Ephesians 5: 25-33
Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church - for we are members of his body. “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. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Husbands are supposed to love their wives as Christ Jesus loves the church (His people). The husband is to speak gloriously of his wife, just as Jesus speaks of us calling us holy people, perfect in His sight, beloved, His elect, His bride, the apple of His eye. The husband is to rejoice over his wife and be her banner of love. The husband is to speak in truth, in holiness, in wisdom, and in love to his wife. He is to present her to himself without any criticism of her, to accept her as perfect and holy and adore her as Christ Jesus adores us. He is to take care of her needs just like he is concerned for his own needs because they are one in God’s sight.
You cannot speak negatively about your wife and expect her to trust and follow you. When you curse her, you curse yourself. If you complain about her, you complain about yourself. Jesus presents us spotless and perfect. Are you treating your wife like she is perfect in your sight? Are your words over her so sweet with grace and love that it washes over her mind and heart and causes her to love you, just as Jesus causes us to love Him?
A man has power over his wife in that if he does as God instructs him to, he brings blessing and holiness to their relationship. If he compares her to the world, if he makes her feel she doesn’t measure up, he causes her to doubt him and makes her feel unworthy of his love.
Before a man complains about how his wife is not allowing him to lead, he needs to judge himself, whether or not he is following the Lord’s instructions about how to love his wife.
Even men of the world who aren't Christians know how to treat their wives with dignity. They may not have their eyes open to the Truth of the Lord, but many still have enough knowledge and sense to treat their wives with respect. Nobody is excused from treating others the way they want to be treated. Everyone is responsible to live by the simple golden rule. As any judge will remind you: "Ignorance is no excuse of the law."