Fighting Forward: The Faithful Father's Call

"Pastor Fred Lemons"

"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling." - Psalm 68:5

The alarm clock hasn't even sounded yet, but I'm already awake at 5:47 AM. Something deeper than caffeine pulls me from sleep. It's the Holy Ghost moving in my spirit, preparing me for another day of warfare. Joshua 1:9 cuts through the pre-dawn darkness: "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."

Every father who truly understands his calling knows that faithful fatherhood is war from sunrise to sundown. We're engaged in supernatural combat for our children's souls, standing guard against an enemy who never clocks out. Satan targets our families with laser precision because he understands what we sometimes forget: destroy the family structure, destroy the kingdom.

But here's where the enemy miscalculated. Deuteronomy 31:6 reminds me that I'm not fighting alone: "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee!" When I'm interceding for my household at midnight, the Creator of the universe stands with me. When I'm making hard decisions about my children's future, divine wisdom guides me.

Last week, I sat across from a father whose teenager had just been arrested. His eyes held that familiar look of defeat I've seen too often. "Pastor," he said, "maybe I'm just not cut out for this." I opened my Bible to Ephesians 6:12 and reminded him: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

His son's rebellion wasn't just teenage defiance. We were confronting demonic forces targeting his boy. We were resisting spiritual powers trying to manipulate his daughter. We were demolishing strongholds threatening his home. Once he understood the real battlefield, everything changed.

That's what faithful fatherhood looks like in 2025. Like Nehemiah rebuilding Jerusalem's walls with construction tools in one hand and weapons in the other, we're simultaneously developing our children's character while defending against cultural corruption. We're building their confidence while blocking confusion. We're establishing their identity while eliminating lies.

I remember a time when my own son came home discouraged after his coach benched him. Society would tell me to coddle him or blame the system. But Psalm 127:1 settled my response: "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it." When the Almighty architects your family, temporary setbacks become setup for comebacks. I didn't minimize his pain, but I reminded him that his worth isn't determined by playing time.

The statistics want to paint us as failures. Media portrays us as missing in action. But I know what Psalm 112:2 declares: "His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed!" My children carry divine DNA. My lineage flows with heaven's favor. My legacy stands unshakeable, not because I'm flawless, but because I'm faithful.

First Timothy 5:8 hits different for Black fathers navigating systems designed without us in mind: "But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." Provision transcends paychecks. It includes prayer coverage, demands physical presence, and requires spiritual protection. I provide divine covering through midnight intercession. I provide emotional security by showing up when it matters.

Some mornings, like today, I remember Malachi 4:6: "And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers." This generation demands fathers who pivot from distractions to devotion, from career obsession to family investment. I watch too many men chase worldly success while their children starve for attention.

The enemy whispers that my past mistakes disqualify me. But Second Corinthians 5:17 rewrites that narrative: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new!" I represent divine renovation. I embody supernatural redemption. Yesterday's failures don't define today's fathering.

When my daughter faced identity confusion at school, I told her about Isaiah 54:13: "And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children." She needs divine revelation, not just textbook knowledge. When I teach her God's Word, I'm equipping her for spiritual combat.

Romans 8:28 is still relevant and powerful in 2025: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." When teenagers rebel, God orchestrates redemption. When marriages struggle, God engineers’ restoration.

So, brothers’ tomorrow morning before your family rises, declare Philippians 4:13 over your household: "I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me!" Your sacrifice matters. Your prayers penetrate heaven. God’s presence shapes eternity.

Fight forward, fathers. Fight forward!