“There is a generation that curses its father, And does not bless its mother. There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, Yet is not washed from its filthiness. There is a generation—oh, how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are [a]lifted up. There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, And whose fangs are like knives, To devour the poor from off the earth, And the needy from among men.” (Proverbs 30:11-14 NKJV)
In these verses, we see that there are four classifications of people that line in and comprise an evil generation:
- Those who do not honor their parents
- Those who are self-righteous
- Those who are full of vanity and pride
- Those who are cruel, greedy, and oppressive to the poor
It is because of these four areas, of which comprises an evil generation, that satan has targeted specifically as top priority targets due to knowing that God abhors these in a generation. For if he can get a generation to fail in all four of these areas, he knows that he can cause an entire generation to fall. How does he do this? What is his strategy? Generational Desensitization!
What are we talking about, though, when we say the term “Generational Desensitization”? Well, to even begin to understand what the term means, we must first establish a baseline of understanding that will show us what satan is really up to in this end-time warfare we are engaged in. The real warfare is not just about one single solitary soul, but rather the true spiritual battle that is being fought is over an entire generation of souls!
The question that we must ask ourselves is a simple one–Why? Why is there a battle being fought for an entire generation? Because one generation affects the next generations, and so forth and so on. If the devil can desensitize one generation with just a few things, he can then desensitize the next generation with even more things, and as he does so, he causes each generation following to lose more and more the reality of the promise of our dominion here on earth. Once the domino effect starts, it will ripple down through time from one generation to the next, with each following generation becoming more and more desensitized to the evils spewed out of the mouth of darkness itself. The effect is that in no time, things that used to be absolutely taboo in our society are now accepted and practiced openly.
As spiritual warfighters for the Kingdom of God, we must truly understand the importance of not succumbing to, and fighting against, the evils of our generation. It was important enough that Jesus, over and over in the Gospels, talked about the generation that lived during His time on earth. Listen to what Jesus called His generation:
- A generation of vipers (Matthew 3:7)
- An evil and adulterous generation (Matthew 12:39)
- A faithless and perverse generation (Matthew 17:17)
- An adulterous and sinful generation (Mark 8:38)
Even Peter got in on explaining what that generation was like in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost, when he told them that they were “an untoward generation.” Untoward means “warped” or “crooked.” When all these verses are put together, we see what that generation was truly like: They were a warped, crooked, evil, sinful, adulterous, faithless, perverse generation of vipers! When I read that, a question pops into my mind–if Jesus and Peter thought their generation was like that, what would they call the generation that we live in right now? How sad of a testimony we would have if Jesus were to describe the filth of this world’s condition currently. Can we truly say that this present generation is ready to establish dominion on earth again? I think not.
Going back to our original question now, why does the devil want to desensitize our generation? The answer is found in Hebrews 5:13-14, “For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” [italic emphasis mine]. The word “senses” here is the Greek word aistheteria which relates to the organs of sense; the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, fingers, and the nervous system in general. It literally carries the thought that there is something in the soul that corresponds with all these senses and through them the soul is blessed and perfected.
Now, what does that tell us? It tells us that if the devil can desensitize our senses, our conscience, etc., he can attack the soul. For these are gateways to the soul! According to Hebrews 5, strong meat only belongs to those who can exercise their senses; to those who can discern both good and evil. If the enemy can desensitize an entire generation, he can thus remove the strong meat of the Word from the world and also the ability to discern between right and wrong! He doesn’t care if you sip on milk every now and then. What concerns him are Christian warriors who have exercised their senses, who are not ignorant to his schemes and wiles, who are anointed by the power of the Holy Spirit to do holy war!
5 Reasons The Devil Attacks Generations
- According to Isaiah 51:8, God’s salvation is from generation to generation. Satan thinks that if he can stop one generation, he can thus stop God’s salvation from progressing any further.
- According to Luke 1:50, God’s mercy is only promised to those who fear Him from generation to generation. Satan thinks that if he can stop one generation from fearing God, he can thus stop God’s mercy.
- According to Numbers 32:13, Satan knows that God will destroy an entire generation if they sin.
- According to Judges 2:10, Satan knows that if he can desensitize a generation, that he can affect the next one as well.
- According to Exodus 20:5; 34:7; Deuteronomy 5:9; 23:2-3, Satan knows that generational curses can result from one generation partaking in sin.
What can we do to combat these specific attacks from the enemy? How can we stop a generation from becoming so evil that the next generation is worse than any previous to it before? We can become mighty warriors for our generation like Psalm 78 says we should be!
“I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.” (Psalm 78:2-8 ESV)
There is still hope, though, my friends. The very last time the word generation is mentioned in the Bible is found in 1 Peter 2:9, and it doesn’t speak of a defeated generation either! “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (ESV) Now THAT sounds like a generation that is ready to establish dominion!