‘A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.’ Ephesians 6:10-18(NLT)
‘Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. ‘ 1 Peter 5:8(NLT)
‘What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.
Warning against Judging Others
Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?
Warning about Self-Confidence
Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.’ James 4:1-17(NLT)
From Cindy, married to Chris for over 26 years
Let me just start things off with this: Your spouse is not your enemy. Peter described your true enemy as Satan, who prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
But it can be surprisingly easy to find ourselves reacting defensively or angrily when the person we love most disagrees with us, can’t it? Any number of issues can lead to trouble. We can find conflict in conversations about money, jobs, or priorities. Tempers flare. Next thing we know, we believe the person we love most is our enemy.
When Chris and I were younger, those were the mindsets we had when we fought. And boy did we fight. We were so wrapped up in our own wants that we would lose sight of the fact that we were supposed to be battling our common enemy, not each other.
Where is there regular division in your relationship? Divisiveness is actually a characteristic of our spiritual enemy. That’s not to say that every time you fight as a couple that you’re under spiritual attack from Satan himself. Still, the enemy would love nothing more than for you to view your spouse or significant other as your enemy. Don’t fall for it.
The best way to kick the devil out of your relationship is to put Jesus at the center, together. Here are three ideas for moving in that direction.
Idea 1: Pray together.
Every single day. And not just for each other but with each other. That’s right. Take a moment, hold hands if you want, and offer up your prayers as a couple.
Idea 2: Invest in one another.
If you’ve been married a while, you know it’s easy to forget about this as the years pass. But we have to invest as much in our spouse in year 25 as we did in year one of dating. What would he or she view as an investment? Make those things happen. Make a reminder in your phone or put a sticky note in plain sight. Whatever you have to do to show them that you see them and appreciate them—do it.
Idea 3: Come together.
What sets healthy couples apart is their desire for unity. A marriage consists of two people whom God calls one. So, we need to act like it. Sometimes we focus so much on our own needs that we lose sight of the other person. Chris and I try to start each day by saying, “I choose us.”
Lastly, no matter what the enemy throws at you, he’s fighting a losing battle. Christ won victory over the devil once and for all, and as long as you and your spouse work toward building a strong, Christ-focused relationship, the enemy won’t succeed in his goals. So, pray together, invest in one another, and come together, knowing that your future is secure.
Consider: What’s an area where you’ve fought against each other rather than alongside each other? What would it look like for you to do this differently next time?
from Relationship Goals