By Jonathan Zirpolo 
“What is your worst fear being a cop?” I get asked this question quite frequently, and the answer might surprise you. Some might think that getting shot would be my worst fear. It definitely ranks up pretty high on the hopefully-never-happens scale, but that’s not my worst fear. Maybe getting hit by a passing car while I’m on a traffic stop? Almost as high on the hopefully-never-happens scale, but not my worst. How about being infected with a disease while dealing with a bloodied prisoner? Close, but no cigar.  
I realized what my worst fear was when I was booking another officer’s prisoner. The man was arrested for being drunk in public (and boy, was he drunk!). Now, it’s not unusual for intoxicated people to say really less than intelligent things while they are in police custody. In fact, television shows have made a serious profit off of inebriated people’s shenanigans. Most of the time, you just let it go like water off a duck’s back. But he crossed the line. “You have a nice family. You know, I notice when you aren’t home.” Threatening me is one thing––that happens all the time; it comes with the job. However, threatening my family is a completely different matter. My worst fear is leaving my family unprotected.  
First order of business, we installed an alarm system. As soon as one of our doors opens, my phone gets a text message telling me which one. Another push of the button on my nifty smart phone, and I can view a live stream of the cameras in my house. Open a door or trip a sensor while the alarm is activated, and I am instantly alerted through my cell phone. Now alarms don’t deter all criminals, so we bought a dog. Not some little ankle-biting Chihuahua, we bought a Boxer. He is roughly 75 pounds, has a vicious bark, an even meaner bite, and he is oh so protective. Yet even with the alarm and the dog, I didn’t feel that was quite enough protection for my family, and much to my delight, my wife agreed. We bought guns, a lot of guns in all sorts of tasty calibers. From the smallest .22 caliber pistol up to a .50 caliber hand cannon that is capable of blowing a hole through a tank. We have shotguns, assault rifles, and scoped rifles capable of reaching out several thousand yards.  
That seems a bit “overboard” and “a bit excessive,” right? I disagree whole-heartedly. You see, when it comes to my family, I will do whatever it takes to keep them safe! Let me ask you this, what would you be willing to do to keep your family safe should someone threaten their safety? Add an alarm? Buy a dog or a gun? I dare say any parent worth his salt would do whatever it takes to keep his family out of harm’s way. Now, what if that someone who was threatening your family was Satan? What are you willing to do to keep them safe? If you take nothing from this lesson, take this: no matter what we do to keep our family safe from the worldly dangers, it will mean absolutely nothing if their souls are soul-napped by the Devil. 
Hear me on this, folks. The idea that we can give God just three hours of Bible study each week will not cut it. That’s so important I’ll say it again. The idea that we can give God just three hours of Bible study each week will not cut it. We have to be more involved than that. If someone were threatening your family, you wouldn’t keep your alarm on for just three hours each week and hope the bad guys don’t come the other 165 hours of the week. That would be absurd. Why do we think we can keep the souls of our family safe turning on our spiritual alarms on two hours on Sunday and one hour on Wednesday? The devil is constantly trying to get into your home and attack your family. In the words of Inner Circle (those guys who sing the “Cops” theme song), “Whatcha gonna do?” 
How about this––we start having daily Bible study with our families? I heard a brother in Christ say that Wednesday night Bible study at church is his night to get his spiritual batteries recharged to help him get to Sunday. You know, if we get into God’s Word daily, we could keep our batteries charged every day! “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, searching the Scriptures daily whether these things were so (Acts 17:11, emp. added). They had their noses in God’s Word daily, not just on Sunday and Wednesday. We used to be known as “Bible totin,’ Scripture quotin’ Christians.” Notice I said, “used to.” Want to change that? Have nightly Bible studies with your family. Dive into the Word! 
How about we watch what our families are watching on the television or listening to the radio? It’s one of the easiest ways the Father of Lies can get into our families’ minds. “Well, we won’t be watching much television if we eliminate every show that has immorality or bad language.” And what is wrong with that? Jesus said that if you eye or your hand offends you, cut it off because it would be better for you to go through life maimed or blind than to be cast into the Devil’s Hell (Matthew 5:29-30). Think of it this way, the less time you spend in front of the television, the more time you can spend with your family and the closer you will become! There is a word the Greeks used for this kind of logic––I believe it’s spelled, “b-r-i-l-l-i-a-n-t!” 
How about we monitor what how we dress? Tell me how some of our “ladies” can wear the name of Jesus and walk around looking like a prostitute? Explain to me how some of our “gentlemen” can proclaim to be godly walking around with their pants around their knees. It’s a shame before God. If you are letting your son or daughter walk out your house having purchased those clothes that scream immorality, you are letting Satan walk right along with them. Better yet, if your son or daughter thinks it is o.k. in the first place to go buy (much less come home) with those clothes, you’re letting Satan walk with your children.  
I know what you are thinking. Have daily family Bible study?! Turning off the television?! Monitoring what my family wears?! That’s a bit “overboard” and a bit “excessive.”  To some it may be, but I don’t think so. I think it is a good starting point to keeping our families safe. Understand friends, there is someone who is trying to attack your family every minute of every day. He does not rest and he does not grow weary. What are you willing to do to ensure he stays out of your home? Whatcha gonna do when he comes for you and yours?