Students on the Offense

There are many approaches to educating children.  Here are a few.

1.    Home schooling where parents do all the teaching.  When competent parents can do this, it is probably the safest.  When supplemented with a home-schooling coalition where Parents band together to provide classes they aren’t comfortable teaching, but other parents might be, one element of failure is eliminated. Single parents, however, find this option virtually impossible.  I have not mentioned all the potential negatives here.

2.    Christian school offers a great opportunity to assist parents.  The problem is whether the school is authentically Christian or if it is a school with a Bible class but the rest of it is no different than a public school.  Also, it is probable, especially in large schools, that unbelieving children are enrolled and can influence their peers and/or there are teachers who are marginal Christians or not at all.

3.    Home School/Classroom Blend is rare where the school teaches the children three days a week and the parents teach them two days a week.  I’ve seen this work beautifully, but it has the same problems as #2.

4.    Public School is governmentally controlled with secular teachers doing the educating combined with a few Christian teachers.  The student body consists of every possible type of student from Christian to atheist to homosexual to transgender to Muslim, etc.  It only takes one teacher or fellow student to completely corrupt the spiritual disposition of a child.  I’ve seen it many times.

There is nothing perfect on this earth, especially when it comes to educating children.  I am writing this for children who are attending public school, or any school for that matter, and parents who are sending them.  I am proposing that we not only build resistances against the evils looming in schools but go on offense against Satan and how he uses to schools to indoctrinate students.

Strategy #1

 Of course, strategy number one must be the realization that Satan attacks our children the same way He did with Adam and Eve by tempting them with selfishness and false doctrine (Genesis 2:3-6/God’s Word is a lie and God is a liar so do your own thing. gratify yourself).  Jesus shows us the only way to repel Satan’s temptations is with God’s Word (Matthew 4:1-11).

No matter what educational direction is chosen, the victory over Satan for a child depends on:

1.    The Biblical instruction in the home throughout the day (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)

2.    An instruction that is to be led by the father (Ephesians 6:4).

I’ve only seen this happen in a family a few times.  Most parents are content to let Sunday School and the church worship service provide their children with the necessary spiritual nurture,  This is like spitting on a forest fire.  Let me say this once again – It can be stated unequivocally that one of Satan’s most effective tools in stealing children from the Kingdom of God is the public school.  We must go on the offense!

Strategy #2

Christian children need to band together like an army in support one another to identify and develop an offense plan against the evil in a school. (If you don’t believe such evil exists, then you need not read any further.)  Here is a possible plan for recruiting and directing such an army.

1.    A Christian student surveys the student body for dynamic Christians.

2.    The student identifies the strongest Christian and suggests that they begin developing a godly army by meeting regularly for prayer and Bible study to build one another up.

3.    As the relationship becomes solid, they each find another believer who might be interested in building such an army.

4.    They prepare themselves to minister in the school by developing skills that might help them reach out to others.  In addition to witnessing, also learning how to minister to students who are suffering from depression, child abuse, loneliness, inferiority, etc.  These skills need to be learned, even though it might be difficult to find a mentor to help them develop such skills.

5.    Avoid arrogance by thinking the army makes them superior to everyone else.  Every human being is a wretch, it is just that some are saved wretches who in gratitude for their salvation serve in God’s army.

6, For younger students, a parent might take the lead in developing a "Students on the Offense" group at school, even in conjunction with other parents.

I Timothy 4:12

Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

Most adult professing Christians don’t have the skills just mentioned, but it is only because no one has taught them.  Young people, your youth does not prevent you from developing these skills and fighting against your spiritual enemies (Ephesians 6:10-12i. There are other posts on this website that can help you, as well as studies you can use in your "Students on the Offense" ministry.