In the last days of earth history, the evidence of unequally yoked unions will manifest itself more and more and in various forms. The main focus will be a cry for the lack of family or spousal time over the works of God. The underlying objectives are to restrict the commands of God – to go into all the world, teach, preach, and baptize in the name of the Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and God the Father.

These subtle resistances take place all the time, but it is not easily recognized. Notice this passage in the Bible:

 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him at first, because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son,” his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.” “But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:41-49).

Jesus’ parent were more concern about their time together and therefore overlooked the great work Jesus was doing. So instead of commendation, he received a reprimand for doing God’s will. The evil spirit did not stop there, but later in Jesus’ ministry, the Devil used the family to attack Jesus again.

“While Jesus was still talking to the people, His mother and His brothers came and stood outside. They wanted to talk to Him. Someone said to Him, “Your mother and brothers are outside and want to talk to you.”  Jesus said, “Who is My mother? And who are My brothers?”  He put out His hand to His followers and said, “See, these are My mother and My brothers!  Whoever does what My father in heaven wants him to do is My brother and My sister and My mother.” (Matthew 12:46-50).

The spiritually yoked unions are those co-laborers that are dedicated to the works of God. Interruptions by family members while doing God’s will are the works of the Devil. The passage said that “while Jesus was still speaking to the people”, the family was also seeking some family time. They expected Jesus to stop what he was doing and spend some time with them; chances are they want to let him see how he has been neglecting his family by spending most of his time on the mission field and almost no time with the family.

In the last days of earth history, these obstructions will be coming from spouses who as it seems, has been going faithfully to church every weekend, and appears to be interested in knowing God and be faithful to Him, but are only interested in nurturing a physical union over a spiritual union with God. Pastor’s wives will rebel over the perceived neglect by their husbands who are spending time doing God’s work.

Any dedicated worker of God who is married or is part of a close family will experience these attacks from Satan.  He will use those close to us to achieve his objective, and that is to try to curtail the works of God by showing that these workers are neglecting family time. They will find Bible passages to support their claim “God made us as one, so we must leave father and mother and cleave together”. The cleaving they think is more important than doing the other wills of God.

Jesus knows all the whiles of the devil, and therefore cautions us and said:

Many people followed Jesus. Then He turned around and said to them, “If any man comes to Me and does not have much more love for Me than for his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be My follower.  If he does not carry his cross and follow Me, he cannot be My follower (Luke 14:25-27).

We must count the cost of following Jesus. We will encounter obstacles from our loved ones as they contend for family time over the works of God.  You will be attacked and even be threatened with divorce, adultery, and separation as you try to follow Jesus. The attacks of Satan will be colored with all kinds of devices and guilt trips. The ultimate goal is to restrict the works of God. You will be ridiculed for spending more time at church; you will be looking down upon for being involved in too much church departments; you will be cautioned for spending too much time doing missionary work – going door-to-door, giving bible studies, and spending too much time visiting the sick and shut-ins.

A spiritually yoked union is one where spouses go together and do the works of God, where they are jointly spending time experiencing the works of the Holy Spirit as they evangelized together; going door-to-door together; visiting the sick together; feeding the homeless, widows, and orphans together. A yoke where they are co-laborers for God, doing his will together. The commandment from God is cleared: “And he (Jesus) said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned (Mark 15:15-16). “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in the earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen (Matthew 28:18-20).