There were World Wars in the past. In the present, there is a war in Europe
(Russia–Ukraine) and in the Middle East (Israel–Hamas). Such battles are fought
with guns, bombs, blood, and death. Other subtle wars are fought not by guns
and ammunition but through ideas and policies, such as the culture war.[1]
The war on children involves both: not just a culture war, but it also involves
a great deal of blood and death. According to Worldometer, 73 million are
aborted every year, with a rate of 2,00,000 abortions per day.[2]
According to Our World Data, there are about 62 million deaths in 2024.[3]
More people are killed in the womb than all the deaths combined outside the
womb. The war on children is not only inside the womb but also outside, and all
their days of childhood and beyond. This should concern all of us, especially
the Christians. ‘The War on Children’ by John MacArthur is a timely book.
This book has the subtitle ‘Providing Refuge for
Your Children in a Hostile World,’ which reflects the intended goal of the book.
It is written for parents, but since we all were once children growing up in the
same hostile world, it carries a message for all of us. It consists of 220
pages + 10 pages of preface and introductions. It is one of the latest books by
John MacArthur, published in 2024. MacArthur captures the essence (takeaway) of
the book through the title of the introduction, “The Sins of the Fathers.” He
cites Exodus 20:5, Numbers 14:18, Jeremiah 32:18, and Ezekiel 18:20 to make a
point that children are affected by the culture they are born into [corrupted by
their fathers collectively], and they are prone to follow in their footsteps,
so parents must prepare them for the anti-God culture they will soon face
growing up (xvi, xviii).
MacArthur traces the war on children back to
its origin in Satan. Therefore, parents should actively fulfill “the role God
has designed for each father and mother” and raise their children in the Word
of God (210). He writes,
Satan
is deploying weapons of mass corruption against our children. Modern culture
has been systematically designed with an agenda that is aggressively anti-God,
anti-Christ, and anti-Scripture, intended to corrupt and consume young,
impressionable hearts and minds. Preoccupied foolish parents offer little
resistance. (xvii-xviii)
Since
the fall of Adam and Eve, Satan has been diligently at work to make this
[indoctrination] a difficult battle for parents. (210)
Though
this war is diabolical, there can be triumph when we train our children
in the ways of the Lord. God knew that war on children would be the devil’s
strategy, so He gave Israel guidance to fight this battle. (209)
So, “Christian parents
cannot simply float passively along with the drift of our culture. . . You need
to recognize that your children are not exempt from the ongoing efforts to commandeer
their worldview and alienate them from biblical principles.” (xiii)
And what does MacArthur
say parents must do? In summary, parents must take control of what their
children are taught (xiii). They must
teach
them God’s words;
train
them in righteousness;
model
righteousness for them;
participate
in every aspect of their lives;
give
them wise, biblical-based guidance;
and above all, give them your extravagant love. (xiii)
The book is divided
into two sections: Slaughter Of The Innocents (chapters 1–5) and The Key Battlefronts
(chapters 6–10).
Chapter 1, ‘Shade for Our
Children,’ presents a message that “Your sin has a consequence for your
children. But there is hope,” citing Deuteronomy 5:6–9 (5). Parents must do
everything to protect their children from the corrupt culture (14).
Chapter 2 explores the
contrast between how secular culture treats children and how Jesus treats them.
MacArthur writes about the indoctrination of the children, “The typical
twenty-something today has been trained to embrace the idea of entitlement
while spurning the concept of responsibility.” (16)
Chapter 3 explains that
the world has been under the curse of sin from the beginning, and therefore,
there has always been a war on children. MacArthur observes that there was no
truly healthy, godly model family in the entire book of Genesis (40). There were
child sacrifices in the past, and in the present, children are sacrificed on
the altars of self– to satisfy the parents’ craving for freedom, lust, pleasure,
and selfishness (43). MacArthur also has a message for those delaying marriage,
pursuing ‘some selfish agenda that benefits no one but themselves’: “You are
missing out on the grace of life. Marriage is God’s ultimate earthly blessing.”
