10 Bible Verses About Marriage as God Designed It

Whether you have been married for a long time, or you are thinking about getting married, Bible verses about marriage can help you understand God’s plan for your life as a couple. Marriage has many challenges, and it’s good to remember God’s design for marriage, which is described in many Bible verses. You can discuss these verses with a Christian counselor to get insight into your unique relationship.

Bible Verses About Marriage

Read these Bible verses about marriage when you need to know what God’s will is for you and your spouse.

Then the man said, “This, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. – Genesis 2:23-24

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Marriage creates a one-flesh arrangement. That means what affects the husband directly affects the wife, and vice versa. It’s important to strive for unity in marriage to keep your bond strong. It’s also important to fully detach from your original family to create a new family unit. Many marriages face strife and conflict from extended families.

But if you learn to emotionally separate from your in-laws and bond together as husband and wife, you can have greater peace in your marriage. A Christian counselor can offer a valuable perspective on unity and separation from in-laws in premarital or marriage counseling sessions.

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. – Matthew 22:37-39

For a Christian marriage to operate properly, this priority system must be in place. Both the husband and wife need to wholeheartedly pursue a personal relationship with God first, then put each other second only to God. Loving your spouse as yourself means that you nurture and care for them the same way that you do yourself, even placing their good above your own.

Otherwise, you will continually be taking rather than giving. If you need guidance in your relationship with God or healing in your relationship with yourself or your spouse, Christian counseling sessions can offer a fresh perspective and practical help.

Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. – Ephesians 5:21

Though the word “submit” isn’t popular in our culture today, it’s one of the most important biblical terms for the marriage relationship. When you think of submitting in terms of your relationship to Christ, it can clear up many issues for you. Christians revere God the Father as Creator and Sustainer, Jesus as our Savior and Lord, and the Holy Spirit as our Guide and Counselor.

The triune God is worthy of our worship because each person of the Godhead operates in ways that are far beyond ourselves. When we willingly submit to Christ as our Lord, we will have the right heart attitude toward our spouses. This is a key to having peace and abiding love in a Christian marriage – our relationship to Christ first, then to our spouses.

However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. – Ephesians 5:33

Paul authored the book of Ephesians under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. God knew that husbands would be challenged to show love to their wives, and wives would be challenged to show respect to their husbands. But this is exactly what we need from each other most, like the air that we breathe.

Even if a husband feels loved more through respect, he needs to love and cherish his wife as he loves himself. The wife may feel loved by her husband through acts of affection and kindness, but she needs to show him respect because he is the head of the family. A Christian counselor can help unpack these concepts for you and show you how they apply in your relationship.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. – James 5:16

A married couple needs to keep a clean slate with each other. Confessing sins to each other regularly maintains humility and honor in the relationship. Praying for one another softens hearts and promotes obedience to God’s revealed will in each spouse’s actions toward the other. Confession and prayer can be powerful tools to strengthen your marriage when you regularly employ them.

…with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, – Ephesians 4:2

Humility, gentleness, and patience are virtues that run in short supply in our culture. But they are essential for the health and strength of your marriage. To build these virtues in your marriage, start by asking God to grow humility, gentleness, and patience in you first. Ask God to show you where these virtues are lacking so you can show them in greater measure to your spouse. As you demonstrate these virtues to your spouse, your love will grow.

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. – Ephesians 4:32

These are essential virtues for Christian marriage: kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. Kindness keeps your relationship tender. Compassion helps you see your spouse’s perspective. Forgiveness keeps grudges from forming. Cultivating all three of these virtues will keep your marriage strong.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. – Philippians 2:3-4

Selfishness is the great enemy of marriage, present in every divorce. So do everything you can to weed selfishness out of your marriage, starting with your own heart and mind. Fight selfishness with its opposite – humility – by following Jesus’ example as described in Philippians 2. When you commit to looking to your spouse’s interests first, you will naturally cultivate humility in your heart and keep selfishness at bay.

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. – Philippians 2:14-15

Too many marriages are worn down with unnecessary grumbling and arguing. God wants us to avoid these behaviors and instead overlook offenses that just don’t need to be discussed. Think about the last few arguments you have had with your spouse or fiancé. Were they really worth discussing? If not, let them go. Pick your battles wisely, and you will preserve your marriage.

Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. – 2 Corinthians 13:11

Restoration, encouragement, and peace are safeguards in your marriage. When you strive for full restoration after arguments with your spouse, you can avoid future pitfalls in the same areas. Daily acts and words of encouragement will lift your spouse up and protect your marriage from petty fights.

Striving to live in peace with one another by avoiding unnecessary arguments will strengthen the bond of love between you. These virtues are excellent for protecting your marriage from deterioration.

Christian Marriage Counseling

Marriage problems can be complex, and you may be wondering how a Christian counselor could help you. When you meet with a Christian counselor, you’ll find a compassionate guide who will listen to your unique issues and offer a valuable third-party perspective and possibly more Bible verses about marriage. You’ll also be guided by biblical principles as you work to improve your marriage. Give us a call today to learn how premarital or marriage counseling can benefit your relationship.