Standing Firm: How to Fight for Your Child in a Culture of Chaos — Carol McLeod Ministries
A Note from Carol: One of the greatest joys of my ministry is sharing voices that inspire and uplift with both passion and purpose. Today, I’m honored to introduce you to Laine Lawson Craft—a dynamic speaker, author, and woman of unshakable faith. Laine has an incredible gift for reaching hearts with her authenticity, boldness, and deep trust in God’s power to redeem and restore. Whether she’s speaking life over prodigals or encouraging women in the trenches of faith, Laine delivers hope with every word. Her story is one of transformation, and her message will stir your spirit, strengthen your faith, and remind you that with God, nothing is ever too far gone.
The text arrived at 2:17 AM: "Don't wait up. Staying with friends.” My heart sank as I realized this was the third weekend my once-faithful daughter had disappeared into the night with people I'd never met. The Bible verses we'd memorized together, the family devotions, the years of church attendance—all seemingly forgotten in a single semester of college.
If you're reading this with tears in your eyes because your own child has walked away from your values, your faith, or your family, I want you to know something vital: you are not fighting an ordinary battle, and you need extraordinary weapons.
The Hidden War Against Our Children
Today's parents face unprecedented challenges that previous generations couldn't imagine. The statistics are sobering:
65% of Christian young people stop attending church after high school, with many never returning (Barna Research)
Teen anxiety and depression rates have increased by 52% in the last decade (American Psychological Association)
The average teen spends 7+ hours daily on digital devices, consuming content that often contradicts family values (Common Sense Media)
59% of millennials raised in church have dropped out at some point (Lifeway Research)
These aren't just numbers—they represent our children caught in a spiritual and cultural crossfire.
During my own darkest moments, when all three of my children were walking paths far from the values we'd instilled, I discovered what many parents fail to recognize: We're not merely battling teen hormones, peer pressure, or normal rebellion. We're engaged in spiritual warfare for our children's hearts, minds, and futures.
Traditional parenting books offer behavioral management techniques and communication strategies. While helpful, they often miss the deeper reality that forces beyond our physical world are competing for our children's allegiance and identity.
Warfare Parenting: Practical Strategies for the Battle
1. Identify the Real Enemy
When my son came home with a defiant mindset and disrespectful attitude, my first instinct was to view him as the adversary. This fundamental mistake costs many parents their relationship with their children.
Practical Action: Create a "battle map" in your journal identifying the real sources attacking your child: negative influences, harmful ideologies, and spiritual attacks. When triggered by your child's behavior, consult your map to redirect your response away from personal hurt toward strategic intervention.
Each morning, practice saying aloud: "My child is not my enemy. We are on the same side, fighting different battles." This mental reframing transforms confrontations into rescue missions.
2. Establish Spiritual Protection Rituals
In ancient times, city walls provided protection from enemies. Today's families need similar boundaries against cultural invasion.
Practical Action: Implement a "digital sundown" ritual where all devices are placed in a basket one hour before bedtime. Use this time for meaningful family connection—whether through games, conversation, or shared creative activities. This creates a safe space where your family's values can flourish without digital interference.
Additionally, create a family blessing ritual. Even when my daughter refused church, she would still allow me to place my hand on her head before school and speak words of identity and purpose over her. These moments planted seeds that would later bloom in her return to faith.
3. Deploy Strategic Prayer Offensives
Generic prayers like "Lord, help my child" lack the precision needed for effective spiritual warfare. Instead, develop targeted prayer strategies based on your child's specific struggles.
Practical Action: Create a "prayer war room" in your home—a designated space (even a closet works) with your child's photo, specific scriptures addressing their challenges, and a journal documenting both prayers and victories. Instead of praying in panic, establish three daily five-minute prayer appointments focused on different aspects of your child's life.
When my son was battling substance issues, I printed his photo and surrounded it with scriptures about freedom. Every morning, I would place my hand on that image and pray those specific verses, claiming their truth over his life, and pleading the blood of Jesus over his life. This wasn't magical thinking—it was strategic spiritual action that eventually contributed to his recovery.
4. Build a Parental Support Battalion
Isolation kills warriors. Yet many parents suffering with wayward children withdraw from the community due to shame or judgment.
Practical Action: Identify three trustworthy allies who will commit to regular check-ins and emergency support. Create a text thread specifically for sharing struggles and victories. Meet monthly for coffee to strategize, encourage, and pray together. These aren't casual friendships—they're battle buddies who understand the stakes.
When my son disappeared one day, this support group maintained prayer coverage until we found him. Victory rarely comes through solo efforts.
5. Maintain Hope-Filled Persistence
The most powerful weapon against long-term parenting struggles is relentless hope. Many parents give up just before a breakthrough occurs.
Practical Action: Create a "victory jar" where you place small notes documenting even microscopic positive changes in your child or situation. On particularly difficult days, read these notes as evidence of progress. Establish a "hope playlist" of songs and scriptures that restore your strength during discouraging moments.
After years of silence, my son finally called me. That brief conversation wasn't a complete restoration, but it went into my victory jar as evidence that God was still working behind the scenes.
Standing Firm Until Breakthrough Comes
The battle for your child's heart and future requires more than conventional parenting wisdom. It demands spiritual strategies that address the true nature of the fight.
Remember: spiritual warfare parenting isn't about controlling your child—it's about creating an environment where God's truth can penetrate their hearts and minds despite cultural opposition. It's about standing firm when everything within you wants to surrender to despair.
Your tears, prayers, and faithful stand matter more than you know. As one who has watched all three of my prodigals return home to faith and family, I can testify that persistent spiritual warfare yields powerful results. The battle may be fierce, but you can fight effectively for your child's restoration and future with the right strategies and unwavering commitment.
The question isn't whether you'll face battles for your child's heart—it's whether you'll engage with the right weapons to win.
For Weekly email inspirations, FREE Resources, Warfare Parenting Podcast Episodes, and more, go to LaineLawsonCraft.com.
Warfare Parenting with Laine Lawson Craft
In this heartfelt episode, Carol McLeod talks with Laine Lawson Craft about the restoration of her marriage and the powerful journey of parenting prodigal children. By Laine’s description, a wayward prodigal child is any who consistently does what their parent or those who care for them wish they weren’t doing. Laine shares how faith, prayer, and spiritual warfare played key roles in healing her family, offering hope to parents facing similar struggles. Laine’s story is a testimony to God’s redemptive power in even the darkest seasons.
