ManTalk

Man-of-the-Word Challenge Fathers Knowing Scripture

Written By

Pst Roy Agoya, BBI Men's Ministry

Published On

February 20, 2026

"Discover why men must become students of Scripture, how fathers shape their children’s spiritual destiny, and why biblical truth is not piercing culture. Includes key verses on raising children."

THE battle for culture begins in the home.
The strength of a nation rises or falls on the spiritual health of its families.
And the spiritual health of families often rises or falls on one question:

Are men becoming men of the Word?

Jesus gave a sobering rebuke in Gospel of Matthew 22:29:

“You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.”

That statement is not merely theological—it is generational.

Men mess up because they do not know Scripture. That is not condemnation; it is diagnosis. And when men are in error, wives feel it, children absorb it, churches suffer it, and culture reflects it.

The Weight of Male Leadership

Whether acknowledged or not, fathers are role models.

A father is:

The first image of authority
The first example of masculinity
The first demonstration of faith—or lack of it

When a father is spiritually passive, biblically illiterate, emotionally distant, or morally inconsistent, the impact multiplies.

If a man does not know the Word of God, how can he lead his family in truth?
If he does not understand God’s design, how can he model it?

Jesus said error begins with not knowing Scripture.

Three Foundational Verses on Raising Children

1. Teach Diligently – Book of Deuteronomy 6:6–7

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children…”

Notice the order:

On your heart first
Then impressed on your children

You cannot transfer what you do not possess.

Biblical fatherhood is not outsourcing discipleship to Sunday school. It is daily teaching:

At home
On the road
In conversation
Through example

Fathers are commanded to talk Scripture, live Scripture, and embody Scripture.

2. Do Not Provoke – Epistle to the Ephesians 6:4

“Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”

This verse speaks directly to fathers.

Children raised in church but lacking spiritual fathering often struggle later. Why?

Because:

They saw church attendance but not transformation
They heard Bible stories but did not see biblical living
They experienced rules but not relationship

Harshness without instruction breeds rebellion.
Authority without love breeds distance.

3. Model Integrity – Book of Proverbs 20:7

“The righteous man walks in integrity; blessed are his children after him.”

Children do not inherit sermons.
They inherit patterns.

Integrity is the silent sermon children never forget.

Fathers Not Leading: A Crisis in the Home

In many homes:

Mothers carry the spiritual burden
Fathers are present physically but absent spiritually
Discipline replaces discipleship

When fathers do not lead:

Culture disciples their children
Universities reshape their worldview
Social media becomes their theology

Why do children raised in church become rebellious in college?

Often because:

Faith was inherited, not internalized
Scripture was quoted, not explained
Questions were silenced, not answered
Fathers did not model what they preached

Why Has Biblical Light Not Impacted Culture?

Jesus said light shines in darkness. Yet darkness seems aggressive.

Why is biblical truth not piercing world culture?

1. Lack of Role Models

Culture listens to authenticity.
When Christian men preach purity but live compromise, credibility collapses.

Children notice hypocrisy before they understand theology.

2. Lack of Knowledge of Scripture

Back to Matthew 22:29.

Error begins with ignorance of Scripture.

Many men:

Know sports statistics
Know business strategies
Know political debates

But cannot explain:

The gospel clearly
God’s design for marriage
Biblical masculinity
Why they believe what they believe

Ignorance weakens leadership.

3. Mixed Biblical Truths

When Scripture is mixed with:

Cultural relativism
Motivational speaking
Selective obedience

The light becomes dim.

Salt that loses its saltiness cannot preserve culture.

4. Culture Has Always Been Anti-God

The early church thrived in pagan Rome. Darkness is not new.

The issue is not that darkness exists.
The issue is whether light is strong enough.

Why Is Light Not Piercing the Darkness?

It is not because Scripture lacks power.

It is because Scripture is not deeply known, boldly lived, and consistently modelled.

Men must ask:

Are we truly students of the Word?
Or are we spiritual spectators?

If we do not know Scripture:

We cannot correct error
We cannot answer our children’s doubts
We cannot lead in crisis
We cannot confront cultural deception

A Man of the Word: What It Looks Like

A man of the Word:

Reads Scripture daily
Studies to understand, not just to quote
Leads family prayer
Answers hard questions patiently
Models repentance when wrong
Lives consistently in public and private

His children may still face temptation.
But they will never say, “I never saw faith lived at home.”

The Hard Question

Is it possible that we men do not know Scripture?

Not casually.
Not devotionally alone.
But deeply.

Jesus did not rebuke people for lack of sincerity.
He rebuked them for lack of knowledge.

“You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures…”

When fathers return to Scripture:

Homes stabilize
Children gain clarity
Churches strengthen
Culture feels the pressure of truth

A Call to Fathers

The world does not need louder Christian men.
It needs deeper ones.

The next generation is not looking for perfection.
It is looking for authenticity, integrity, and biblical grounding.

If we want light to pierce darkness:

Fathers must lead
Men must study
Homes must disciple
Scripture must be central

A man of the Word is not a title.
It is a daily discipline.

And when fathers know Scripture—not just casually, but deeply—the light begins at the dinner table before it ever reaches the culture.

Join our 7 day Man-of-the-Word Challenge and take a stand for your generation.

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Common Questions

Being born again secures your salvation—your sins are forgiven, and you belong to Christ. You don’t need deliverance to be saved.

