It is estimated that approximately one-third of Americans protect their home with some form of security system, another large percentage have firearms and other such instruments in their home for protection. Many people have alarms on their cars; and everything from bank accounts to e-mail accounts is password protected. There are constant “public interest” segments on the news dealing with security and safety involving the various aspects of one’s life and possessions. We care about our possessions and keeping them secure, though whether we are proficient at securing them may be another story.

Nevertheless, there is another area of home security that Christians need to consider: spiritual home security. Have you taken steps to secure your home spiritually? The single most important possession of any individual is the soul (Mat. 16:26); and though men will work for years to secure financial stability and security for the home, there is often a laxity when it comes to the security of the soul.

Before going further into the needs of spiritual home security, the one responsible for this great defense must first be identified. Husbands, fathers, it is you. Paul taught that husbands were to love their wives as Christ loved the church, being willing to give their lives for their mate (Eph. 5:25), this would certainly include the necessity of looking out for their spiritual welfare as well as physical. Additionally, Paul stated in the same book that fathers were to bring their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4). The word nurture means “training, instruction, preparation.” The word admonition means “exhortation, to give warning to, calling attention to something.” Fathers have the responsibility of training and preparing their children to fight the wiles of Satan and to call attention to the subtleties of the deceiver, moving them down the path of service to God.

As an aside, it is of interest to note the meaning of the term husband. It is an Old Norse conjunctive term; hus – meaning “house,” and bondi – meaning “to dwell in, watch over.” The term husband was a term intended to denote, not just the male figure in the home, but the overseer and personal protector of it. Such is still the responsibility of the husband today.

Husbands and fathers, God has given you the personal responsibility of securing your home. While from the physical standpoint that may not seem so difficult, from the spiritual perspective it is truly a full-time job. Husbands: are you willing to stand up for the spiritual security of your home? It may mean that you do not take that more physically lucrative job to be able to take care of your spiritual responsibilities to your family. It may mean that you, as the head of the household, must make decisions for your family that other family members do not like or with which they do not agree. It may mean some long, hard discussions with your wife trying to decide what your family needs and what directions and goals must be set in order to fulfill that responsibility; but make no mistake, the responsibility is yours, not your wife’s. A good help meet will do everything she can to assist you along the way, but the responsibility for the direction of your family lies on your shoulders.

Fathers have the responsibility to protect their children from the directions and influences of Satan. It is the father’s responsibility to know what is going on in his own house and to strive to the best of his ability to protect his family from both physical and spiritual harm. Sometimes that can make fathers unpopular, but popularity should not be the foremost goal of fatherhood: it should be godliness.  Fathers, do you know what your children are looking at on the internet? Do you know to what music they listen, who their friends are, and the relationships they are building for the future? Are you protecting your home spiritually to educate and prepare your children for the service of God? It may mean telling your son that he cannot watch that “comedy” program filled with vulgarity and sexual innuendo; even though “everyone else” thinks it is hilarious. It may mean telling your daughter she cannot wear that top or dress because it does not meet God’s standards of modesty and acceptability; even though she (and maybe even her mother) thinks it’s cute and pretty. It may mean throwing out those movies or cd’s, or in today’s world – deleting those mp3’s, to help keep the hearts of your children pure (Phil. 4:8). Though none of these things may be popular, they are the responsibility of the father as he strives to protect his children.

There is a great deal said in Proverbs about heeding and acknowledging a father’s instruction; yet it is interesting that the word instruction is never used in regard to the mother. That is because the word is defined by Strong as “chastisement, reproof, warning, or restraint.” These things are the responsibility of the husband and father and they must be taken seriously. They should not be done with anger, resentment, or an overbearing personality; but with loving care and concern for the souls of the family, and a willingness to communicate the reasons for such actions being taken.

Do you believe in spiritual home security? Fathers, have you been the security chief your family needs? Mothers, have you been the encouragement your husband needs? Do your children see you fighting him at every turn or standing beside him as he tries to fulfill his duties to the family? We need better home security in our families, because the greatest treasures are not found in the possessions of this earth (Mat. 6:19-21), but in the spiritual welfare of our families; and that treasure is under constant attack.