1 Corinthians 7:3-6 It’s Okay to Withhold Sex from My Spouse

Natural Thinking (common):

I thought it was my right to punish my spouse and not yield to his/her sexual advances.  It’s my way of showing her/him that I’ve been mistreated or neglected in some way.  For this is my body and I don’t have to do it if I don’t want to.

(1 Corinthians 7:3-6 NLT)  The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs.  The wife give authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife.  Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer.  Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan wont’ be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

Godly Thinking (No-longer-common):

Contrary to what you may think, it is the wrong thing to deprive your spouse of sexual relations.  In fact the bible gives only one reason as to why married couples should limit sexual intimacy and that reason is for prayer.  Any other reason is not scriptural, thusly wrong.  Sexual relations is important and essential in a healthy marriage as often as desired by either spouse in order to resist any temptation presented by Satan.  Wow!  The more you go without the bigger the door is for Satan to walk into the relationship.  That brings new light to sex.  God intended it to be a tool – a weapon- against the devil.