KEEPING YOUR MARRIAGE INTACT “… Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate” –Matthew 19:6 NKJV
No Interference!
No interference of any kind should be allowed to make marriage less than what God has created it to achieve, nor completely derail it. This was what apostle Paul was trying to explain when he asked; “Who shall separate us from the love of God? Shall tribulation or distress …?” -Rom. 8:35. This verse could also mean “What shall separate us from the love of God?” The sole reason for making marriage very successful, isn’t dependent on anything external, but on the mutual and internal watchfulness of both husband and wife. No man, devil or material things can put any marriage asunder when couples have grown and fused together in the Lord as one, God is their number one, and they are constantly watchful too. Couples should move from just being babily married (joined at the altar), to being spiritually matured and experientially fused as one flesh. It is the 3-branded chord – the man and his wife with God that will make their marriage remain formidable against Satan and his arsenals.
You Can Make the Difference
At a time, when it appeared like God had lost Adam and Eve, (and in a way, the entire humanity) when they committed high treason and were sold out to the devil, God moved in and initiated a plan to remedy the situation. He killed an innocent animal and used its skin to cover their nakedness (shame). This was a prophetic demonstration of God’s love-a foreshadow of His mercy toward all humans when He would give His Son as a propitiation for our sin. And God did that over two thousand years ago.
Although Adam had blamed his wife initially when God asked him if he had eaten the forbidden fruit; yet, he later did something that many men in our contemporary days may not have done. There are partners who sacked their spouses in spite of the fact that they too also contributed to the predicament that affected their marriage. But for Adam, he decided to put his feelings aside and took full responsibility of his action as an ideal husband who loved his wife! He prophetically renamed his wife from being called “Woman” (general name) to “Eve.” That is, “Mother of all living.” I strongly believe, that Adam had to draw his wife closer in order to:
- Help her not to feel weighed down under her regret for being the one who started the mess they found themselves in;
- Make both of them move away from the past and face whatever was coming ahead of them.
I also believe that Adam understood how badly he still needed his woman. He was not looking forward to having a replacement, because she was a divine favour from God that shouldn’t be rejected. (See Prov. 18:22 and Gen. 2:18). I believe that Christian husbands, who ought to be good husbands like Christ is to the church, have something to learn from Adam as well. For Adam, he prophesied into the futuristic purpose of his dear wife. The Bible says, “And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20 KJV),
Unbelievably, this renaming happened immediately God finished passing judgments on all of them including the serpent. Amidst some things you don’t like about your wife, you can prophesy what you want her future to look like alongside your destiny, while you continue to love her. On a more serious note, YOUR WIFE NEEDS SECURITY THROUGH YOUR LOVE! This helps her to follow you to follow the Lord.
Watch out for the Serpent!
While Satan is constantly seeking to blind people’s minds from the truth, in order to rob them and put them in bondage and finally destroy them, we (believers) should never forget that, “… we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers,… “Eph. 6:12 KJV.
Down the centuries, believers in Christ have been sternly warned with this passage; “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” –1 Pet. 5:8 KJV. It’s becoming unbelievable to see many believers walk into the lion’s den of their own accord!
If marriages of believers are to be very successful, reflecting the sacred relationship and enduring character of Christ to His church, every couple must always “Put on the whole armour of God…. to stand against the wiles of the devil” -Eph. 6:11 KJV.
Putting on the whole armour of God isn’t to be taken as a defensive posture only. No! We also are to be equipped with the sword of the Spirit – the most dangerous offensive weapon that we could ever have which is not carnal, but mighty to pull down every stronghold of the devil (Ephesians 6:17b; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5). From the lips of Jesus our Lord in Matthew 16:18, we learnt that the gates of hell will not prevail against His church. The church must allow Jesus to build her to become offensive enough to win over hell’s war. Couples who fail to build themselves up in the Word of God, will have their marriages invaded by Satan. When husband and wife fight each other, it simply means that they have left fighting the devil! In a marriage where husband and wife have built up themselves as best friends, it will no longer be, who will give first. It is about the one who cares or sacrifices for the other person’s happiness. My favourite scripture I always use to support this is, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.
Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when be falls, For he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Every marriage that remains a 3-branded cord will always be successful. Why?
- The man is in relationship with God and his wife.
- The woman is in relationship with God and her husband;
- Both husband and wife are in a growing relationship in God as one; always ensuring that God is highly pleased over their doings.
Only the fear and love for God as their number one can make these highly possible in their marriage.