However, even as a believer, you can still struggle with patterns, strongholds, or spiritual oppression from the past. Deliverance isn’t about salvation; it’s about applying Jesus’ freedom to those areas. If you experience ongoing struggles, prayer, renunciation, and pastoral support can help you walk fully in the liberty Christ has already won for you.
Breaking a generational curse, in a religious sense, is seen as a spiritual journey of repentance, faith, and deliberate action. It begins with acknowledging sin—both one’s own and, in some beliefs, the lingering effects of ancestors’ wrongdoing—and turning away from it through heartfelt repentance and prayer. This recognition is often accompanied by a conscious renunciation of the curse, verbally declaring that one no longer accepts the negative patterns or misfortunes that may have been passed down through the family line.

Faith plays a central role in this process. Believers rely on the power of God to intervene, heal, and restore, trusting that divine authority can break spiritual strongholds that have persisted for generations. Prayer, sometimes accompanied by fasting, Scripture reading, or intercession from spiritual leaders, is used to call on God’s guidance and protection.
When we receive salvation, our spirit is redeemed immediately. Our sins are forgiven, we are justified, and the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us (Ephesians 1:7; Romans 5:1; Ephesians 1:13–14). Salvation restores our relationship with God and secures eternal life.

However, the curses or effects of sin in the world—sickness, generational patterns, fear, poverty, or emotional wounds—are not always broken automatically. The reason is that while our spirit is saved, our body, mind, and circumstances still exist in a fallen world under the consequences of sin (Romans 8:20–22).
If you struggle with something but generally overcome it, it is not necessarily a spirit. The Bible shows that even faithful believers wrestle with sin and weakness—Paul himself admitted in Romans 7:15–20 that he struggled to do what was right even as he desired to obey God. A true “spirit” or demonic stronghold is usually characterized by persistent, overpowering opposition that cannot be resisted through prayer, Scripture, and obedience.

If you are able to resist, repent, and grow despite the struggle, it is more likely an area God is using to refine your character and strengthen your faith. Struggles can reveal patterns in our lives that need God’s grace, teaching us dependence on Him, humility, and perseverance. Victory is not about perfection; it is about continuing to walk in obedience, relying on God’s Word, and trusting His Spirit to lead you forward.
Yes, according to Scripture, the human spirit can be influenced, but it’s important to be precise about what that means. The Bible teaches that we are spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). The “spirit man” is the part of us that connects with God, discerns spiritual truths, and communes with Him (John 4:24; Romans 8:16).

A demonic spirit cannot possess the spirit of a born-again believer because the Holy Spirit indwells them (1 Corinthians 6:19; 1 John 4:4). The Spirit of God protects and fills the spirit man, so it cannot be taken over. However, the spirit man can be influenced or oppressed by external spiritual forces if there is neglect, unrepented sin, or agreement with lies, which can affect our thoughts, emotions, and will.

Satan and his spirits can tempt, deceive, and oppress, but they cannot inhabit the spirit of someone truly born again. That’s why Scripture emphasizes guarding your heart and mind, staying in God’s Word, and walking in obedience—this keeps your spirit man aligned with God and resistant to attack (Ephesians 6:10–18; James 4:7).
consequences of sin, wrongdoing, or negative behavior can extend beyond an individual and affect their descendants. In this context, a generational curse is not merely about inherited traits or family patterns in a psychological sense, but rather a spiritual or moral consequence passed down through family lines.

For example, the Bible mentions in several passages, such as Exodus 20:5 and Numbers 14:18, that the sins of the parents can affect their children “to the third and fourth generation.” This is often interpreted to mean that unrepented sin or disobedience to God can create spiritual or circumstantial burdens like poverty, addiction, illness, or relational strife that may continue to manifest in subsequent generations.

Religious teachings often emphasize that generational curses are not inevitable. Through repentance, prayer, faith, and obedience to God, it is believed that individuals can break these curses and restore spiritual blessings to themselves and their descendants. In Christian practice, this might involve confession, seeking deliverance through prayer, or living a life aligned with God’s commandments to end the cycle of negative spiritual influence.
Feeling anger is not automatically a “spirit.” Anger is a natural emotion that God Himself expresses in certain circumstances (Exodus 32:10; Psalm 7:11). What matters is how you handle it. If you feel angry but do not act in sin, controlling your words, thoughts, and actions, this is not a demonic spirit—it is a natural human response being managed in obedience to God.

A spirit of anger in Scripture refers to a persistent, controlling, or destructive force that dominates a person’s behavior (Ephesians 4:26–27 warns against letting anger give the devil a foothold). If your anger arises but you remain calm, forgive, and do not allow it to control you, it is simply an emotion, not a spirit.
When faced with temptation, there are times to run and times to resist, and Scripture gives clear guidance.

You run from sin when it is dangerous, seductive, or beyond your natural ability to resist. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:18, “Flee fornication.” You remove yourself from the source of temptation—whether it’s a place, a person, or an opportunity—because staying there puts your soul at risk. Running is not cowardice; it is obedience and wisdom.

You resist when you are confronted with pressure or attack that you can face through God’s power. James 4:7 says, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Resisting means standing firm in faith, speaking Scripture, and relying on the Holy Spirit. This is active confrontation, not passive endurance.

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"“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”"

— Deuteronomy 31:6

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