What can we learn about temptation from Delilah's approach in Judges 16:6? Setting the Scene Samson has drifted far from his Nazarite calling. Instead of driving out Israel’s enemies, he is living among them, lingering in Philistine territory, and giving his affections to Delilah. Temptation often begins with misplaced affections and compromised boundaries. Key Verse: Judges 16:6 “So Delilah said to Samson, ‘Please tell me the source of your great strength and how you can be bound and subdued.’” Observations on Delilah’s Strategy • Appeal to the ego – “Tell me the source of your great strength.” Flattery masks the real agenda. • Feigning intimacy – She couches her request in the language of relationship (“please tell me”), yet her loyalties lie elsewhere (v. 5). • Direct request for vulnerability – She does not ask about everyday preferences; she asks for the very key to Samson’s downfall. • Persistence (vv. 10–16) – Temptation rarely quits after one refusal; it keeps returning, often ratcheting up emotional pressure. • Hidden partnership with the enemy – Behind the soft voice is a plot hatched with Philistine rulers, promising silver (v. 5). Sin frequently offers immediate profit at someone else’s expense. Lessons about Temptation Today • Temptation flatters but conceals hostile intent. Compare Proverbs 7:21–23, where smooth words lead the naïve “like an ox going to the slaughter.” • Relational settings can disarm discernment. Samson relaxed because the request came from someone he loved. 1 Corinthians 15:33 warns, “Bad company corrupts good character.” • Our greatest strength is often the direct target. Satan aimed at Peter’s boldness (Luke 22:31–32); Delilah aimed at Samson’s strength. • Persistence wears down resistance. James 1:14–15 portrays desire “conceived” after repeated enticement, eventually giving birth to sin. • Compromise blinds. Samson believed he could stay close to the fire and not get burned, yet each lie edged him nearer to the truth until he finally yielded (v. 17). Safeguards Against Similar Temptation • Guard your influences—choose companions who steer you toward holiness (Proverbs 13:20). • Keep consecration fresh—Samson toyed with the outward symbols of his vow; nourish your commitments daily (2 Timothy 1:14). • Run, don’t reason—Joseph fled Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39:12). Reasoning with seduction usually ends in surrender. • Expose hidden agendas—Bring questionable requests into the light of godly counsel (Ephesians 5:11–13). • Depend on God’s escape route—“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man… He will also provide an escape” (1 Corinthians 10:13). Encouraging Truths from God’s Word • Temptation is predictable and defeatable through Scripture (Matthew 4:1–11). • The Spirit equips believers with self-control (Galatians 5:22–23). • Even after failure, repentance restores usefulness; God used a humbled Samson one final time (Judges 16:28–30). • Christ, our greater Deliverer, never yielded to temptation and now lives to intercede for us (Hebrews 4:15–16). |
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