I have been married for twenty-nine years. Three years ago, a woman lied to my husband and told him that I was having an affair with her boyfriend. Since then he mistreats me and verbally abuses me.
I feel like I don’t love him anymore, and I want him to leave, but he won’t do it. He says that he loves me, but he makes my life impossible…. He also consulted a witch who told him that I really had been unfaithful, but I have never even kissed another man. I am very sad and desperate!
Dear Friend,
We are very sorry to hear that you are so sad and desperate. You feel mistreated and verbally abused by your husband, and he feels betrayed by you. As a result, neither of you trusts the other anymore, and your life together is combative and unhappy.
Yours is an example of a conflict that is almost impossible to settle without the help of a professional therapist. Because your husband trusts the other woman and the witch more than he trusts you, it is doubtful that you could ever convince him of your innocence without the intervention of an impartial third party. And his verbal abuse has likely become a habit that will not be easy to stop without professional help.
Knowing that many fortune tellers and witches are involved in money-making schemes, the apostle Peter taught: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”(1) Peter warned us that the devil is present in this world and that he is always looking for someone to destroy. The devil, also known as Satan, uses people, including witches, to bring about destruction on others. When your husband consulted with the witch, he brought the devil’s evil plan right into your home. Satan wants to destroy your marriage and your happiness.
However, the apostle James gave us the antidote to Satan’s schemes. He said, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”(2) James was clearly telling us that God is the One who has power over the devil, and that God is willing to help us when we submit to His divine will.
Almost everyone prays when they are in trouble, but that is not the same as the submission that James is advising. In order to submit, we must first believe that God loves us and wants the best for us. In fact, He loves us so much that He was willing to let His Son, Jesus Christ, be the sacrifice to pay for our sins. Because of what Jesus did for us by dying on the cross, God forgives us when we are sorry and repent of all our sins. Then, once we are forgiven, we can trust God and ask Him to direct our lives and decisions. Putting God in charge does not take away the natural consequences of what we have already done, but it does make it possible to resist the devil and all of the destruction that he has planned for us.
We wish you the best,
Linda
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1 1Pe 5:8,9
2 Jas 4:7