Does The Bible Allow Divorce?

Last Updated on July 31, 2021 by Pastor Ikechukwu Chinedum

Divorce have become the order of the day in our world today. The devil is desperately attacking marriages in this end time. In the past, divorce was only common among unbelievers, but these days, it is now a common occurrence amongst Christians today. Sadly even pastors have become victims of broken marriages. Divorce is an end time tool of the devil to destroy the reputation of the church. But today we shall be examining an important question, Does the bible allow divorce? What does the bible say about the issue of divorce? Is the bible for it or against it? Also we shall be looking at prayers to stop divorce and restore marriage. I believe that by the end of this article today, the God of heaven shall give you solution to your marriage in Jesus name.

WHAT IS DIVORCE?

Divorce can be defined as the legal separation between a man and his wife or a woman and her husband. This can be as a result of many reasons, some of which will be discussed in this article. Divorce must be done legally before it is recognized. You cannot just ask your wife or husband to pack out of your house and say you have divorced her. That is not divorce, it is called seperation. Even though both of you are not living together, you are still married and any attempt to be intimate with another person will be seen as adultery. Just as marriage is legally binding, divorce also must be carried out legally. This still leads us to the same question, does the bible allow divorce? Can I divorce my spouse without offending God? Read on.

GOD’S POSITION ABOUT DIVORCE

What is God’s position on the subject matter on divorce? This is the heart of these article and here I will be displaying some bible verses about divorce and we shall be examining them one by one. A good understanding of these subject will better inform our discussion as married couples. Now to know God’s position on divorce, let’s start from the Old testament.

Old Testament View On Divorce.

Deuteronomy 24:1 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. 24:2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man’s wife. 24:3 And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; 24:4 Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

We see from the above scripture in the Old testament that a man is permitted to divorce his wife, if she finds no favour in his eyes, or if he finds uncleanness in her. The reasons given here are not really clear or even fair for the woman, but God gave them the permission to let there wives go. Why would God do that? This is because He understands the selfishness of man, he knows that its better for the woman to be set free than for her to be in constant torment under the rulership of an ungrateful man. So God commanded them to issue a certificate of divorce to the woman. It might interest you to know that the certificate of divorce protects the woman from the man. Should the woman become successful tomorrow or marries a better man in the future, the former husband cannot come back to make false claims that she is his property anymore. But does this means God Loves Divorce?. Let’s us look at another Old testament verse.

Malachi 2:16 For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.

God made his position clear in the above Scripture, that He hates divorce. God does not love divorce at all. It is not His perfect will that we put away our wives. Every marriage is suppose to endure till death. When it comes to divorce, Gods position is clear on that. Now if God actually hates divorce, does it mean we should never consider it? To answer this let’s look at what Jesus has to say about divorce.

Matthew 5:31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 5:32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

Here Jesus actually condemned the Jewish pattern of divorce, He saw how men were treating women in his time and using the law as an excuse. He therefore told them, that you should never divorce your wife, except for the sin of unfaithfulness. Its important for us to understand that Jesus was talking to the Jews, and he knew how serious the laws of moses was when it comes to adultery. So he allowed them to divorce on that grounds, but what did Jesus teach us through the Epistles about divorce?

1 Corinthians 7:10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: 7:11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife. 7:12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. 7:13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. 7:15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. 7:16 For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how
knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?

The above scripture here is clear, if you are married, you should not seek for a divorce, but if you must be divorced, then you must remain unmarried or reconcile with your husband. ( Verse 10-11). There is also an important point I want you to see in 1 Corinthians 7:13-15. The bible said that if you marry a man who believes not and he is okay with your faith, you should stay in the marriage, but if he decides to divorce you because of your faith, then you are free to marry again with fear of offending God.

Haven seen all this bible verses from old testament to new, what is our conclusion about Gods stand about divorce? Its simple. GOD HATES DIVORCE, BUT HE PERMITS IT ONLY WHEN NECESSARY. Now let us look at some reasons you should never divorce.

WRONG REASONS FOR DIVORCE

We are going to be looking at 7 reasons you shouldn’t divorce your spouse. I believe that this will help us as we go though our marital destiny.

