This story isn’t about fear — it’s about discernment.
How to Tell What’s From God — and What Isn’t.
One of the most important decisions you will ever make is choosing who you will spend the rest of your life with. This is the person you’ll trust with secrets no one else knows and give access to your money, and David prayed that his future wife would influence his life for good and help raise their future children in the ways of the Lord. How do you choose someone like that? How do you make sure you don’t get it wrong? Because if you do, the consequences can affect your mental and emotional health.
The wrong match can be deadly.
As an only son who cherished his childhood memories and followed in his father’s footsteps, he joined the United States military. There, he witnessed firsthand how deception can grow into long-term ruin and separation. Many of the people around him — both in the military and back home — were married, and he couldn’t believe their stories were true: the lies, the cheating, the stealing, the disrespect. He concluded that both the world and the flesh within a person are under spiritual influence, and that the power of sin is great.
David admired his parents’ fifty years of marriage. But he also saw the long, disturbing impact of a broken home — the emotional wounds that made forgiveness difficult.
And then there were the statistics. His mother was an excellent communicator, and every word she spoke to her husband built him up. She carried a sweet spirit, whispered truth, and stewarded God’s Word with reverence.
Studies indicate that approximately 41% of first marriages in the United States are expected to end in divorce. Second marriages rise to 60–67%, and third marriages to 70–73%. And with divorce come lawyer fees, alimony, custody battles, and child support — a heavy price to pay. The American Psychological Association and other trusted legal and research organizations report these numbers.
Once the ring is on the finger, time reveals the truth — motives, character, a person’s true spirit, commitment, and whether the love was genuine or just convenient. A real marriage requires two people who believe divorce is not an option and who will stand and fight because the relationship has true value. I personally have failed to stay in a marriage, as God hates divorce, and I make no excuses. However, I can honestly say I tried.
In a biblical context, Christians are commanded to test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. We live in a time when motives must be verified, and that sometimes takes time. Many claim to be Christians, and believers often accept every word without discernment.
But the Bereans didn’t do that. Acts 17:11 says they examined the Scriptures daily — even when the one preaching was Paul, the greatest evangelist who wrote much of the New Testament.
False prophets exist to mislead the Christian community. You might even be standing in front of an angel of darkness masquerading as light.
Time reveals identity. Is God truly living in the person? Is the fruit genuine? Fruit takes time to grow — and time exposes what is real.
If deception can destroy a marriage, think about what spiritual deception can do to your soul.