But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22
We’ve experienced it, and we certainly see it. Living in a covenant marriage makes us keenly aware of the enemy’s desire to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). When you step into God’s design for marriage, we know the enemy places a bullseye on that relationship.
What surprises us isn’t the attack, it’s how easily knowledge replaces obedience.
We have more marriage content available than ever before. Books. Podcasts. Conferences. Tools. We are excellent gatherers of information, but information does not automatically lead to transformation.
We’ve seen this in our own marriage, and we see it in the marriages the Lord allows us to walk alongside. Some stories sober us. They remind us how easily the enemy gains a foothold through disagreements, harboring resentment, and unspoken expectations.
And then there are marriages that inspire us, couples who actually practice what they know. They forgive quickly, speak life, and are committed to unity. They don’t drift into strength, they are intentional about moving towards it.
James writes:
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22)
That word deceive is sobering. We can convince ourselves we’re growing simply because we’re learning. But covenant marriage is not sustained by knowledge alone. We need to daily look to the Holy Spirit for the ability to do what is not natural. By faith, He strengthens us to love as Christ loves… to forgive as we’ve been forgiven… to humble ourselves first… to respond instead of react.
The marriages that grow strong aren’t perfect. They practice forgiveness, gentleness, repentance, choosing unity over proving a point.
Today, commit to put into practice what you know God’s Word instructs us to do. Watch how every act of obedience strengthens you in Christ, and quenches the enemy’s attack.
