Take Charge, Men
The world has gone insane… culture is twisted and serves the anti-christ and its values.
There is and has been a concerted, engineered, diabolical plan to destroy culture (and men are at the top of the list), by destroying truth -first by subtly changing it, then by twisting it a little, then by affirming outright lies to be truth and truth to be lies…
In a hundred different ways, anti-truth ideas are implanted in our minds – those who are vigilant and attempt to wear the armor of God and follow the leading of the spirit of God within them can discern these ideas when they come in. But most cannot – even most Christians cannot (or will not). They will sit in front a TV screen which is broadcasting the most vile images and behaviors and just be completely numb to what they and their kids are watching. Because like the culture around us, they have been groomed/programmed/brainwashed into the ideas that present (what God considers vile or detestable) are actually okay or acceptable or alternative expressions or whatever (we're all familiar with the euphemisms)
As a thought experiment, think back to when you were in elementary school and if you were like most kids, you watched cartoons on Saturday mornings. Back in the day we had pretty innocent stuff (relatively speaking) - Superheros, Scooby-doo, the Jetzons... Today we have kids depicted in adult situations, numerous sexual innuendos, and homosexual characters - all for your (non-discerning) kids consumptions
If you are not sure on that one, If you think maybe it isn't that bad and that I'm being a 'prude' or whatever, you are part of the problem. You and your mind are (partly at least) under the control of the world system. We all grew up in this so it's to be expected, but it is all the more reason we need to continually renew our minds through 1-removing the worlds inputs and 2-taking in the word of God.
“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel”
“The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing.”
“the Lord’s servant must not be argumentative but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.”
All three scriptural passages above affirm a radical, extreme, and unsettling view of the world - one in which every person who isn't walking in the light of Christ, is an unwitting agent of the most evil being in the universe. They are controlled in their minds - brainwashed - and they don't know it. And guess what? We are all still controlled in one way or another to the degree we do NOT put on the armor of God every day, we do NOT renew our mind with the word every day, we DO live with sins which compromise our ability to discern the enemies subtle yet persistent attacks against our minds (he wants total control).
So now that you know that …you must make a decision to stop wavering between two opinions, stop allowing yourself and your kids to be brainwashed by culture through tv, internet, (what is called) education, etc. - all the things which make up the devil-controlled culture, and instead make a decision to begin the day with the word of God. The word of God is the only thing which can purge falsehood, break down (hidden) strongholds in your mind, and build up your mental defenses against impure thoughts and outright lies which week to infiltrate throughout the day. Maybe you need to make a decision to take your TV out of the family room, out of your kids room, monitor, restrict cell phones etc. Yes, these seem like drastic measures. But they only seem that way because we've been accustomed to growing up in a culture which welcomes the lies of the enemy and considers God's truth absurd (or intolerant or narrow-minded or for the ignorant etc). And the enemy is drastic in his approaches to destroy you and your kids souls. I wish it wasn't that way, but I found out that it is.
Of course, everything should be done in love. You love your family so you want to protect them from evil. Let this motivation gently be shown in all that you do. Replace solitary TV/Cell phone time with time truly spent as a family and learn how to be the one to 'gently instruct' your family in the word, in a way they can understand it.
Kids go to school and are around their peers 7-9 hours a day, watch content on their cell phone and tv which likely has a sechular humanist worldview of one kind or another, they're around you 1, and if you go to church, 2 hours a week….Which influence do you think is more powerful?
Defending your family against this onslaught cannot be done with a pump-action 12 guage, because it is at a spiritual level. The enemy uses culture to create strongholds, through the onslaught of lies posing as truth in you, your spouse, your kids.
Yes, it’s not going to be easy. But to do the same thing everyone else is doing (the way that seems right) is to ensure (probably) one or more of the following: your teen daughter hates you, your son has withdrawn into the fake world of social media, computer games or addictions.
It’s really nothing new than when our generation was growing up ( I used to watch start trek three times a day, then listen to rock music on stereo headphones for hours) – it’s just that there’s exponentially more, it’s much more corrupt, and in general, our culture’s has been removed …
“What one generation tolerates, the next generation will embrace.” John Wesley
The forces that we are dealt are not your fault, but it’s up to you to admit they are there and to do what you can spiritually as the head of the house. But of course, first you must purge yourself from the idolatry the world offers, and reject their (fleshly) appeal. Then you will have the God-given authority to command the spiritual influences away from your home and family. Even if you didn’t live Christian values when you were young, you have the right (and responsibility) to enforce them in your house because you are the God-ordained leader of it. The standard is the truth of God's word.
Remember that we 'wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces'
The good news in all of this:
(paraphrase) Yet God has given us spiritual power, through the holy spirit, through prayer, through an life of integrity, which is greater than that which is in the world (the culture, the entertainment, the false religions, the brainwashing, etc). Stand and take authority using that God-given power, and don't allow compromise in your life. If you do, you will see God move against these forces, and in protecting your family from the evil that is all around.
You cannot remove yourself from the world, but you can remove the world from yourself and your family. Take charge.
I John 5: 18-19 “We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. 19We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. “