Chapter by Chapter Synopsis of

How to Protect Your Child From the New Age & Spiritual Deception

Chapter 1: Children at Risk

A whole new generation of children is being drawn into the New Age/New Spirituality, and it is happening right under their parents’ noses. While some of us grieve the real-world consequences of this xe "cultural revolution"cultural revolution, a rising chorus of voices are now demanding acceptance of today’s xe "paradigm shift"paradigm shift.

Chapter 2: The Armor of God

Berit emphasizes the armor of God throughout the book. Here she describes what the armor is, how we can “put it on,” and how we can teach our children to wear it. In a world where public schools, television, movies, and popular music all offer tempting counterfeits of what God promises His people, there is only one safe place for our children: in the loving arms of the Shepherd.

Chapter 3: Schools & the War on Christianity

The New Age is in our public schools, and Christianity is it’s enemy. Through textbooks, educational associations, and government agendas, Christianity has been eradicated out of the school system. Secular humanism and Marxism have replaced morality and biblical values. The book identifies six strategies being used to instill these replacements into the lives of countless school-age children. Indoctrinating students with diverse beliefs, xe "socialist values"socialist values, xe "utopian dreams"utopian dreams, and idealized love leads to deception, disillusionment, corruption, and chaos.

Chapter 4: What Can Parents Do About the War on Christianity?

The first of several chapters that offers practical, point by point biblical, practical, and effective advice on how to teach and equip your children to love and follow the Lord, to abide in His Word, to recognize spiritual deception, and to know how to stand courageously in an increasingly corrupt and lost world. In this chapter, practical ideas are explained on how to protect your children if they are attending public schools. For example, knowing what your legal rights are as a parent is vital to your child’s safety. And how can you make sure your child is spiritually prepared to enter a secular situation?

Chapter 5: Schools & the Promotion of Corrupting Values

Schools teach values, whether they admit it or not. But the values being taught in today’s public schools are more and more based, not on biblical values, but rather immoral anti-biblical values such as abortion, homosexuality, sex education, and evolution through “values clarification.” xe "Values clarification"Values clarification is neutral, say public education change agents, since every value is as valid as any other. Yet at the same time, they hold to the belief that there are no absolute values—thereby contradicting their claim to a neutral unbiased position. This chapter identifies certain biases that have a detrimental effect on children’s lives.

Chapter 6: How to Guard Your Child Against Corrupting Values

How can you teach your child to love God and love His values as well? This chapter gives some wonderful guidelines on how to do that. For example, show your own enthusiasm and commitment to knowing and hearing God speak to you through His Word. And practice living God’s truth together as you play games, eat meals, participate in sports, ride in the car, and share your resources with others. There is also a list of several things you should discuss with your child that will help teach him or her the meaning and importance of God’s values. Ideas on how to involve adolescents and steps to victory are discussed.

Chapter 7: Schools & New Age Globalism

Behind these classroom efforts to win the minds of the youth is the dream of a global one-world [deleted New Age] system. To inspire a consciousness explosion, many New Age leaders are determined to win a "critical mass" of minds. Children will be the prime target of such “missionary” efforts, and schools will be their greatest battlefield. Through myth-making , "facilitated dialogue," and delight in pleasing delusions, our children blinded to the disturbing changes in the real world. Meanwhile, suicide among youth is accelerating – the fruit of this transformational agenda.

Chapter 8: What Can Parents Do About New Age Globalism?

As believers, let us turn wholeheartedly to God and trust Him to show us how  we can best protect our families from today's explosion of spiritual apostasy. It may be too late for America, as a nation, but regardless of the outcome at a national level, let us work earnestly while it is still day to train and protect our children. Some of this chapter’s ideas include: help your child to see that his identity is in Christ (and what that means), incorporate a family Bible-reading program, and help your child to understand the differences between biblical and anti-biblical leadership. Under the heading “Guard Against Influences Opposing God” is the following question: “Does your child’s school sensationalize or exaggerate the problems and dangers of global pollution, overpopulation, and global warming? Do they use these  suggestions to promote a planned political agenda?

Chapter 9: The Mind-Changing Visual Messages in Movies

Children are continuously exposed to an onslaught of counterfeit messages. Movies that appear innocent and wholesome often have a subtle, yet powerful, message that negates the truths of the Word of God. Using case examples of some of today’s most popular shows (even among Christians) such as Lion King, Atlantis, Harry Potter, and Star Wars, Berit shows the underlying messages of many of today’s secular films that are changing the way our children think and behave. Violence and grotesqueness along with New Age and occultism are undermining the biblical values we are trying to instill in our children at home. Such movies can undo our efforts, while we think our children are watching wholesome shows with good values. [Delete: In addition,] There is a strong anti-Christian bias that eats away, one movie at a time, on our children’s faith. A new religious system is replacing Christianity—primarily a mixture of humanism, hedonism, Hinduism, and western occultism. Remember, the beautiful side of evil as well as the ugly side will twist the truth. Both will testify to the enticing respectability that cloaks the New Age movement.

Chapter 10: How to Guard Against Mind-Changing Messages

The pressure on parents to give in is often insurmountable. Your child's  friends are allowed to see the movies, so why can’t he [delete: too]? That isn’t fair, your child insists. What can a parent do? You need to have a practical as well as biblical plan. This chapter offers several suggestions. For example, you can  remind him of the armor, then discuss how the movie conflicts with God's guidelines. [deleted a sentence] Don't just tell your child what he can or can't watch; teach him to discern for himself what is right or wrong. In "the old days" public schools taught moral discernment, but today they emphasize the opposite: freedom to do whatever feels good at the moment.  But that's a pathway to disaster for America as well as the student. Never before have children faced so many seductive choices. It's up to parents to guide them through the thorny paths ahead.

