What makes a marriage work in this teaching?
A marriage works when the husband loves his wife, even as Christ loved the church, because God placed within the wife a responder. The husband's love and protection cause her to respond, and the two come together. Scripture commands husbands to love their wives, not wives to love husbands.
Les explains that marriage works because God created the wife with a responder. God never commanded the wife to love the husband, but He did command husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church. When the husband loves his wife, even though he is head over her, she revels in his love, protection, and everything, and the two come together. Les also connects this to the analogy of Christ and the church, where Christ is the head of the church and the Savior of the body.