4 Strategies Satan Uses to Blind You from Seeing Your Future Spouse (2 Kings 5)

Satan hates when marriages are formed because God uses marriage to bring glory to himself. One of Satan’s most effective ways of hindering Christian singles from getting married is through tempting them to do things that will stop them from rightly identifying the person God has for them.

Of course, Satan cannot stop the sovereign will of God. But in God’s sovereignty, he does allow us to reap what we sow, to choose the righteous path or the sinful path.

Thus, if you want to be able to see the person God has for you rather than being blinded by Satan’s lies, here are 4 things you need to watch out for.

1. Satan Will Try to Blind You from Seeing Your Future Spouse By Tempting You to Listen to False Teachers

In 2 Kings 5, we have an interesting story about a named Naaman. He was the commander of the army of Syria, but he also had leprosy. 2 Kings 5:1-8, we are told that Naaman’s wife had a servant girl who was captured from Israel. This servant girl told Naaman’s wife about the prophet Elisha who was able to heal Naaman of his disease.

The king of Samaria then sent word to the king of Israel, telling him to heal Naaman. The king was distraught, saying, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me” (2 Kings 5:7). Notice, however, what 2 Kings 5:8 then states:

But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, ‘Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.’”

Because Naaman had lived thus far without recognizing the truth about God and was serving false gods in Samaria, he had remained a leper. Only when he went to seek the truth from the right prophet who actually knew God was he made well.

When we apply these principles to our topic, we can say that many Christian singles remain single because they are listening to worldly advice. I’m certainly not saying singleness is a disease like leprosy. I’m also not saying that all single people are unmarried because they are doing something wrong and listening to worldly counsel.

But I am saying that if you are listening to worldly relationship advice, it will prevent you from seeing your future spouse when the Lord brings that person into your life. If you want to see God’s choice for you, you need eyes that are sanctified in truth.

2. Satan Will Try to Blind You from Seeing Your Future Spouse By Tempting You to Expect a Complicated Solution to Your Problem

2 Kings 5:9-12 states:

So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.’ But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, ‘Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?’ So he turned and went away in a rage.”

Expectations are a dangerous thing. While it’s not wrong to have hopes, it is unhelpful to think you will know how God’s solution to your problem will come about. Like Naaman who almost missed his healing because he was blinded by his own expectations, so too can Christian singles often miss the relationship they desire from the Lord because it does not come in the way that they had expected.

Here’s a principle worth remembering: Complicated problems don’t always require complicated solutions. You may feel like your relationship situation is different than everyone else’s. And maybe it is. But that doesn’t mean the solutions that have worked most often for others will not also work for you.

Sometimes it’s our own unwillingness to try something simple that is used by Satan to keep us from finding our future spouses.

3. Satan Will Use Pride to Try to Blind You from Seeing Your Future Spouse

2 Kings 5:13-14 states:

But his servants came near and said to him, ‘My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, “Wash, and be clean”?’ So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.”

To Naaman’s credit, he listened to the servant, and this was a sign of humility. He was a powerful man, so it showed a lot of character for him to take this servants counsel and change his ways.

Also, it says something that Naaman’s servants cared about him so much. First, the servant girl clearly cared about Naaman. Why else would she long for his healing (2 Kings 5:3)? Second, Naaman’s servant who lovingly challenged his pride clearly cared about Naaman. Why else would he take this risk and confront Naaman like this (2 Kings 5:13)?  Thus, it’ safe to say Naaman was a humble man, for only a humble leader treats his servants well.

We all struggle with pride, just like Naaman did. The key is to repent and turn to God with humility when we realize pride is present.

Pride will keep you from seeing your future spouse because pride makes you think your way is the best way. But notice what Proverbs 3:5-6 states, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

So take the time to examine your beliefs in prayer with the Lord. Ask him if there is anything that is blocking you from seeing the future spouse the Lord has for you. In love, he will make straight your path when you depend on him.

4. Satan Will Use a Lack of Obedience to Try to Blind You from Seeing Your Future Spouse

2 Kings 5:15 states:

So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.”

To receive the healing, Naaman had to obey the word of the Lord. Likewise, whether it be your desire to see your future spouse at the proper time or you have some other desire from the Lord, obedience is required. We are not earning the blessing through the obedience, but if we don’t do what God tells us to do, we will not receive what God wants us to receive.