Warrior Mamas Series Part Two: Combatting the Lies of the Enemy with God’s Truth
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after widows and orphans in distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” -James 1:27, NIV
I have found myself wondering lately why so many teens fall away from God by the time they leave home. Of course, this is not an easy answer, and it’s clearly multifactorial, but I believe it is an important question for us to ask ourselves as Christian parents. The verse that came to mind as I was contemplating this question was James 1:27, specifically where God says through James that we are to keep ourselves from being polluted by the world.
Why Christian Parents Must Help Children Discern Truth from Lies
We live in a broken world with many subtle temptations and lies that can, over time, draw our children away from God. Satan uses lies to make us think that living apart from God and His ways is actually a good thing. He uses beliefs from culture, media, news, and entertainment to make our broken world not look so bad after all. He tries to convince us to believe things that may sound good on the surface but take God’s truth and glory out of the equation.
We are fed these beliefs in ways that often make them seem good and true, or at least partly true. However, when we examine them in the light of God’s truth, we can see the deception for what it really is.
The problem is that we, too, have grown up with these deceptive “half-truths,” so sometimes it is difficult for us as parents to recognize them as lies. They are often taught implicitly rather than explicitly through movie plots, song lyrics, social media posts, and cultural messages. So how do we discern truth from deception?
I have found that the more I focus on truth, spending time with God, reading His Word, and hearing godly truth from others, the more the Holy Spirit enables me to discern truth from the lies of the enemy in this world. The light of truth in my mind exposes deception and helps me clearly see the difference.
“But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible.” — Ephesians 5:13–14, NIV
Our job as parents is to not only see through the deception of the world and protect our children from it (see Guarding Our Children from the Lies of the Enemy) but to teach our children to discern what is true from what is false. If our children can recognize deception for what it is, they can choose not to believe it. And if they don’t believe it, they won’t follow in its ways.
Teaching Children to Combat Lies with God’s Truth
Because we cannot protect our children from every lie steeped into our culture, we need to teach them to recognize cultural lies and counteract them with God’s truth. Below are several common lies our children encounter, along with practical ways to talk through them with your kids in light of Scripture.
Lie #1: Life revolves around me.
God’s Truth: Life revolves around God.
“For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth… all things have been created through Him and for Him.” — Colossians 1:16, NASB
The world wants us to believe that life revolves around us, not God, even though He created all things, including us, for His glory. One of the biggest lies our culture promotes is that life is all about personal happiness and self-fulfillment. From a young age, we are taught to look out for ourselves, so we can be happy, successful, and comfortable.
Our culture also teaches that we can make our own rules about what is best, disregarding authority and even God Himself. When your children encounter this message through media, entertainment, or school, consider reading Colossians 1:16–18 together. These verses open the door to discussing how God is at the center of life and how we are called to live as His humble servants.
Lie #2: I need things and people to fulfill me.
God’s Truth: Only God can truly satisfy me.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” — Psalm 23:1, NIV
The world constantly tells us that we need things, not God, to feel fulfilled. Several years ago, after watching The Princess Diaries with my daughter, I began to notice this lie woven throughout the storyline: beauty, popularity, money, romance, and status bring fulfillment. While the movie does include some positive elements, it still subtly promotes the idea that fulfillment comes from worldly things.
Like this movie, advertisements, songs, and peers can convince our children that they need something more than God to be satisfied. After watching the movie, my daughter and I talked about how true fulfillment is found in our identity in Christ, and how worldly pursuits may satisfy temporarily but ultimately leave us empty.
Psalm 23 is a wonderful passage to read with children as you discuss how Jesus, our Good Shepherd, fulfills our deepest needs.
Lie #3: I can do anything I put my mind to with no need for God.
God’s Truth: I can do all things God calls me to with His help.
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” — Philippians 4:13, NIV
This lie is so prevalent in our culture that it often sounds right on the surface. Confidence and perseverance are good traits, but apart from God, they can easily lead to pride. The truth is that we cannot accomplish anything of eternal value apart from God.
We often see this lie promoted in sports, entertainment, and award ceremonies, where people celebrate success without acknowledging the Giver of their gifts. When your children encounter this message, remind them of Philippians 4:13 and point out examples of people who give God the glory for their abilities. Every gift we have comes from Him and is meant to bring Him glory.
Lie #4: It’s better to have fun by the world’s standards than by God’s standards.
God’s Truth: True, lasting fulfillment comes from God.
“I said to myself, ‘Come on, let’s try pleasure.’ But I found that this, too, was meaningless.” — Ecclesiastes 2:1, NLT
Our culture is addicted to fun, and this lie can be especially dangerous for children. When I watched Ferris Bueller’s Day Off with my husband, I realized how strongly the message of pleasure-over-obedience is promoted. While we want our children to enjoy life, when fun takes priority over respecting authority and following God’s ways, it leads them down a destructive path.
We can counter this lie by teaching our children to find joy in spending time with God, attending church, serving others, and obeying his commands. Even during vacations, we can make sure our time is filled not just with worldly fun, but also God-given pleasures like enjoying His creation, spending time in prayer, and sharing His love with others. Children who experience a relationship with God will find deeper satisfaction in Him than in any worldly pleasure.
Lie #5: Death is scary and to be avoided at all costs.
God’s Truth: Death means eternal life through Jesus.
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” — Philippians 1:21, NIV
As a society, we are deeply uncomfortable with death. Fear surrounding illness, aging, and dying dominates much of our culture. While death is painful and loss is heartbreaking, as believers we do not need to fear it. We have the hope of eternal life and the promise of being with Jesus forever.
When children hear fearful messages about death, remind them that God determines the length of our lives and that Heaven awaits those who trust in Him. Talk often about Heaven, while also emphasizing God’s purpose for our lives here on earth. Be prayerful and sensitive when discussing this topic, especially given the rising mental health concerns among children and teens.
Raising Children Who Walk in God’s Truth
While we do live in a world full of lies and deception, we can be so thankful that we have truth from God’s Word and the Holy Spirit to keep us on track. When we take the time to equip our children to keep their eyes on Jesus and walk in His truth, our kids will be able to spot deception and stay clear of Satan’s pull to follow the world. Let’s be praying that our children will have receptive hearts to receive God’s truth and walk freely in it!
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” — 3 John 1:4, NIV
For more ideas to encourage your kids to read God’s Word, so they can discern truth from lies, check out my blog,How to Encourage Your Kids to Prioritize God’s Word.
Check out my Armor of God Devotional which helps your children to be aware of the enemy and fight off his attacks through God’s Word and prayer.