Chapter 11: Shameless Corruption Through Television and Digital Media

It isn’t just the obvious shows and media that distort our children's values. More often [deleted words] the hidden messages [that] cause the most damage. This chapter looks at key categories and considers how the media messages mold young minds. Experimenting with magic, laughing at religion, pursuing a new world order, and embracing horror and the paranormal are all part of the methodology of changing our children’s minds. UFOs, aliens, and eventually a false world messiah (Anti-christ) are on the docket. Berit uncovers more of the United Nations’ efforts and also discusses the role the Internet and other digital media have. She gives a point-by-point section that describes the effects all this has on children, including a false view of the world which undermines their ability to discern good from evil or truth from error.

Chapter 12: Guarding Against Corruption in Television & Digital Media

Emphasizing praying as parents and also together as a family, Berit tells parents how they can train their children to discern between truth and spiritual deception. One way is to teach your child to ask him or herself certain questions about particular shows and games such as: Do one or more of the characters play the role of God? Do some of these superheroes and gods, such as He-man and Superman, seem greater and more real than God? Or does the story suggest that each person is a god, the designer and creator of his own circumstances? Does it imply that each person has power within himself to overcome all obstacles and fulfill his dreams?  Families need to discuss the consequences of rising violence, pornography, and profanities and take a stand. It might include writing to advertisers who promote these immoralities.

Chapter 14: Protecting Your Child From Harmful Toys & Games

Berit gives some valuable points on how to teach your child to develop a sensitivity to evil. Current delight in false gods and demonic creatures may have begun with winsome magicians such as Papa Smurf and Rainbow Brite. As people welcomed these nonthreatening (in appearance) harbingers of occult forces, they unknowingly opened the door to the grotesque and disturbing realms of the dark occult as well. Within the church community, talk about Satan has often been regarded as too negative or heavy-handed. Since we failed to resist, we gradually adapted and then accepted these practices. Know what questions to ask your child to help him make the right choices (between that which is evil and that which is good). Give him the kind of training that he can take into adulthood. Train your child to follow God, not peers, no matter what the cost. One point Berit makes: Self-denial seems out of place in a nation consumed with self-indulgence and self-fulfillment. But God commanded it, and Jesus demonstrated it. Dare we refuse to acknowledge it? According to the age of your child, discuss Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:24 and then allow the Holy Spirit to direct your application.

Chapter 15: Immoral & Occult Suggestions in Books & Magazines

Using Cat Warriors and Pullman’s Dark Materials, Berit shows how children are being taught to love the occult. In this chapter she also addresses the issue of how Christian leaders who wholeheartedly embrace Harry Potter and show  show no discernment with regard to the occult message. Berit shows how sensuality, a hunger for the occult, and a desensitizing of values are being aroused through books such as the vampire Twilight series. Since the beginning of time, human nature has sought alternatives to God and His guidelines. Spiritual deception gave rise to vast occult belief systems and unceasing manipulation by the forces of darkness. Thus, pagan sacrifices—a devastating corruption of God’s perfect plan for His people—became the norm in all parts of the inhabited world.

Chapter 16:  How to Guard Against Immorality & the Occult Prepare your child for a spiritual battle. To prove that our God is far greater than the plethora of alternatives, our lives must demonstrate to our children faith in the midst of difficulties. Practical ideas are included such as: Keeping an up-to-date church library and encouraging other families to support and use it, being alert to what your child’s peers are reading, and enjoying books together that demonstrate God’s values. Read-aloud times build in most children a deep love for reading while they also enable you to direct your children’s taste for enriching books. When you read aloud to your children, they learn to associate wholesome books with good times. Be alert to deception in books. A crossless version of Christianity fits the New Age lie that all can be one—with or without Jesus.

Eastern-style New Age mysticism is coming at children from every direction today. And the roots of this meditation-promoting spirituality is panentheistic (God is in all) and interspiritual (all paths lead to God). Yoga is being taught in many public schools now. It is even being promoted in children’s programs such as Sesame Street. Organizations such as the Girl Scouts are promoting the Aquarian mindset and New Age mysticism. This chapter shows the underlying occultism that is enticing children, even in the classroom. It's all part of a diabolical scheme to turn hearts and minds from God to all kinds of idols -- including human rulers.

A section that breaks down the elements of the armor of God can be very useful in helping your child apply the armor to his everyday life. There are also hands-on things you can do like monitoring your child’s school activities (e.g., see if they are teaching Yoga or other meditation exercises). Help your child to understand the nature of the New Age and spiritual deception. Remember, this is a spiritual war! Don’t let him or her go into the world unequipped. Berit also gives a 10-point test to use for determining when a media (movie, book, music) is actually Christian or not. A valuable tool.

Unfortunately, what we are experiencing today is a synthesis of the “I am God” ideology and accelerating occult activity. In fact, the two are inextricably linked together in that they have the same source—the demonic realm. Aleister Crowley, who promoted the ancient occult maxim “as above, so below” ( i.e., man and creation are equal to a "god" and the heavenly realms), also mobilized the youth of the hippie era with his own maxim, “Do what thou wilt” as being the “whole of the law” (which became “Do your own thing”). What, then, should Christian families do? Should we hide ourselves and our loved ones from the world’s charms and ills, or should we shine our light, work while it is day, and speak the truth in love and with boldness? We need to show our children how to be in the world but not of the world. God calls us to be His ambassadors in an increasingly corrupt land, and we cannot allow its darkness to quench His light in us.