“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 won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”
1 Corinthians 7:5 (NLT)
Sexual intimacy matters in marriage. Paul says the only reason to refrain from it is for deeper prayer—and only by mutual agreement. That’s because the only intimacy that should come before your spouse is intimacy with God.
This passage shows that both spouses have sexual needs, and both give authority over their bodies to the other. That’s what real intimacy looks like—surrender. It’s the same with Christ. When we give Him access to what’s ours, we grow closer to Him.
But there’s a warning too: when we neglect sexual intimacy in marriage, we’re giving the enemy room to operate. That’s why Paul urges couples to come together again—so Satan won’t have a chance to tempt us through unmet desires. Ephesians 4:27 says, “Do not give the devil a foothold” (NLT), but withholding intimacy opens that very door.
Unity, affection, and compassion don’t produce intimacy. Intimacy produces them. We often withhold sexual closeness because we feel distant—but it’s that closeness that creates the connection we’re craving.
Trying to build a Godly marriage without intimacy is like trying to live for Jesus without the power of the Holy Spirit. It doesn’t work. Don’t wait to feel close—come close.