s different now. It’s like once we moved out, we got a fresh start.”

Leah and her teacher talked some more and then she headed back to class. Her teacher turned the light off in her office, buried her face in her hands, and let the tears fall. She thanked God for her own teacher many years ago who saw the abuse happening to her and made the call that saved her life. Then thanked God for the insight about the abuse happening to Leah and prayed for continued protection for her and her siblings. God used what the enemy tried to ruin her with to help save one of her students. In that moment, she understood even more that the evils of this world hold families hostage with children being the victims of adult choices.

Do the Heart Work

1. How have you seen God work in the life of your students by rescuing them from terrible circumstances?

2. What are the warning signs of abuse and evil in the lives of our students?

3. How can you change your prayers so that you will catch the warning signs in the actions of your students?

Digging Deeper

Read Ephesians 4:17-32 (NIV)

So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.

That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Once we come to Christ, we no longer live for the things of this world. We must recognize that it’s not a simple God’s way or the devil’s way. The battle for souls is huge. And when we go backwards, we join the enemy’s team.

If You Get Spare Time

When families, like Leah’s, allow that level of evil into their homes, it not only impacts the adults, but also the children. Fear and hostility lead to sleepless nights or sleep plagues with nightmares. When evil is invited into homes and abuse, neglect, and sexual impropriety reign supreme, children never feel safe and fight for their lives in ways we can never understand. Satan and his demons are in the homes of our children. And maybe even in our homes too. Family secrets, narcissism and excuses, and abuse fuel the efforts of evil. Whose team is ruling the homes of our students? How about our homes? God’s? Or the devil’s?