Folks, the Lord Jesus gave a very solemn warning when He said, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:6, NKJV).

These words should shake us to the core. In the very next verse (Matthew 18:7), Jesus pronounces a strong “Woe!”, an exclamation of coming judgment, on anyone who becomes a stumbling block to these little ones.

In the context, Jesus is speaking especially to His disciples and to believers, warning us to go to any length to avoid causing young believers or children to stumble in their faith.

At the same time, the heart of God clearly extends to all vulnerable children, whether they are young believers or little ones who do not yet know Christ.

The whole Bible shows God’s special care for the fatherless, the oppressed, and the innocent (Psalm 82:3-4; Proverbs 31:8-9; Isaiah 1:17).

Grooming, rape, and trafficking are wicked sins against any child made in the image of God.

For many years here in Britain, thousands of young girls, many of them just children, have been groomed, raped, trafficked, and terribly abused, while those who should have protected them looked the other way.

The Scale of the Evil

Recent reports, including the independent Rape Gang Inquiry by MP Rupert Lowe, have brought these horrors into the light. In places like Rotherham, Rochdale, Telford and across the country, organised grooming gangs, in many cases predominantly Pakistani Muslim men, targeted vulnerable White British girls.

From what I read, the official inquiry showed that there were 1,400 victims in Rotherham alone, but the true national total is far higher.

Survivors tell sickening stories of repeated rape, violence, and betrayal by police, councils, and social services who were more afraid of being called racist than they were of failing these little ones.

This was not just the sin of a few men, it truly was a systemic failure that continued under both Labour and Conservative governments. The prophet Isaiah warned, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness…” (Isaiah 5:20, NKJV).

In this powerful section of Isaiah chapter 5 (verses 8–25), God pronounces six sharp “woes”, strong declarations of judgment, against the sins of His people.

They had twisted justice, oppressed the vulnerable, and called evil good while rejecting the Lord’s ways. Because they refused to repent, judgment came through the Assyrian invasion.

A similar fate later fell on Judah. The principle is clear: when a nation’s leaders exchange good for evil and no longer protect the innocent, they stand guilty before a holy God.

When political correctness is placed above justice for the fatherless, when leaders refuse to call evil by its right name, destruction is not far behind.

The Bible is very clear, God will not be mocked.

Current Actions: Protection or Control?

Now we see Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaking boldly about banning social media for those under sixteen.

It sounds like he wants to protect the children. Yet many of us sense a troubling double standard.

While pushing these bans and talking about restricting VPNs (tools many adults use for privacy), there has been hesitation to fully support a transparent national inquiry that would examine the evidence without fear or favour.

At the same time, places like Roblox, very popular with children, continue to be hunting grounds for predators. When one door is closed, evil simply finds another.

Restricting parents and adults while past failures remain unaddressed feels inconsistent.

Remember, the Bible places the primary responsibility for raising and protecting children on the parents, not the state. Paul writes in Ephesians 6:4, “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.”

In Deuteronomy 6:6-7, God commanded His people to teach His words diligently to their children, when they sat in the house, when they walked by the way, when they lay down, and when they rose up. This is the God-given pattern.

I remember when I was a boy, in both primary and secondary school we would begin many mornings with an assembly where we said the Lord’s Prayer together, and sometimes we had a Bible lesson during the week. Those simple moments of acknowledging God are largely gone from our schools today. Yet I was blessed, my parents brought my brother, my sister, and me up under biblical values. They taught us the Scriptures at home and lived them out before us. That foundation made all the difference.

The psalmist cried out with God’s own heart when he wrote, “Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy; free them from the hand of the wicked” (Psalm 82:3-4). This is not optional for rulers or for God’s people.

The Lord cares deeply for the vulnerable. When parents are strengthened in their God-given role, and when leaders remember their duty to protect the innocent, our children are far safer.

But when the state tries to take the place of godly parents, or when homes and schools drift from God’s Word, the enemy finds many open doors.

What Should Christians Do?

First, we must pray. Pray for the victims and their families, that the Lord would heal their broken hearts. Psalm 147:3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” In the Hebrew, the word for “heals” carries the idea of mending and restoring, while “binds up” pictures a kind physician carefully wrapping and caring for injuries.