1). Adultery

Adultery is a sexual relationship between a married man and a married woman or a married man and a single woman or a married woman and a single man. Please do not divorce your spouse just because they fell into the sin of adultery. There are many reasons why people fall into the sin off adultery, while we have impossible cases, most cases can be managed and handled with counselling and prayers. There are many reasons why a man can be unfaithful to his wife, non of them are justified, but most of them can be handled through prayers, the same goes for the woman. If you are going through this challenges in your marriage, go to your pastors and seek spiritual counselling, try to understand what your husband/wife wants and give it to him. As a woman, check your character and attitude to see if you are the one driving him away from the house. Also couples, especially men must learn to forgive each other and move on in there marriages. Unfaithfulness can lead to divorce, but in many cases, it can be handled through proper spiritual guidance.

2). Sickness:

A lot of couples divorce, just becomes one of them is sick and hence becomes a burden to the other, this is pure wickedness and selfishness. You should never abandon your spouse. Whatever he or she is going through, both of you are in it together. Its sad to see many wives abandon there sick husbands in marriage or husbands do the same. This is not godly and as a believer you should never consider it. Prayers and faith is the solution to all sicknesses and diseases. Stand with your spouse in prayers and stand with him or her till the end.

3). Poverty:

Many couples go there separate ways because of poverty. This is a wrong reason to divorce your spouse. Poverty is a state of the mind, and its a temporary situation. Abandoning your partner because he or she is broke is wrong/ Marriage is for better for worse, both of you must come together and fight poverty out of your marriage.

4). Bad Habits:

This is when your spouse has a bad behavior, for instance, gambling, alcohol, smoking etc. These habits can definitely be a challenge in the family. As a wife/husband you can fight this in two ways, get a job and be prayerful. Abandoning a man or woman because of a habit that they cannot control is not the will of God for you. That is why God wants us to seek His face before marriage. When you notice a bad habit in the life of your spouse, pray for him/her and encourage them to seek spiritual help.

5). Spiritual Challenges:

This is a situation where the challenge of your marriage is as a result of demonic oppression. Many couples lack the capacity to persevere in their marriage. When the battles of life gets tough, the both go there separate ways. This is not God’s perfect will for you. We must pray always and not faint. It takes violent faith expressed through prayers to overcome spiritual challenges.

6). Unfruitfulness:

It is sad whenever a man tells his wife that their marriage is over just because she can’t give him a child or children. If you are truly born again, you will understand that it is very wrong to do that. We serve a God of fruitfulness, and when you are facing a challenge of unfruitfulness in your marriage, you must call on God in prayers, and also seek medical attention to find out the reason for the delay. Both of you are in this together, therefore divorce is not an option.

7). Irreconcilable Differences:

Lies! Lies!! Lies!!! These is the most common lie told by most unbelieving couples including Christians when they are looking for the easy way out of a marriage. Most issues of irreconcilable differences can really be reconcilable if both couples are willing, but most times they are not. As a child of God you must strive very hard to make your marriage work,both of you must work so hard to settle your differences in order to avoid divorce.

RIGHT REASONS FOR DIVORCE

Yes you read that correctly, there are right reasons why a Christian can divorce. Not every union is joined by God, and any union that is not joined by God, must be put assunder. Now let’s examine some right reasons for divorce.

1) Fake Marriage:

A fake marriage is when someone gets married to another not because of love but because of some selfish reasons. Such people come into your life with lies, the fake every I about them making you think they love you. They may even pretend to be Christians just to get you to say yes. They are devil sent. A good examples are:
a) Men or Women who marry you because of your money
b). Men or Women who marry you to get permanent residence in your country
c). Political marriages.
These marriages are not ordained by God and therefore when one discovers that he or she is married to a fake person, divorce is highly advised.

2). False Marriage:

A false marriage is a marriage that is founded on lies and deception. This is similar to a fake marriage only that it is more subtle. For instance, a man is impotent and he know it, but did not tell his fiancee about it all through courtship only for her to discover on their wedding night. Or a woman who has damaged her womb and she knows it and deliberately hides it from her partner until after marriage. Such marriages cannot hold. God did not join them, because the foundation of the marriage is falsehood. You cannot hide sensitive details about yourself, details that will affect your spouse from them. In such cases, divorce is highly recommended.

3). Diabolic Marriage:

A diabolic marriage is when someone is hypnotized by demonic influences into marriage. Many men and women where manipulated into marriages by demonic forces. For instance, many men are victims of love portion, a mystical drink that can make a man fall in love with you instantly. Also many men consults witch doctors for love charms that can help them manipulate young ladies into marriage. Such union is demonic and when one is delivered, he or she is advised to seek divorce.

