Arm the Children With The Word

There are many reasons why it is important to teach children the Word of God. The more I consider the question, “Why is it important to teach children the Word?” the more I find myself asking, “How could it not be?” As children of God, we are called to preach the gospel and to go and make disciples. Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost, and we are called to do the same. We are to bring the light and love of Jesus to a broken and dying world, and that includes all people of all ages.

How do we do that? By sharing the Word of God. It is our responsibility to preach the gospel and give people the opportunity to receive Jesus and be born again. Once that decision is made, we are then called to teach and train them as disciples. We accomplish this by teaching, preaching, and demonstrating the Word of God.

Jesus tells us in Mark 16:15 to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” In Matthew 28:19–20, He commands us, “Therefore go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.” These mandates do not say to preach only to adults or to wait until children reach a certain age before discipling them. No—we are called to preach the gospel to all people, regardless of age.

In fact, in Matthew 19:14, Jesus says, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” We are explicitly instructed to allow children to come to Jesus and not to hinder them. How do we do that? By introducing them to Jesus through Scripture, teaching them the gospel, and training them in the way they should go through the Word of God. To neglect teaching children the Word is, in effect, to forbid them the opportunity to truly know and encounter Jesus. Ultimately, that is disobedience to the commands of Christ.

We know there is a war waging between light and darkness—between good and evil. Scripture tells us that the devil “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Do we really think he is only after adults? He does not want anyone to know Jesus or understand the Word, and he is strategically working to steal, kill, and destroy.

The world is relentlessly pouring lies, temptation, sin, hatred, fear, and confusion into the lives of children and teenagers. Through media, social media, movies, television, clothing, celebrities, drugs, alcohol, and even the breakdown of family and identity, there has been a direct attack on children meant to confuse them, bind them in sin, and raise them up without knowledge of Jesus or the Word. If the powers of darkness are working this aggressively and openly, should not the church of Jesus Christ be working even harder? If the messages of the world are being shouted from the rooftops, should not the truth of Scripture be proclaimed even louder?

Faith comes by hearing the Word. How can children believe if they never hear it? How can they know Jesus or learn how to live for Him if they are not taught? They are constantly bombarded with information and competing voices. As the body of Christ, we must ensure that the Word of God is spoken more often, more boldly, and more clearly than the voice of the world.

We must teach children to know and believe the Word and to be sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit. If we do not, we allow the influence of the world to gain more ground than the influence of the church and of Christ—and that is something we cannot afford. It goes against the very heart, call, and plan of God. Without the Word, children will accept whatever the world offers them. They will live without hope or identity, full of potential that never has the chance to be realized. They will not know Jesus, His plans for them, or their calling as disciples walking in obedience to Him.

However, when we share the gospel, lead children to Jesus, and make disciples through teaching, preaching, studying, and demonstrating the Word, we are raising up a mighty generation filled with power,fire, boldness, and faith. They are built upon the Rock that cannot be shaken. They will know the Word, understand it, and confidently wield it as the sword that it is. We are building a strong and powerful church—one that the gates of hell cannot prevail against.

When we teach children the Word of God, we are marking future generations for Christ. Watch and see what God will do. Watch and see the revival that will come. Watch how the Lord moves through His people. Watch as the fire falls and the Holy Spirit works mightily. Watch children and teenagers stand in the gap, proclaim the gospel, pray for the sick, cast out demons, speak in other tongues, and walk boldly in their faith. There is no junior Holy Spirit.

Children will be fed one of two things: the words of the world or the Word of God. Faith in Jesus does not suddenly appear in adulthood without a foundation. It begins by being taught the Bible at a young age—by being introduced to Scripture, learning it, and being shown how to apply it to everyday life.

There is a lost and broken generation of children and teenagers who are hungry and thirsty for truth and desperate for Jesus, even if they do not yet realize it. They need the gospel. They need Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and discipleship. As the body of Christ, we carry both the responsibility and the command to teach the gospel clearly and accurately to children and to make disciples through the teaching and application of God’s Word.