Samson Played with Temptation, He Lost His Power

  The Lord Jesus Christ issues a warning to his disciples in the book of Matthew 26:41. 

He says, "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." I believe this word is not only applicable to his disciples but also to us today. 

Temptation happens to all of us. 

It comes to all of us. We are all susceptible to temptation. That is why the Bible warns us over and over to keep ourselves safe.  

2 Timothy 2:22 gives another warning when it says, "Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. 

 Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace.  Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts." 

 Run, it says. And it is paramount that we run because when we do not run or take note of the warnings we have been given, what follows is usually devastating. 

First to our faith and even to our lives as Christians.

The Bible tells the story of a man named Samson, a man heavily anointed with strength from the tribe of Dan. 

The Bible has no record of a man like Samson until we get to the book of Judges. And after him, there was no one like him ever recorded. 

 It was recorded in Judges 13:5, where his birth was foretold to his mother. This is what was told to her. 

You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazerite dedicated to God from the womb. 

He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines. 

 Samson's sole purpose was to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines. 

 That he was a mighty man, was not in doubt. The Bible is full of verses that record the feats of strength Samson performed in his time.   Feats that left his enemies trembling. 

Samson was feared by the Philistines and he seemed untouchable for the longest time. 

 But then the Bible tells us something about this man. 

Great as he was, the Bible tells us of this man's lack of caution. His fall began when he fell for a woman named Delilah. 

 Judges chapter 16 ,verses 4-6 says sometime later he fell in love with a  woman in the valley of Sorak whose name was Delilah; the rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, see if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him. So we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you shekels of silver. 

So Delilah said to Samson, "'Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued." 

The Bible records that she pressed him day by day until he conceded and told her the secret of his strength, and that led to his losing his power and his life. 

All it took was temptation to trap and kill a man. So great, a man destined to do great things. 

And that is why the Word of the Lord cries out to us about temptation. 

Many great men and women have fallen to temptation through the years. 

Destinies that were to be great were cut short, never to be remembered again. 

People who were to do great things were forgotten because they fell to temptation. 

 Temptation has always been one of the most deadly and effective weapons the devil has used against believers through the ages. And he has won over and over again through this weapon. 

He has destroyed and silenced destinies all over the world. It does not just come to the weak. It comes to the weak and the strong alike. Jesus was tempted. The disciples were tempted and several men and women, several Christians have been tempted and the devil is not stopping. 

And the horrible fact about it is that many never get a do over, once they fall. 

All it took for Samson to lose it all was one fall. One fall. We never really know how many chances we have.  That is why we must abide by the rules of scripture. 

The Bible does not assure us that we are stronger than temptation. It does not tell us to stay where we are tempted and challenge the temptation. 

The verses we have read today give us two very clear directives. The first tells us to watch and pray.  The second tells us to flee. 

When the Bible says to watch, it means to be vigilant, to know what and who come around us. 

This has saved me as a person more times than I can count. Just being vigilant and intentional about what I allow around me