1 John 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. ESV #Bible
To an elder, or an elderly man, all those younger are children to him, whether in the church or the family.
For an elder in the church his love for the congregation are his children in the Lord, he watches over them as his own.
The elder naturally loves his flock or congregation. It comes easily to him because he is residing in Christ's Love with the desire to serve the body of believers.
The elder naturally wants to protect his children from evil, or any sort of harm. Helping to raise them up in the fullness of the Gospel and the Love of Jesus the Christ.
Idols are anyone or thing that would distract or block you from direct axcess to God.
It's like the sun, when something comes between you and the sun, you find yourself in the shade or darkness.
Keeping yourselves in the light of God's Love is to stay away from anything that would draw you into a place of darkness, or what would come between you and God. Causing ignorance of God and the longer you stay the more ignorant you become about God and his Love. Then your hunger for God is replaced with what your human nature desires. Then sin reigns as God over your life. So keep yourselves from idols.
