I’m sure you’ve heard that God has a will for your life. It’s true, he does. Jeremiah 29:11 is a well-known confirmation of this beautiful truth,
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
It is comforting to know that the Lord has plans for our lives, but not just any old plans will suffice for our Creator. No, he has plans that provide hope and secure our future. His plans included making a way to forgive our sins and gifting us with the opportunity to spend eternity with him in glory. As believers, we can get so excited for God’s plans for us here on earth and in heaven.
However, the Bible also informs us about someone else who also has a will for our lives. 2 Timothy 2:24-26 is not often quoted, but equally truthful,
And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
Did you catch the last part of verse 26? Paul is enlightening us to the reality that while yes, God has a will for our lives — so does Satan. If one isn’t living out God’s will for their life, then by default they are living out Satan’s will. Jesus warns us in John 10:10 that Satan is a thief that comes only to kill, steal, and destroy. We know from the serpent’s encounter with Eve that he is not to be trusted. Scripture confirms our distrust by referring to him as “the deceiver.” There is nothing warm and fuzzy or even just mediocre about Satan’s plan for your life. Rest assured that his plan, the opposite of God’s, is not merely filled with minor infractions, but rather chaos and destruction. The Devil hates God (and you) so much that he spends every moment of his existence scheming for your annihilation. He attacks everyone spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally.
While not a “feel good” message, the reality of Satan’s will is a fact for which we must remain alert. As humans, we experience the pull of our sinful nature on a daily basis. As wives, we get a front-row seat in watching Satan bombard our husbands. Have you ever stopped to consider what Satan’s will is for your spouse? Every person will have different areas of vulnerability based on their past and current sin struggles, but rest assured, as leaders of our families, Satan’s will for our husbands’ lives is wretched.
Satan has a will for your husband!
For my husband particularly, I believe Satan wants Jason to get divorced (from me) due to infidelity. Jason’s parents ended their marriage when Jason was six years old because of adultery, and he has always been vocal that he would never go down that road. Imagine the destruction that would cause in the lives of our five children and the ruined witness it would be to our divorce-riddled families. My sweet husband is also an introvert, and sometimes our house is a loud place. I certainly think that Satan often wants Jason to feel overwhelmed and tempts him to disengage. Over time, his relationship with the children would suffer, they would have a skewed view of God, and I might grow angry towards him for distancing himself.
I share these with you to highlight that Satan’s will for your husband’s life doesn’t just affect him, but it has long-lasting implications. For the love of our husbands and our families, we as wives need to be praying for our husbands as they lead our homes! Knowing the past and potential struggles of our men enlightens us to the blueprint we can use to intentionally and purposefully pray against Satan’s will.
I wrote an article (which I like to call my “Braveheart Speech”) on spiritual warfare when I launched my first 30-Day Prayer Challenge. Now, I’m prepping to host our seventh 30-Day Prayer Challenge beginning on April 1st! It is free to participate, all you need to do is subscribe via this link. I love asking God for a theme for each new challenge. Last September we prayed through each chapter of the book of Proverbs and November we spent praying the covenant names of God. During this prayer challenge, we will be asking God to cultivate and develop particular characteristics in our husbands taken from specific people in the Bible. I’m very excited for what God wants to do in my life and marriage and what he intends to do in yours throughout the thirty days of April. I hope you will join me and also share this prayer challenge with your friends.
Have You Ever Mapped Out Satan’s Will for Your Husband? What areas of his life need to be covered most in prayer?
darby dugger
*Sharing with Grace & Truth and Wedded Wednesday.
Angel Harp says
This makes so much sense! I think Satan’s plan for my husband is through his anger. His parents were very physically abusive to each other while he was growing up and he was never taught how to control his own anger. Quite the opposite in fact, they taught him, get them before they get you. This has caused so many problems in our marriage and our family. Please help me pray for protection for him and us from Satan and his attacks. Thank you! God bless!
Darby Dugger says
Glad it makes sense to you! And yes, I will certainly be praying! Thanks for sharing.