When Satan binds a father through hidden sin, he is free to enter the lives of each family member to torment them. Struggles in a child’s life such as rebellion, lying, fears, moral failures, and other problems are often a direct result of hidden sins in the father’s life. In Mark 3:27, Jesus said, “No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.”

If the enemy can bind the father through hidden moral failure, he can then easily plunder the father’s “goods”—his wife and children. Satan’s ultimate goal for destruction is not focused only on the father, but also on the man’s wife and children. Satan may even leave the father alone, once the father has given him access to his family through unconfessed sin. A father may be gaining victory over his own sin, but as long as he refuses to humble himself and make a full confession, Satan is free to actively torment his wife and children.

Our children are like mirrors that help us see our own lives more clearly. Galatians 6:7 says, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” Thus, if we see signs of rebellion, lust, or any other sin in our children, we must first ask ourselves where those sins are present in our own lives.

Just as sin in a father’s life is a powerful tool for Satan, so a father’s open, humble confession is a powerful tool against Satan. A father’s honesty about his own sin releases him from Satan’s bondage and frees him to fulfill his role to his family as their protector.