We are living in an unprecedented time of history. COVID-19 is a silent, insidious enemy that lurks around every corner: hiding on grocery bags, on our mail and our groceries, in the cough of the person behind us in line at Kroger, on the park bench where we love to sit after our social-distancing walk with a friend. The worst thing is, we are not even sure how long this enemy will stalk us. When will we recognize our lives again? What will a “new normal” look like?
How do we, as parents of children with disabilities, not only face but confront the fear all around us? How do we resist the enemy who comes to “kill, steal and destroy” (John 10:10). We know that Jesus comes that we “may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). So, how do we live this full life in the face of fear? How do we testify to the power and glory and love of God to those around us?
Here are 10 scriptural weapons we can use to defeat the enemy. We can, and must, teach at least some of them to our children, who are dealing with their own heightened anxiety.
1. Dress yourself in the armor of God every day. “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." The armor of God consists of the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:10-18). Dress yourself in this armor every day as you put on your worldly clothes! Children love this scripture! Encourage creative games of dress-up.
2. Wield the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17) Go on the offensive! The enemy flees when we speak the Word of God to his face. Have scriptures ready to speak out loud when you begin to feel discouraged, fearful, or wanting to give up! Help your child choose a short scripture to memorize and use when anxiety wells up. Your child might have fun vanquishing the enemy as he/she recites a favorite scripture while wielding a play sword.
3. Praise the Lord! “I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies. (Psalm 18:3). The enemy simply cannot stand in the face of our praises. God is enthroned in the praises of His people. When we are praising Him, He is there with us. Our children, no matter their disability, are naturals at praise. Make praise and worship a part of your daily family time and watch the enemies of discouragement and fear fade away.
4. Roar like a lion! The scriptures tell us, "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (I Peter 5:8). Let’s go on the offensive, again! Roar right back at him! In Hosea 11:10-11, God roars like a lion, bringing his children home, where He can settle them. This is a great activity for children!
Photo credit: Kazuky Akayashi on Unsplash.com
5. Submit to the Lord 2 Chronicles 16:9 says that the eyes of the Lord continually roam around the earth, to strengthen those who are fully committed to Him. In James we read, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you” (James 4:7-8 ). This act of submission has two parts: 1. resist the enemy, and 2. Come near to God. When we submit to God's power, He strengthens us for the fight against the enemy.
6. Wait on the Lord. Each one of us will grow weary and faint in our journey through life, particularly when we are in crisis periods like this pandemic. But Scripture tells us to wait upon the Lord: “He empowers the feeble and infuses the powerless with increasing strength. Even young people faint and get exhausted; athletic ones may stumble and fall. But those who wait for Yahweh’s grace will experience divine strength. They will rise up on soaring wings and fly like eagles, run their race without growing weary, and walk through life without giving up” (Isaiah 40:28-31 TPT) .
7. Continue to meet together; help and encourage one another. Meeting together looks a little different in this time of quarantine and social distancing. But it is SO important that we find creative ways to do so. I love the way The Message puts it: “So let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps His Word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:22-25 MSG.) This is an essential spiritual weapon to wield against the enemies of discouragement and fear! Pick up the phone. Schedule Zoom meetings. Create worship times on Facebook Live. Write a letter or send a card to someone you miss. Deliver cookies to a neighbor. You might be surprised at some of the creative ideas your children will come up with, if asked.
8. Open yourself up to receive grace. Grace is the free and unmerited favor of God. Scriptures tell us to “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16 ). I can’t think of a time of greater need than this pandemic and worldwide quarantine. God’s grace is always there, waiting for us to reach out for it. A good spiritual exercise for this is "‘Breath Prayer.’ Sit with hands in lap, palms up. On each deep inhale, pray, “Lord, I receive your grace.” On each exhale, turn palms down and pray, “I release all fear.” Repeat 10-15 cycles of this breath prayer. Fear and grace cannot exist at the same time. This is a great exercise for children who are suffering with anxiety.
9. Recount what God has already done in your life. There is great power in our testimonies. In Revelation 12, John recounts the story of how our enemy, the devil, was banished from Heaven. Michael and his angels fought against him, but it was the blood of the Lamb and the power of the believers’ testimonies that ultimately vanquished him: “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…” (Revelation 12:11). Every time you recount a testimony, you are unleashing the power of the blood of Jesus! Your children might enjoy a suppertime tradition of sharing stories of what the Lord has done for each family member that day or week.
10. Spend some time every day in nature. Just stepping outside the door and looking up can do wonders. Take in a deep breath; let all your senses come alive. What do you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell? Praise God for all of it. Psalm 19 reads, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” Just as the Bible gives us God's written word, nature gives us God's creative word. This time of quarantine is a perfect time to venture forth on nature walks with our children, letting them explore God's bountiful beauty and goodness.
God loves us. God sent his son, Jesus to redeem us. God sent his Holy Spirit to live within us. He has equipped those who love Him with every weapon needed to defeat the enemy!
Go Forth in power and ROAR!
I would like to thank my friends at Bridge for Peace for discerning these scriptural truths together during a worldwide prayer meeting via Zoom!
Kathy is a spiritual director, author, and co-owner, with her husband, of Cloudland, a contemplative retreat center outside of Oxford, Ohio. The mother of 3 sons, 1 daughter-of-heart, and 1 grandson, she also enjoys writing middle grade fiction. You can reach her through her website, kathleenbolduc.com.