(45)
In Chapter 4, MacArthur
explains what it means for children to be gifts from the Lord and how parents are
to embrace this truth. He reminds parents about the dangers of excessive
criticism and ‘negative reinforcement by withholding thanks, rewards, or approval’
(63). Other dangers include overprotection, unrealistic expectations, discouragement,
selfishness, impatience, neglect, and verbal abuse.
Chapter 5 exposes the
nature and realms of the war on children. It is not just in earthly realms but
spiritual (83). He writes, “Modern society is heavily invested in teaching
children to rebel against virtue and authority” (90).
Chapter 6 shows how the
war on children is being carried out through the attack on conception. Some sections
of society do not want kids at all. They believe without children, life will be
less stressful, less heartbreaking, and less judgment (105). Kids have become a
hindrance to careers and selfish lifestyles. They prefer having dogs over kids
(109).
Chapter 7 demonstrates the
evil of abortion. MacArthur notes the horrific irony, “The safest place for a
child ought to be his mother’s womb. It’s where the child is at his most
vulnerable state, and it’s where he should be most lovingly nurtured and protected.
However, the womb has become the most deadly battlefield in the war on children”
(125). From the cry of the abortionist ‘safe, legal, and rare’ of 1992, it has
become an issue of “healthcare” (126–127). MacArthur cites Psalm 139 to show
how life begins in the womb (136).
Chapter 8 demonstrates
how homosexuality and feminism have assaulted marriage and family. MacArthur
laments the redefinition of morality by a human court, “No human court has the
authority to redefine morality. But the Supreme Court has said that murder is
not murder, and marriage is not marriage” (144). Regarding God’s design for marriage,
he writes, “The husband and wife are equals, both submitting to each other in specific
ways to fulfill the unique roles God has for them” (161). Marriage should be of
sacrificial love, purifying love, caring love, and unbreakable love.
Chapter 9 shows how
feminism and transgenderism have assaulted women and young girls. Abortion has
become reproductive rights (165). He observes that feminism has done more than
anything to make life hard and unhappy for women (166). Their cry for
liberation is actually a call to abandon the roles of wife and mother. They declare
that marriage exists for the benefit of men, so to liberate women is to end the
institution of marriage (166). MacArthur observes that ‘the radical feminists
never stopped to consider how brutes and villains behave towards women when
there are no gentlemen around’ (169). Another danger of feminism is seen in how
many young women have taken the lead in the churches. Doctrinal depth has been
replaced by activism and ‘stagnating in spiritual immaturity’ (180). MacArthur
writes, “Women are deceived, weak men follow, and the chaos is unending” (185).
The last chapter, 10, deals
with the attack on men. Society has declared masculinity “toxic” (189). Men are
treated as villains if they do not renounce toughness, courage, and strength (190).
MacArthur contends we need more men of the stature of 1 Timothy 3 (197). Among the
list of the qualities of biblical manhood, MacArthur’s treatment of hospitality
is personally enriching to me.
The epilogue ends with
this charge, “God has called all His children to provide refuge for their
children in this hostile world.” (21
My final comments:
As a man, I love the
chapter on men. It’s always refreshing to be reminded what sort of man I am to
be in the light of 1 Timothy 3. MacArthur’s exhortation on hospitality is “to seek
to show kindness and care for those who need it” beyond church members, friends,
neighbors, and those with whom you want to cultivate a closer relationship.
Chapter 4, which can also
be called biblical parenting, is, I believe, the heart of this book. The rich
theological truths are balanced with practical exhortations. MacArthur, having brought
up his children and seen the lives of his children’s children and
great-grandchildren, shines brightly in his discussions on parenting.
If one does not find
time to read through the book, I recommend reading the Preface, Introduction, chapters
1 and 4, and Epilogue.
[1] Wikepedia, “Culture
War” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_war
[2] Worldometer: “Abortions
worldwide this year” https://www.worldometers.info/abortions/
[3] Hannah Ritchie
and Eduard Mathieu, How many people die and how many are born each year?
https://ourworldindata.org/births-and-deaths#:~:text=How%20is%20the%20world%20population,a%20relative%20increase%20of%200.86%25.