Weekly Devotional
Not Won In The Flesh As You Stand For Marriage Restoration
Not Won In The Flesh As You Stand For Marriage Restoration “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” - 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 (ESV) In the pursuit to see your marriage restored, you might find yourself using the same methods and strategies that the world offers. It’s easy to try to get your spouse to return by using tactics that make sense to our natural mind. We often rely on our own strength, understanding and intellect. We might tend to rush to friends and family members about what to do. We may even speak with a pastor or Christian counselor for wisdom on the next steps. None of those are wrong; I am a pastor and do one-on-one counseling for standers worldwide. Yet, 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 reminds us that our warfare is not won in the flesh but with divine power that can demolish supernatural strongholds. We must understand this principle! If you were honest, how often have you attempted to win your spouse back in the flesh, perhaps through begging, telling them how much God hates what they are doing, or through arguments, manipulation, or giving them the silent treatment, hoping to teach them a lesson? Maybe you were like me and have sent your spouse a bunch of sermons that you hoped convicted them of their actions. Despite our best efforts, these methods almost always fall short and fail to bring lasting change. But there is hope! It is time to understand that your fight for marriage restoration is spiritual, requiring divine power and heavenly weapons. The weapons of our warfare are not the same as those of the world. You and I have been equipped with spiritual armor, as described in Ephesians chapter 6, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to engage in battle against the forces of darkness. Some of our weapons are prayer, fasting, the Word of God, worship, releasing grace, unconditional forgiveness and making declarations. It is crucial that we recognize the supernatural aspect of our struggle. Behind the conflicts and challenges in our marriages are unseen spiritual strongholds. These strongholds seek to keep you and your spouse trapped in brokenness, hopelessness and division. But through the divine power we have been given, we can tear down these defenses and claim victory in the spiritual realm. We can be confident in the effectiveness of our divine weapons because they carry the authority and power of God Himself. Tomorrow we will look at the next verse in this passage and get specific about how to use our divine weaponry against two distinct spiritual fortresses that must be demolished. Today, I want you to resist the temptation to rely exclusively on your human efforts and worldly strategies to restore your marriage. Instead, embrace God’s divine power available to you and fight with those Heavenly weapons. Trust that God can demolish every stronghold and bring healing, reconciliation and restoration to your marriage. Never forget you have divine supernatural weapons that the world, the devil and possibly your spouse do not have! Get excited because with God you have the power to demolish the stronghold of divorce completely!
