Faithfulness in marriage has become increasingly rare in a culture that treats commitment as optional and monogamy as old-fashioned.
The statistics are sobering: according to the Institute for Family Studies, approximately 20% of married individuals admit to having affairs, and when you include emotional affairs and online infidelity, that number climbs even higher.
The cultural narrative suggests that happiness justifies breaking vows and that “following your heart” matters more than keeping your word.
Author Gary Thomas wrote in “Sacred Marriage,”
“What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?”
This shifts everything.
Faithfulness isn’t about perfect feelings or constant fulfillment. It’s about covenant commitment that reflects God’s unwavering faithfulness to His people, even when we’re unfaithful to Him.
Marriage was designed to be a living picture of Christ’s relationship with the church. His love is exclusive, sacrificial, and permanent. When we prioritize faithfulness in marriage regardless of circumstances, we display something profoundly counter-cultural: love that keeps its promises.
These verses reveal what Scripture says about faithfulness in marriage and why it matters eternally.
Bible Verses About Faithfulness In Marriage
1. Malachi 2:14-15 – She Is Your Partner, the Wife of Your Marriage Covenant
You ask, “Why?” It is because the Lord is the witness between you and the wife of your youth. You have been unfaithful to her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth.
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2. Hebrews 13:4 – Marriage Should Be Honored by All
Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.
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3. Proverbs 5:18-19 – Rejoice in the Wife of Your Youth
May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer—may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love.
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4. Matthew 19:6 – What God Has Joined Together
So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.
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5. 1 Corinthians 7:2-5 – Each Man Should Have Sexual Relations With His Own Wife
But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
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6. Proverbs 20:6 – A Faithful Person Who Can Find?
Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful person who can find?
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7. Ephesians 5:25 – Husbands, Love Your Wives
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.
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8. Genesis 2:24 – The Two Will Become One Flesh
That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
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9. Proverbs 31:10-11 – A Wife of Noble Character
A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
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10. 1 Timothy 3:2 – Faithful to His Wife
Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach.
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11. Song of Solomon 8:6-7 – Love Is as Strong as Death
Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If one were to give all the wealth of one’s house for love, it would be utterly scorned.
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12. Proverbs 6:32-33 – The One Who Commits Adultery
But a man who commits adultery has no sense; whoever does so destroys himself. Blows and disgrace are his lot, and his shame will never be wiped away.
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13. 1 Corinthians 6:18 – Flee From Sexual Immorality
Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.
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14. Ephesians 5:33 – Each One of You Must Love His Wife
However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
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15. Malachi 2:16 – The Man Who Hates and Divorces His Wife
“The man who hates and divorces his wife,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect,” says the Lord Almighty. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful.
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16. Proverbs 5:15-17 – Drink Water From Your Own Cistern
Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers.
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17. 1 Peter 3:7 – Treat Them With Respect
Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
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18. Colossians 3:18-19 – Wives, Submit; Husbands, Love
Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
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19. Matthew 5:27-28 – Anyone Who Looks at a Woman Lustfully
You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
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20. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 – Avoid Sexual Immorality
It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God.
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21. Proverbs 12:4 – A Wife of Noble Character
A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.
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22. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 – Love Always Protects, Always Trusts
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
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23. Proverbs 18:22 – He Who Finds a Wife Finds What Is Good
He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.
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24. Ecclesiastes 9:9 – Enjoy Life With Your Wife
Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.
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25. Titus 2:4-5 – Train the Younger Women to Love Their Husbands
Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
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26. Proverbs 2:16-17 – The Adulterous Woman Who Has Left the Partner of Her Youth
Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words, who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God.
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27. Romans 7:2 – A Married Woman Is Bound to Her Husband
For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him.
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28. 1 Corinthians 7:10-11 – A Wife Must Not Separate
To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.
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29. Proverbs 19:14 – A Prudent Wife Is From the Lord
Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.
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30. Exodus 20:14 – You Shall Not Commit Adultery
You shall not commit adultery.
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31. Job 31:1 – I Made a Covenant With My Eyes
I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman.
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32. Proverbs 27:15-16 – A Quarrelsome Wife
A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping of a leaky roof in a rainstorm; restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand.
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33. 1 Timothy 5:8 – Provide for Their Relatives
Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
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34. Ephesians 5:31-32 – This Is a Profound Mystery
“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.
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35. Proverbs 31:28 – Her Children Arise and Call Her Blessed
Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.
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Our Thoughts On What the Bible Says About Faithfulness In Marriage
Faithfulness in marriage isn’t just about avoiding physical affairs. It’s about exclusive devotion in thought, emotion, and action.
Jesus made it clear that lust in your heart is already adultery. Faithfulness means guarding your eyes, your heart, and your attention so that your spouse receives the emotional and physical intimacy that belongs exclusively to them within the covenant.
Scripture treats marriage as a sacred covenant, not a casual contract you can break when it stops serving you. God witnesses your vows, and He expects you to keep them regardless of circumstances.
That doesn’t mean staying in abusive situations, but it does mean that fleeting feelings, attraction to someone else, or general dissatisfaction aren’t biblical grounds for abandoning your commitment.
The faithfulness God requires in marriage mirrors His own faithfulness to us. Even when we’re unfaithful, He remains faithful. Even when we disappoint Him, He doesn’t abandon the covenant. That’s the standard He calls married couples to maintain: steadfast loyalty that perseveres through difficulty, disappointment, and the inevitable seasons when feelings fade.
Say This Prayer
Heavenly Father, I commit to faithfulness in my marriage. Help me to honor my covenant vows regardless of circumstances, feelings, or temptations. Guard my heart, my eyes, and my thoughts so that my spouse receives the exclusive devotion that belongs to them alone.
Protect my marriage from infidelity in all its forms. Help me to flee from sexual immorality, to make a covenant with my eyes, and to reject even the thought of betraying my spouse. When temptation comes, give me the strength to run from it and the wisdom to avoid situations that compromise my integrity.
Help me to love my spouse sacrificially, the way Christ loves the church. Give me patience when things are hard, faithfulness when feelings fade, and commitment that perseveres through every season. Let my marriage be a testimony of Your covenant love that never breaks its promises.
Thank You for Your faithfulness to me even when I’m unfaithful to You. Help me to reflect that same steadfast loyalty in my marriage.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Evang. Anabelle Thompson is the founder of Believers Refuge, a Scripture-based resource that helps Christians to find biblical guidance for life’s challenges.
With over 15 years of ministry experience and a decade of dedicated Bible study, she creates content that connects believers with relevant Scripture for their daily struggles.
Her work has reached over 76,000 monthly readers (which is projected to reach 100,000 readers by the end of 2025) seeking practical faith applications, biblical encouragement, and spiritual guidance rooted in God’s Word.
She writes from personal experience, having walked through seasons of waiting, breakthrough, and spiritual growth that inform her teaching.
Evang. Thompson brings 12 years of active ministry and evangelism experience, along with over 10 years of systematic Bible study and theological research.
As a former small group leader and Sunday school teacher, she has published over 200 biblical resources and devotional studies.
She specializes in applying Scripture to everyday life challenges and regularly studies the original Hebrew and Greek texts for a deeper biblical understanding.