In a cover story interview with Vogue Magazine, pop star Justin Bieber and supermodel Hailey Bieber (formally Baldwin) open up about their young marriage, God, and sexual purity. The couple tied the knot in a New York courthouse in September after dating for 12 weeks — and more than a decade after first meeting.

Bieber says he and his new bride Hailey waited to have sex until their wedding night because he vowed to God that he’d live a chaste life after battling a sex addiction. Bieber told Vogue he had a “legitimate problem with sex”, but was able to stay celibate for more than a year before rekindling his past romance with Baldiwn. They reconnected at church conference in Miami last June.

“[God] doesn’t ask us not to have sex for him because he wants rules and stuff. He’s like, ‘I’m trying to protect you from hurt and pain.’ I think sex can cause a lot of pain.”

“My mum always said to treat women with respect. For me that was always in my head while I was doing it [being promiscuous], so I could never enjoy it,” Bieber continued.

Prior to Bieber reuniteing with Hailey, he said he was also struggling with a drug addicion. His rededication to his Christian faith helped him break the chains of addiction, which in turn brought him great fortune.

“I wanted to rededicate myself to God in that way because I really felt it was better for the condition of my soul. And I believe that God blessed me with Hailey as a result. There are perks. You get rewarded for good behavior,” Bieber added.

While the young Christian couple is over the moon about their relatively new marriage, they admitted that marriage takes work and according to Vogue, they regularly see a counselor recommended to them by their friend and pastor Judah Smith.

Hailey said of her marriage to Bieber, “I’m fighting to do this the right way, to build a healthy relationship. I want people to know that. We’re coming from a really genuine place.”

She continued, “We’re two young people who are learning as we go. I’m not going to sit here and lie and say it’s all a magical fantasy. It’s always going to be hard. It’s a choice. You don’t feel it every single day. You don’t wake up every day saying, ‘I’m absolutely so in love and you are perfect.’ That’s not what being married is.”

Baldwin admitted she was lonely the first few weeks after becoming the singer’s wife because of the nasty comments about her relationship being posted on social media.

“I prayed to feel peace about the decision [to get married], and that’s where I landed,” she said. “I love him very much. I have loved him for a long time.”