“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).
Last month we revealed the Enemy and familiarized ourselves with the battle we face against him. We also learned how the mind is our battlefield, and we explored “the weapons the Enemy uses to derail Christians.”
This month we will look at “Enemy Targets.” Our study writer begins, “Satan focuses his warfare efforts on certain areas of our lives. Marriages, families, physical bodies (health) and churches—all make prime targets for the Enemy in his quest to gain control of our souls.” A little further in the study’s introduction we find these words: “Until the day he is bound and cast into outer darkness, this archenemy of God will afflict His people.
Yet, we can know victory, peace, and security. His darts may be aimed dead-center, and we may appear in his sights; but we can rest in knowing his attacks come only by permission of a Heavenly Father who seeks our best.
With the above statements in mind, we look to the area of “marriage.” I like the statement found in the introduction of week one of our study: “If Satan wants to derail God’s Church, he begins with Christian marriages.” I hope you read the entire introduction as we look at the God-ordained institution of marriage.
The NIV Study Bible makes these statements about today’s verse: “Instead of remaining under the protective custody of his parents, a man leaves them and, with his wife, establishes a new family unit. The divine intention for husband and wife was monogamy. Together they were to form an inseparable union, of which “one flesh” is both a sign and a symbol.” When I think of the word “cleave,” I think of the phrase “holding on and not letting go.” This seems hard to imagine when one out of every two marriages ends in divorce. Most couples do not grasp God’s views on marriage. They make their relationships an easy target for the Enemy.
This week we will deal with the “five purposes for a godly marriage.” How does your marriage rate?
Is your marriage on target with God or an easy target for the Enemy?
Sue Winchester
Missouri
PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for two new church planting efforts in the state of SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL. Walter and Gilka Almeida are working in the city of LIMEIRA. Osmir and Maria Cruz are working in VILA UNIÃO, a neighborhood in CAMPINAS. Pray they will have wisdom, perserverance and grace. Ask God to give them fruit for their labor and to help them battle discouragement.