4).Threat To Life:

Anything that threatens your life is not good for you, including marriage. Many women have suffered and are still suffering from brutality in marriage. Husbands turning there wives into lunching bags. Many women have been killed in such marriages. When you are in a marriage where the man is threatening you or has made an attempt on your life, run for your life. Seek a divorce.

5). Clash Of Faith:

This is simple,if you are an unbeliever and marry another unbeliever, then over the years, you become a Christian,if the unbeliever is okay with that fine ,but if he/she is not then you have two options;either you denounce your faith or you seek divorce,if tgbat is the next option.

6). Reckless Abandonment:

Any man or woman that abandons his family does not deserve that family. If you walk away from your marriage then you don’t diserve that marriage.Many men abandon there wives and children to f1 Corinthians 7:39 The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.follow there mistress. In fact some of them even decides not to come back home again, thereby keeping there partners trapped in a marriage. No one deserves to be trapped in such a marriage. In cases like these divorce is advised

7). Death:

1 Corinthians 7:39 The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.
The above scripture has said it all. Death is the only thing that ends marriage naturally. But as a believer you must marry only in the Lord. That is a fellow Christian.

HOW TO AVOID DIVORCE

In order to avoid divorce, you must not be in a haste to be married, take out time to study your potential spouse. You must be prayerful and let God know guixey you to the right man/woman and separate you from the wrong man/woman. Also read godly books on marriage and attend marriage seminars and seek spiritual counsel before you jump into marriage. Before we round up this article today, I will finally write out prayers to stop divorce and restore breakthrough in families. I see your marriage work in Jesus name.

PRAYERS TO STOP DIVORCE AND RESTORE MARRIAGE

1. I paralyse every architect of conflict and hostility in my home, in the name of Jesus.

2. I withdraw my marriage from the hands of evil designers, in the name of Jesus.

3. Let every power trying to re-draw my marriage map be put to shame, in the name of Jesus.

4. Let all household wickedness release my home, in Jesus’ name.

5. I receive deliverance from every evil plantation designed to bring me and my children under the bondage of the devil, in Jesus’ name.

6. I paralyse every spirit of hatred and hostility militating against my home, in the name of Jesus.

7. I spoil and destabilise every satanic plan against my home, in the name of Jesus.

8. I deliver my marriage from the hands of home-wreckers, in the name of Jesus.

9. I pursue, overtake and recover my marriage from the hands of marriage breakers, in the name of Jesus.
10. Every evil effect of external interference in my marriage, be completely neutralized, in the name of Jesus.

11. Lord, dissolve and render to nought every evil counsel fashioned against my home.

12. Every power preventing me as a wife from accepting the headship of my husband, become paralysed, in the name of Jesus.

13. Let every imagination, thought, plan, decision, desire and expectation of divorce and separation against my home be nullified, in the name of Jesus.

14. Satan, hear the word of the Lord: You will not break my home, in the name of Jesus.

15. I bind all powers eating away the determination of my husband to stay married to me, in the name of Jesus.

16. Let every gadget of marriage destruction be frustrated in my home, in the name of Jesus.

17. Let every evil arrow fired by demonic relatives be uprooted, in the name of Jesus.

18. Let every evil anti-marriage linkage with our parents be dashed to pieces, in the name of Jesus.

19. Let every evil effect of external interferences in our marriage be completely neutralized, in the name of Jesus.

20. Every power preventing me as a wife from accepting the headship of my husband should become paralyzed, in the name of Jesus.

21. Every power preventing me as a husband from living as a true head should become paralyzed, in the name of Jesus.

22. The Lord should forgive any sin of abortion that may lead to blood crying against our home, in the name of Jesus.

23. The Lord should help us make the proper corrections in our marriage.

24. Let every imagination, thought, plan, decision, desire and expectation of divorce and separation against my home be nullified, in the name of Jesus.

25. I bind and render to nought the power and activities of the spirits that put marriage asunder, in the name of Jesus.

26. Satan, hear the word of the Lord, you will not break my home, in the name of Jesus.

27. I paralyze every spirit of misunderstanding between me and my wife/husband, in the name of Jesus.

28. I bind all powers eating away the determination of my wife/husband to stay married to me, in the name of Jesus.

29. Let the satanic birds eating away my love from the heart of my wife/husband vomit it, in the name of Jesus.

30. Pray in the spirit for at least 10 minutes.