We fight many battles in our lives. Some are worth fighting, others….not so much!
(Is the dress blue & black or white & gold?)

I believe in a spiritual realm. I believe in a God who holds it all together, has a plan for this world and my life, and finishes the things He begins in us. But I also believe there is an enemy, the “Dark Side” if you will, working every minute of every day to thwart the plans and purposes of God. Yes, I believe evil exists.

I DO NOT believe evil will succeed. I DO NOT believe evil can conquer God or His people when they stand firm in Him. I only believe it’s a real thing and a battle we must fight in our lives from time to time.

There are two places the spiritual battles we fight are most intense.

1. Your Marriage
If you’re married, the enemy will do everything he can to destroy your marriage. Why? Because when a marriage is destroyed, everyone connected to that marriage is affected. In fact, the word “divorce,” means “a tearing” or “a ripping.” And that’s exactly what divorce is and does to families. I’m not saying there are never justifiable reasons for divorce, just that when it happens, it leaves a wake of fear, defeat, destruction, and devastation – even if the reasoning was justified.

I’ve heard it said, the best thing you can do for your children is love your spouse and make sure you have a great marriage. I think this is true. I can buy my kids everything under heaven, but it won’t provide security and trust. It’s interesting how children can sense when there is tension between their parents. Even that little bit of tension in an otherwise healthy marriage, can bring up feelings of fear and uncertainty in a child. Please, if you are married, win the spiritual battle for your marriage, first.

2. Your Children
We have always battled in the spiritual for our kids. Frankly, I don’t want to pass on to them my own dysfunctions from my upbringing (just admit it; we all have them!). I want them to be free of the things I have battled my whole life. They will have their own struggles….I can’t insulate them from that. But I can work hard in the spiritual to give them the best chance at not carrying whatever I carry. I see some of those things in my biological children.
But I really have felt it to a new level with this adoption. I don’t know what these kids have faced. I don’t yet know what wounds have been inflicted. I don’t understand yet what healing and patience will be required. But I know the enemy will fight all of that tooth and nail – against all my children.

Why? Why does the enemy care?
He doesn’t want the family tree to change.
If your family has a cycle of debt and bad money decisions which has handicapped generations……the enemy doesn’t want that to change.
If your family has an established history of addiction – alcohol, drugs, power, sex, etc – he doesn’t want that to fall away.
If your family has a history of divorce, abuse, or bad marriages, he wants that to continue.
if your family has ____insert issue here____the enemy of your soul wants you to remain a slave.
Because now he can control you. Now he’s got you. Now you can never walk in freedom, liberty, healing, and wholeness. You’ll always be a slave to whatever has mastered you.

Jesus came to change the game. He came to change our family trees. He came to GRAFT US IN to HIS FAMILY TREE. WOW!! That changes things!

The enemy doesn’t want the family tree, the destiny, the future of our children to change. He doesn’t want them to break off the chains of generations and live in the freedom found in Jesus. He doesn’t want Amy and I to fight in the spiritual to loosen his grip, through the power of Christ, on our children. He likes them right where they are.

He’s going to lose.

Will he lose in your life? Will he lose the battle he’s fighting to destroy your marriage, and by so doing, your family? Will you fight for what is yours? For what God has intended for good and right and beautiful? Or will you roll over for the lures of the world and the mirage of a better life?

Will he lose in the battle for your kids or will you fight to change their family tree? Particularly if your kids are adopted….will you fight to break off the old chains and loosen the grip the enemy has had on their biological family which put them in this position to begin with? Will you lay it all on the line to win the war?

Psychology is important and counseling helpful but some things only come, are only loosed, are only defeated through fasting and prayer. If you’re fighting a seemingly loosing battle in your marriage or with your children, biological or adopted, have you tried fighting, not only in the natural with words, attitudes, new habits, and doctors appointments, but in the spiritual? Fast and Pray; Speak words of life; Speak words of change; Speak prophetically, like the prophets of old, over your children and watch the old things in them die, heal, break off, and loose them to a new place of freedom where their family tree has completely changed.

This is heavy. This is important. This is often overlooked by parents. So many children and marriages remain in shambles because we fail to fight spiritually. All battles are inherently spiritual. Fight there first and see God bring amazing victory out of what once looked like certain defeat. Maybe I’m naive. Maybe I’ll know better when our kids come home, but I don’t think so……Their family tree is changing! They’ve come under my covering, now! The battle is The Lord’s and will be fought and won in the spiritual realm!
What battles do you need to start fighting in the spiritual?