by Mike J. Collins
The Christian man sometimes has the image of being a knight in shining armor. But the truth
is, even Christian men are faced with daily temptations. Christian men must be equipped in
the full armor of God as stated in Ephesians 6:13;
“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so
that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have
done everything, to stand.”
Any cracks in the Christian man’s armor will eventually be exploited by the enemy.
While there are many possible reasons why any man would cheat, I submit to you that there
is one primary reason that may surprise you; it’s a crack in his armor. The surprising thing is that this crack is not imposed by the enemy but instead, it’s sustained in his own camp, his home.
Did you know that every man has an internal need and desire to be respected and feel
respected, especially where his wife is concerned? This is why Paul admonishes wives to
respect their husbands. If this need is not satisfied by his wife, than it becomes a crack in his
armor. Satan will strategically use this crack to cause this man to fall into temptation.
You see, the wife is a mirror for the husband. She reflects an image of him that will either
build him up or tear him down. If the wife doesn’t respect the husband and demonstrates it in
her behavior towards him, it will eventually give him a distorted image of himself.
This will lead to other problems in the relationship such as a break down in communication,
as well as a break down in sexual intimacy. You see, if a woman doesn’t respect her husband
it is likely she will not desire him sexually. And although a man may never say it, it’s important
to him that his wife desires him. He doesn’t want to feel that loving him and being intimate
with him is a chore. The Christian husband has a relationship with Christ, albeit weak, he
knows right from wrong. But because he’s not wearing the full armor of God and the armor
that he is wearing is cracked, his flesh takes over and he makes the wrong decision a lustful
decision. This is one of the reasons why the Word of God tells us that “we must die to our
flesh” daily. With a strong relationship with Christ, which is having on the full armor of God,
the husband honors the covenant relationship with his wife more than feeding his wounded
ego, and his fleshly desires.
To sum it up, men cheat for several reasons but I believe it usually, but not always, begins
with a feeling of not being respected at home. But even this reason does not justify the sin. It
is still a sin in the eyes of God. There is no excuse for it, and it’s not the wife’s fault.
As men we must strive to have stronger relationships with Christ daily so that when we are
faced with the temptation of sexual sin, we can “die to the flesh” and continue to honor Christ
and our wives. “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes,
you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”
Ephesians 6:13
I came across this article and wanted to share it with you. We truly believe that respecting our husbands is one of the most important things we can do for them. I pray this article helps you in understanding the value respect has in your marriage. Showing/giving our husbands respect draws up strong, healthy, emotions within them. Bill call’s it the “superman effect.” He said he feels like he can do anything when I respect him, his ideas, and his decision-making.
One last thought, we understand there are times our husbands can make us feel like they don’t deserve our respect. However, respect, like love, is not something you feel. God has taught me respect is something you give unconditionally.
Maybe you can share this article with your husband and start a conversation about it. I have a feeling God will open both your husband’s and your eyes to some things that need to be discussed between you, preempting any future attack against your husband’s armor.
How do you feel about the article? Share your thoughts with us by commenting below.
Praying for you,
Cherie
