Is Your Spouse Sleeping With The devil?

The Elect Lady: Is Your Spouse Sleeping With the devil

I was in my office, working on some administrative issues, when I heard the words that form the title for this chapter; “Is your spouse sleeping with the devil?” Immediately I understood what the Lord was attempting to convey to my spirit. Men and women alike have married those who readily allow themselves to be used by the devil. Sadly enough I have seen this operation many times over the years of ministry. In fact, some have come to confess to the horror their influence caused in the lives of their loved ones. Well, we can easily settle any controversy with a quick self-examination of the attributes of the devil. Satan as he is called in Mark 4:15, simply means adversary. An adversary is an opponent, rival, or enemy. Does your husband see you as his adversary or rival? Does he find you to be argumentative, or someone who consistently opposes him? First of all, let me be clear, adversity is a spirit. It is the spirit of satan.

Though we know that children of God cannot be possessed by an evil spirit; they can indeed have an evil disposition or way. As men and women of God, we are instructed to be every one’s neighbor. A neighbor is not an enemy or adversary. He is a helper in times of need. He is full of compassion and understanding. He wants what God wants for every individual, including his or her spouse.

1 Peter 3:1

Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the

conversation of the wives;

The spirit of adversity is competitive and overly aggressive. Some men have no peace in their homes because their wives are always competing with them in some way or another. They feel they are never allowed to make a decision and that decision is not taken into a combat zone. Grant you, there will be things you and your spouse will not agree on. However, there is a way to disagree. When you walk in the spirit of adversity, it is important for you to control every situation and decision. Even if the decision is something you would agree to; it is overly important that he check with you first, before making the smallest of decisions. When this is the case, you are not allowing the man to be a husband and leader of his household. He is always competing with the station of his wife. I can hear some of you saying, “But what if he is always making bad decisions?” The good or bad of his decision making is not an issue when God judges the character with which you handle the situation. You might be so caught up in your effort to control what he does until you forget that God is the final authority in all matters pertaining to the marriage. That is why things get so messy in marriages, nobody considers God.

1 Peter: 3:4-6

4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:

6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

The apostle Peter cut to the chase and went directly to the heart of the matter. First of all, the adorning of the women of God, should be the hidden man of the heart. It should be Christ. He is what a spouse and others should see and entertain. A meek and quiet spirit is not overly aggressive, argumentative or adversarial in nature. It is a humble and peaceful spirit. Even when your spouse may demand you do something that would defile your conscience toward God, you can say no with a non-contentious spirit. I know, I have done it. In matters that would cause you to sin against God, a (“No, sweetheart, I can’t do that”) is sufficient.

Holy women trust God. He commanded them to be in subjection to their husbands. In His eyes, a woman who has a meek and quiet spirit, is of great price! That means God is very mindful of the plight of His daughters as they humbly submit to their husbands. Peter uses Sarah, Abraham’s wife as an example of trusting God. She was able to see the detriment of Ishmael being raised with Isaac. Therefore, she beseeched her husband to put them out the camp. Initially Abraham resisted the counsel, but we never read where Sarah became argumentative or adversarial to her husband. She was not afraid with amazement; which simply means, she was not alarmed at his resistance. She never forgot that he was her authority but that God is the authority of all. Instead, she did what all holy women do, she trusted God to make her husband see the wisdom in what she was saying.

Satan means adversary. If you are satan in your marriage, then your marriage is not peaceful and your spouse is miserable. Now if God’s word has challenged you on this matter time and time again, then you need to admit that “I am truly satan; because like satan, I really don’t care if my husband is happy with me or not.” Now don’t cheat yourself out of your deliverance by pointing out the fact that there are things your spouse does that make you unhappy too. Well, that may be true, but this is a women’s conference and we are dealing with the woman’s disposition in the marriage.

The root of adversity is the same in you as it is in satan; jealousy and pride. Oftentimes wives are jealous of their husband’s God-given position in the marriage. He is the head; he is the one who has the final authority. Some wives don’t see their husbands as intellectually

or spiritually fit to hold such a position in the marriage. Well, this is something you should have considered before you got married. God’s rules do not change simply because you married the wrong man.