Yes, it is essential that we all act as watchmen on the wall for those in our family and those in our home church. As I have often mentioned, I did not grow up in a Christian home. Christ nor church were a part of our regular daily routine. When I was growing up and my father was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, for little over a year I accompanied him to an Army buddy of his where the two grown men would work to repair cars. There were times, like when they were taping and papering cars in preparation to paint them, that I was allowed to help with the work. Most times, I was left to watch movies unattended; many of these movies that I was exposed to I should not have have at the age of 12. The psalmist David wrote, I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me (Psalms 101:3) and as I have gotten older in age and in my spiritual walk with the Lord, its difficult to repress images we have seen, no matter how hard we might try.
It doesn’t end with monitoring television viewing habits, but it must be everything we allow to happen within our home. Just as the Spanish fort at Saint Augustine was only secure when the gates were shut, the cannons were manned, and the infantry were along the walls ready to fire was the fort secure. Its the same in the defense of our homes. We must shut the gates of our home and watch what we allow to come into the safety and sanctuary of our homes. We need to stand guard because even “child friendly” programming such as DisneyJr, NickJr, ABC Family, and others are constantly bringing an unbiblical worldview into our homes. Within the last year, I have seen shows on some of these networks that not only portray fathers and mothers in an unflattering manner, but glorify what is now being promoted as an alternative lifestyle – one that is in direct contradiction to the word of God. Again the scripture reminds us that No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24). Just as the Lord Jesus Christ was talking about the Christian life, he was also referring to all that Christians are a part of – we must be Christ centered in our homes, our churches, and even in our dealings with the lost world.
Its not enough that we build a spiritual wall around our family, or set guard in a sentry tower, but we also have, as we discussed earlier, but again, in the words of the apostle Peter, Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ (I Peter 1:13). We must be on constant alert, waiting for even the slightest hint of things coming into the home that are contrary to our Christian faith. After all, the Spanish designers and soldiers that manned Castillo de San Marcos were defending a piece of land; as Christians, we are defending the sanctity of the home and the purity and innocence of the minds of our children – which can have eternal consequences or blessings.
