The marriage relationship is under attack.
Christian home is born through a marriage relationship. The number of divorces attests to the level of attack on homes. Take a look at the graph from the UK office of national statistics.
From the graph above the rate of marriage has declined since 1980 and according to recent statistics, the rate of divorce actually rose.
See the table below
But most of the time as Christians, we do not consider that our marriages [ homes] could be facing so much attack from various directions, through a single source, to achieve one singular aim, break up of our marriages.
There is an attack on Christian homes and this attack originated from the devil. The devil opposes all that is good and Godly including marriage.
Some break up of marriage relationship would sometimes appear like fictional stories! But it is true. The reason being that the devil could be very tricky and subtle in the attack on homes. He uses our “Achilles heel”.
No marriage is exempted irrespective of their standing in the Lord or the acclaimed level of moral standard. Just as no church is exempted from the attack of the devil. Even God’s blessing, such as children, money or other material things can be turned upside down by the devil as a reason for separation and eventual divorce.
Many Christian couples whose marriage ended up in divorce would normally recall that if given the chance they would have done differently!
The difficulties and problems in marriage should not be understood from physical events happening around only. If we do, we would not have had the whole picture, because there is an enemy outside the Home. Hence the need for home security.
Why should the devil take interest in your home ?.
1 Home is the unit that makes up the church of Christ.
2 The church is the showpiece to the world of Christ’s accomplishment following his death and resurrection. Christ came to the world to build the church. If the devil opposed Christ, he has to oppose the church and hence Christian homes.
Jesus is coming back for the same glorious church without spot or wrinkle.
3 The authority in the home is to mirror that of Christ and the church.
4 The love of Christ for the church is to be seen and read by unbelievers
through the husband’s love for the wife.
5 God commands that whatever He has joined together, let no man separate! The devil is clearly at war with the church and the word of God. The devil will stop at nothing to separate couples that are keeping the principles of the word of God in marriage.
6 When the husband fails to live with his wife in “understanding”, it will result in hindrance to prayers. An assault on a Christian home is an easy way of hindering prayers.
7 The home is a place to raise Godly offspring.
9 A broken marriage is a way of destroying the destiny of children who are the church of tomorrow.
Christian marriage is a spiritual relationship and once Christ is taken out of it, we would not be able to resist the devil.
No relationship would fulfil the purpose of God without awareness of spiritual battle and associated vigilance
The bible says we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places.
Many Christians are aware of a spiritual battle for other things, such as job, health problems, dispossession of material things, but not dispossession of their marriage and homes
When spouses start to notice negative changes in the other, what they should not do is to nag, threaten with separation or divorce but it is a time to pray and fight for your home. It is time to allow the love of Christ to show forth in our relationship. [see our article on change in a relationship]
When jobs or businesses are under threat, many of us will pray and fast to secure our business or even to acquire properties but when there is a threat to our homes, we engage in physical warfare rather than spiritual. We easily give up and gradually end the marriage!
Next to salvation, the next thing the devil wants to attack is the relationship with your spouse.
Remember that the whole concept of Christianity is about the relationship with God and then man.
If you desire to fulfil God‘s assignment for your home by raising Godly offspring, you will need to fight a spiritual battle to achieve God’s purpose for it. Every family has an assignment from God to fulfil which will only be achieved through obedience to His word.
Tips for a spiritual fight in your marriage.
Know that your marriage is of GOD.
1 Understand your relationship and your spouse’s behaviour from a spiritual point of view.
2 When you notice negative changes in your spouse, it is time to engage all the tools for spiritual warfare.
3 If your spouse is not a Christian or they do not believe in the concept of the devil, the bible advised that with your good conduct towards them, they would be won over.
How sad is it that some marriages have gone under after one partner returns to the church. The Christian life should make our conduct better. Next to our salvation is the spiritual welfare of our spouse. Therefore the believer in the relationship should engage the spiritual weapon to safeguard the home.
4 Unforgiveness: If we do not forgive men ( starting with our spouse) their offence /sin against them, God will not forgive us, our own offences.
Unforgiveness disarms and imprisons Christians so that they are not able to safeguard their faith and their home.
The offence is quite common between spouses which are expected as we are more likely to offend people who are close to us. Beware of offences and unforgiveness.
5 Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord.
6 Avoid bitterness with spouse no matter how bad we believe they are. Bitterness troubles people and defile Christians. We need to live in love with our spouses. It is easy to accept if we say we live in love with other Christian friends.
Bitterness is a fruit of broken relationship. It emerges when the marriage relationship is on a downward journey and things begin to fall apart. A spouse may continue to go to church and engage in routines in the church and observe other religious duty. Individuals will know that they have ceased to live in love! No matter the line of defence. Remember once you are out of love with your spouse, you are in a broken relationship with God. You cannot fight any battle in that state.
7 Your home is born of God; It is inherently able to win because whatever is born of God overcomes the world.
Avoid justification for your inaction such as “we married as unbelievers” “My spouse is an unbeliever” “I do not love him/her”
Some Christian couples separate/divorce because they believe that they do not want them to do the “Ministry” work. A ministry from God to men that has not started with one’s spouse remains doubtful. The husband man should be the first partaker of the fruit of the vines.
God is in man reconciling (making friend of people) the world to himself. Difficult to get to the point of divorce if the reconciliation has started from your home.
8 Prayers
9 Counselling
10 Fasting may be needed
11Applying the word of God especially living in love. The fact that the church stands all the assault of the devil is a living testimony that your home can stand. The word of God applied correctly has inherent ability to prevail just as the bible said that
“the word grew and prevailed”. God‘s word will prevail over the ranging storm of any marriage.
The greatest weapon to defeat the enemy in your home is to live in love with your spouse.
No matter how strong the storm in any marriage, even if everyone says the marriage is over, the home will stand because God’s word says so!
Marriage is of God. The sole attack of the devil in the church and your home is the first target. Fight for it. Don’t give up, if you go to a counsellor who says your marriage is irredeemable, move away from that counsellor, The counsellor is not speaking the language of God to you in that situation.
GOD NEVER GIVES UP ON US. HE WOULD NOT GIVE UP ON YOUR MARRIAGE. HE NEEDS YOUR HOME. HE DIED FOR THE CHURCH. THE RANGING STORM IS AN ORDINARY THREAT. YOUR HOME IS PROGRAMMED TO PREVAIL.
STAND YOUR GROUND. Having done all stand so the bible says!.
Refuse to see your spouse as your enemy. It is the adversary of the church the devil who is.
Marriage is special to God. God has an investment in every home that the devil wishes to plunder. Fight for your home!
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