“Jesus did not come just to forgive our sins and give us life; He came to undo the works of Satan (see 1 John 3:8).” - Neil T Anderson
What was God’s Original Intent for Marriage?
You can’t afford to miss God’s original intent for your relationship with Him and with your spouse. We continually point to the first two chapters in Genesis because that is our bullseye. There we see God’s plan laid out and what the fruit of redemption should be. Redemption brings you into a right relationship with God. This should be evidenced by your right relationship with your spouse.
Let’s continue to work our way through these two chapters to clearly identify God’s purpose for marriage and the relationships that flow out from it.
We have outlined that God’s purposes for your marriage are to Reflect the Image of God and Reproduce a Godly Heritage. Consider God’s third purpose He outlined in Genesis 1:28:
“And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Perhaps you’ve been guilty of skimming that verse only to see the command “be fruitful and multiply”. However, God also instructs Adam and Eve to subdue the earth and have dominion over the animals. By giving this command, God also establishes the precedent that Adam and Eve are to Reign in Spiritual Warfare. In the garden Adam and Eve were able to reign without opposition.
What Changed?
Sadly, Adam and Eve’s disobedience led to a fractured relationship with God and with each other. A battle in the spiritual realm now rages as God works to reconcile us to Himself. Satan wages war to keep us from our Heavenly Father. We no longer reign without a battle to fight.
Is there tension in your marriage? Do you feel distant? How long has it been since you’ve prayed together?
What do we do now?
The following is a list to help you and your spouse reign together in spiritual warfare. While some of these may sound cliche, they really are the foundation you need when the enemy attacks.
- Die to self every single day (set a specific time to get in the Word and pray)
- Know that the same Holy Spirit that indwells you lives in your spouse, and act like it
- God is not the author of confusion, so when you experience uncertainty in your marriage, it’s time to reevaluate your spiritual health (are you doing bullet number 1?)
- Remember that the only person you can control to get back in step with the Holy Spirit is yourself, you are responsible for your relationship with with God
Your spouse is not your enemy. Envision yourself locking arms with them as opposed to standing off face-to-face. You are teammates not opponents. And, by the way, you’re on the winning team if you’re with God!
