aising children is a battle. The good guys: Christian parents trying to raise godly children. The bad guys: The Satan-infused influence of the world.

Thousands of years ago, Moses gave three sermons to the Israelites reviewing their previous 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. We now recognize these sermons as the fifth book of the Bible: Deuteronomy. Among his lessons on God’s law, processes of the priests and rules for sacrifices to God and the Promised Land, are valuable insights on how to raise children.

In Deuteronomy 6:1-9, Moses gave a detailed account of how to raise children in a godly way. Though those words were originally intended for the Israelites, they are incredibly applicable to parenting today. Biblical scholars sometimes refer to this passage as The Magna Carta of Parenting. In case you’re not a history buff, the words Magna Carta are Latin for “great charter.” The original Magna Carta was first used to limit the powers of an English King in the year 1215.

According to Dale Evrist, senior pastor of New Song Christian Fellowship in Cool Springs, Tenn., “a Magna Carta Bible passage is the one place in the Bible with the fullest expression of a given subject.” For example, some commentators call Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount the Magna Carta of the Kingdom. There are many verses in the Bible about parenting, says Evrist; but Deuteronomy 6 holds the most complete coverage of the subject.

As a father of two children, and the senior pastor for a network of churches in Nashville, Evrist has a lot of experience raising children in a godly way. “Deuteronomy 6 is what a home would look like if it were soaked in the Word,” he says. The passage also serves as a guide for what it would look like in a home where the parents are “living out a lifestyle of truth-speaking with their kids that would guide the family in everything.” 

Evrist shares what he did with his children. “The issue with kids is always the shepherding of their hearts. Our goal with our kids was not behavior modification. Our goal was always heart transformation,” he explains.

According to Evrist, the primary purpose of parents is to teach their children diligently in the truth of their faith. “The most important thing any parent will do is transmit their faith to their kids,” he notes.

“To teach something diligently requires time and focus,” Evrist says. “Some people make reference to the Word with their kids, but they don’t teach it diligently.” A good way to teach children diligently is to attend a sound, truth-filled, Bible-based church. In addition, he says, “Every parent has a responsibility to take time to teach their children truth. Christian homes should be filled with conversations about God and about his Word.” Pastor Evrist shares a few practical ways to teach children diligently as Deuteronomy 6 instructs:

• Play Scripture-based kids music in the car and at home; sing the songs with your children.
• Use a picture Bible with young children.
• Act out Bible stories. Play different roles and characters of the Bible.
• Speak and pray God’s Word over children at night before they go to bed. Ask mature Christian believers for advice on which Scriptures to pray over children. Two examples are Psalm 23 and Psalm 91.
• After children return home from youth group, ask them what they learned and talk about it.
• Look at what your children bring home from Sunday school and use those lessons as a basis for what you teach your children that week.
• Always have Scripture around the house. Post a drawing or a painting on the wall. Put Bible verses on the refrigerator with a magnet or on the wall with a sticky note. 

For parents who didn’t begin raising their children following the principles of Deuteronomy 6 or for those who doubt their ability to raise their children this way, Evrist emphasizes, “It’s never too late. Not only can any parent do this but they have tremendous authority from God in it.”

He also notes, “Nothing less than a focused faith will do. As parents, the moment we cease to be vigilant is the moment we begin to be vulnerable. We live in a sinful and fallen world that is competing for our children’s affections and attention.”

Thanks to God’s parenting guidance in Deuteronomy 6, parents have detailed instructions on how to successfully raise their children.