This same gentle, compassionate ministry is what Jesus declared about Himself in Luke 4:18 when He quoted Isaiah: He came “to heal the brokenhearted.”

Whether the wound is from personal sin, deep grief, or terrible abuse, the Lord approaches the hurting with tender pity, like a skilled doctor tending to His patients (Luke 5:31-32).

Pray for truth to come fully into the light. Pray for repentance in our land. And pray that God would raise up men and women who will stand for righteousness and protect the innocent.

Second, speak the truth in love. We cannot remain silent. Proverbs 31:8-9 tells us, “Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.”

The phrase “open your mouth” is a strong call to actively plead for those who cannot speak for themselves. This is especially powerful for young girls who have been so ruined by their trauma that many remain silent or broken. In ancient Israel, the king had a God-given duty to uphold justice for the helpless, both in physical danger and in material need. Here in Proverbs 31, the godly ruler is pictured as one who mediates the compassion of God by defending the weak and oppressed.

In the same way, we as God’s people are called to speak up for the vulnerable in our day.

Third, guard our own families. We need to be wise with technology. I encourage you to visit our page “Using the Network & Internet Safely” at https://bornagainchristians.faith/faith-resources/online-safety.

Set clear boundaries. Teach your children to discern right from wrong. Stay vigilant, because our adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).

Peter is warning believers that Satan is the real enemy. He pictures him as a hungry, restless lion constantly looking for someone to destroy. In these difficult days, the devil is very active, using governments, culture, and confusion to cause suffering while trying to get people to blame one another or even blame God. But we must keep the blame where it belongs.

We should never underestimate the devil, yet we must never forget that our God is greater.

When Christians resist the devil in the power of the Holy Spirit, the enemy will flee (James 4:7). This battle is real, which is why Paul tells us to put on the whole armour of God (Ephesians 6:12-18).

Fourth, call for real justice. The Bible is clear that government is meant to punish evil and protect the innocent (Romans 13:3-4; 1 Peter 2:14). When leaders fail in this duty, protecting the guilty while neglecting the victims, they are not fulfilling the role God has given them.

We as Christians can and should speak up boldly for truth and righteousness. At the same time, we remember that ultimate judgment belongs to the Lord. He sees every hidden thing, and He will repay.

Our Living Hope

These evils grieve the heart of God, but we must not lose hope, folks! Jesus Christ came into this dark world to set the captives free and to comfort all who mourn.

Here the prophet Isaiah spoke of the coming Servant of the Lord who would be anointed by God’s Spirit to bring good news to the poor, to bind up the broken-hearted, and to proclaim liberty to those held captive (Isaiah 61:1-3).

You might think those words were only for Isaiah’s day, but Jesus Himself stood up in the synagogue at the very beginning of His ministry and declared that this prophecy was fulfilled in Him (Luke 4:16-21). He is the true Servant who sees every tear, every broken life, and every injustice.

For those of us who claim to follow Jesus, we just simply cannot turn our backs on the poor, the oppressed, and the hurting in our midst. To Stand up for the vulnerable is not optional; it is part of the DNA of every born-again believer.

We are called to be light in the darkness until the day He returns and makes all things new.

One day soon, our Lord Jesus will make all things new. The Bible promises, “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. For the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4, NKJV).

When I studied this in my concordance, I found over thirty passages in the New Testament that speak of sorrow and being sorrowful. These words carry the weight of deep grief, pain, distress, and travail.

The same word is often translated as “wailing” or “mourning, ” as we see in Revelation 18:15. Can you imagine the deep mourning and unspeakable sorrow these girls have endured through such vicious ordeals? Their pain has been great, but praise God, it will not have the final word.

Until that glorious day, let us walk in the light. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light” (Romans 13:12, NKJV).

The works of darkness are those sinful deeds that people want to keep hidden, the very things Paul warns us about in Ephesians 5:11 when he says, “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” But the works of light are acts of righteousness. When Paul speaks of the armour of light, he is describing the spiritual battle we are in as believers. We are called to stand for truth, protect the innocent, and live righteously until the Lord Jesus returns.

If you are a survivor or a parent worried about your children, the Lord is near to the broken-hearted.

The church should be a place of safety, truth, and healing.

Let us pray, let us stand, and let us trust in our faithful God.