In the raging battle between darkness and light advancing God‘s Kingdom, we need power couples rigorously trained and highly skilled to lead the charge. That‘s exactly what Scripture offers in the Proverbs 31 woman and Ephesians 5 man. Their battle-tested partnership levels up into an elite kingdom force wielding nearly limitless holy power.
The Crisis Facing Marriages Today
Marriages today face a relentless barrage of attacks from a culture that disdains biblical ideals. A recent Barna study found only 1 in 5 couples succeed in aligning their partnership with Scripture. Sadly, many lives never experience the glory of marriage functioning as God designed it.
The carnage of this war manifests through sobering statistics:
- 50% of U.S. marriages end in divorce (Barna)
- 65% of divorces are initiated by women (US National Center for Health Statistics)
- Just 14% of couples describe their marriage as "very happy" (Social Science Research Study)
Behind these numbers lies immense personal trauma ranging from financial upheaval to lasting psychological damage for children.
Furthermore, the failure of marriages to exemplify Christ‘s love stands as a direct affront to God‘s glory. It cripples couples‘ capacities to jointly advance the Kingdom. Truly, the stakes could not be higher for cultivating unions like the ones Ephesians 5 and Proverbs 31 describe. Only then can two powerful kingdom warriors level up into an elite team empowered by God to bring light into darkness.
The Divine Design for Masculinity and Femininity
Ephesians 5 makes clear that God‘s design for marriage serves a greater kingdom purpose than simply two individuals’ happiness. In the same way Christ sacrificially loved the church as His bride, a husband must love his wife by laying down self-interest to serve her holiness and growth. This relates intimately to the couple‘s joint ambassadorship; the way they honor one another directly impacts perceptions of Christ Himself (Eph 5:32).
Likewise, Proverbs 31 reveals that beyond managing her household, the wife of noble character actively champions righteousness in spheres of influence like business, politics and nonprofit causes. She embraces entrepreneurial endeavors fitting her giftings that advance kingdom values. Her achievements ultimately fuel her husband’s effectiveness too as he focuses on providing spiritual leadership.
Bringing these two formidable saints together as one supercharges their capacity to reflect God’s light. Their partnership dynamic allows each to maximize strengths while covering blind spots where the other may be vulnerable to attack. In military terms, the Proverbs 31 woman functions as the special ops warrior while the Ephesians 5 man provides tactical leadership coordinating missions.
For a real-life example, consider evangelists Ben and Noelle Parrish of Hope City church in Houston, Texas. Through Noelle’s bold outreach gifts that complement Ben’s vision-casting leadership, their church has directly reached over 106,000 people for salvation in just 6 years. (Hope City Impact Report) This models the twin strike force of the Proverbs 31 woman and Ephesians 5 man propelling the Great Commission.
Leveling Up into an Unstoppable Kingdom Power Couple
When operating in the fullness of their identities individually, the Ephesians 5 man and Proverbs 31 woman each stand alone as extraordinarily empowered kingdom warriors. However, in isolation they fight merely as solo strike forces. Joining together in marriage turbocharges their impact several times over due to synergistic partnership dynamics.
We see this clearly in spiritual multipliers like Susie and Reggie Dabbs. As a top Christian motivational speaker, Reggie reaches over 140,000 people annually with the gospel. Yet the marginal kingdom force he brings pales next to Susie‘s influence as founder of two pregnancy centers directly saving 3,200 unborn babies since 2001. Together this power couple‘s dual strike capacity advanced Scripture’s life-honoring values to exponentially more people than either could have alone.
Of course, the frontlines of this spiritual battle remains fiercely contested. The 82% divorce rate among ministry families looms as a cautionary tale (Fuller Seminary Clergy Care Survey). For couples to sustain kingdom advancement they must continually nurture both their individual walks with God and the intimacy of their partnership.
Cultivating Personal Spiritual Vitality
For the Ephesians 5 Man…
- Begin each morning seeking the Father (Psalm 5:3). Prioritize Bible reading, meditation and journaling to nourish intimacy with Christ.
- Study Scripture passages on biblical masculinity like 1 Corinthians 16:13. Internalize these as guiding principles.
- Read books by Dr Tony Evans, Dr RC Sproul and other teachers on the role of spiritual leadership. Evaluate how to apply principles in marriage and parenting.
- Participate in men’s discipleship groups for encouragement accountability. Confess struggles openly to receive prayer and wisdom.
For the Proverbs 31 Woman…
- Carve out dedicated time to sit in listening prayer without distractions. Desire hearing God’s voice above all else (Psalm 46:10).
- Read biographies of saints like Gladys Aylward and Amy Carmichael to spur passion. Ask God to reveal any areas of spiritual growth needed to carry His power.
- Journal lessons from Proverbs and Titus 2 on godly femininity. Ask an older mentor to provide any correction or encouragement as you process applications.
- Serve in women‘s ministry leadership. Pour into younger women while sharpening communication and shepherding gifts.
Forging Powerful Kingdom Partnership
- Schedule regular date nights to reconnect without distractions. Intentionally fan the flames of intimacy through sharing hearts.
- Initiate tough conversations around misaligned expectations or offense taken. Confess faults quickly and extend forgiveness freely.
- Attend annual marriage enrichments retreats/conferences together for inspiration and equipping.
- Partner in ministry initiatives that draw on both spouses’ spiritual gifts and talents. Celebrate kingdom victories together.
Maintaining Balance to Avoid Burnout
Sadly, Christian power couples often flame out through unchecked busyness that leaves no margin in schedules. The following practical ways to curb overfunctioning prevent this common pitfall:
- Institute Sabbath boundaries around technology use and entertainment. Protect family time.
- Schedule monthly 48-hour getaways together to unwind without work responsibilities.
- Place safeguards around serving in church programs/para-church ministries. Limit overextending.
- Designate untouchable family vacation time annually. Consider an international missions trip too.
Answering the Call to Advance the Kingdom
Christ‘s clarion call resounds today as loudly as when He first commanded His followers to make disciples of all nations. Through the darkest days of human history, God always maintains a faithful remnant to champion His truth until one day the earth resembles heaven at last.
Will you and your spouse answer the call to live all-out for eternity as part of history’s final generation? Will you choose to embrace God’s highest purpose whether through parenting disciples, launching kingdom enterprises, or serving on the frontlines of spiritual battle? Imagine how the pages of history could flame with Holy Spirit fire if even a small percentage of marriages functioned as Proverbs 31 woman and Ephesians 5 man power couples.
Brothers and sisters, we stand at a pivotal moment. The same Lord who brought down Jericho’s walls with a shout stands ready to unleash shockwaves of glory through vessels yielded wholly to His call. Where this battle rages darkest as Satan schemes fiercely against marriage and family, God prepares His secret weapons. A company of warriors is arising – husbands and wives in league together, courageous and faithful, loving and pure. They will charge ahead into the fray without flinching for they know Whom they serve.
The victory is already written. Darkness will keep advancing, but according to God’s design, it cannot extinguish the light. Not when empowered couples band together to meet evil with blistering kingdom force. Through their obedience the very glory of the Son will illuminate the earth.
Now is the era of the Proverbs 31 woman and the Ephesians 5 man.
The kingdom awaits.
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