‘Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to abstain from sexual relations. But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband. The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife. Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control. ‘ 1 Corinthians 7:1-5(NLT)
It grieves my heart, as I look across the country, at the number of Christian marriages being destroyed by adultery. It should not be that way!
In 1 Corinthians 7:1-5, the apostle Paul gives us a safeguard against adultery. He says,
Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
Now, if these verses are saying anything, they are telling us that married couples should enjoy sexual intimacy. In fact, the more they enjoy it, the better safeguard it is against immorality.
Notice Paul even goes so far as to say the wife does not have authority over her own body; and the husband does not have authority over his body. As husband and wife, you belong to one another. It says do not deprive one another unless you are going to be fasting and praying, and then only with consent.
I want to challenge you to make sexual intimacy a priority in your marriage. Don’t consider it as unimportant, or leave it to your spouse. Take the responsibility to light the fire of sexual intimacy, and close the door to Satan’s temptation.
from Develop God’s Heart For Others