Creation of the One-Flesh Warfare Team (Eph 5:21-33)

by Anelle Beeby

“Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord…In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

(Ephesians 5:22, 28-30)

After completing my essay on the spouse relationship in the Ephesian Household Code, I realized the significance of this passage and its context. This passage (the conclusion of the Household Code) leads into Ephesians 6:10-19, The Armour of God – which exemplifies spiritual warfare.

God place within both man and woman (Husband & Wife) abilities, when combined (united) they are an unbeatable warfare team. The fall handicapped one-flesh warfare, but through Jesus the ability was restored.

Sad to say but most families have only one spouse who does warfare. No wonder there are casualties. If we are not fighting the enemy together, we are wasting precious resources. We need to be open that the Lord can teach both spouses how to warfare together.

Furthermore, the woman is like the man. She is his flesh, his body. As the creation story asserts, whe is bone of his bone, she and he are one. Paul rejects the dominant ancient view of women as inferior, and presents her as man’s equal. The husband is exhorted to be committed to one person, his wife as his body, not some other men or other women. Women are commanded to serve and help (Gen 2:18,20) their husbands ‘as to the Lord’. I view this as a great privilege and an opportunity, as a wife what I do for my husband is indirectly what I do for my Lord.

The husband is commanded to love. Ninety-two words in eight verses are addressed to him. Paul commands him to love three times (vv. 25a, 28, 33). Love and love alone is the husband’s critical obligation to his wife. Further, Paul does not leave it to the husband’s imagination to define love. The example of Christ defines the nature of love. Headship and power language are redefined in the most radical terms. To be the head is to love and give up self for the sake of other, the wife. (John E. Toews)

Love casts out all fear…”Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).For no one ever hated his own body, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church— because we are members of his body…”

Satan will try to pervert our ability to love one another (Husband & Wife), Love is power and a love focused on God and united in the marriage will do serious warfare in the heavenlies. The ‘I’ gets diffused and becomes ‘Us’ – together with the Power of the Spirit we become the one-flesh warfare team.