Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Ephesians 6:10 ESV
Clint Eastwood once said in a movie, “A man’s got to know his own limitations.” This is good advice. As Christians, we know that our limitation is anything God doesn’t provide the strength or ability for us to do. Philippians 4:13 tells us we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Paul is saying we can do and endure all God calls us to do in God’s strength.
In our Sunday School lesson, we are studying Samson. Samson was known for his great strength. We are told throughout this historical narrative that the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson mightily. This tells us that God gave him the strength to do many of the things he did.
We were told early on in Samson’s life that the Spirit of God began to direct Samson when he was with his parents in the camp of Dan (Judges 13:25). In Judges 14:6 the Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily and he ripped a lion apart with his bare hands. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him in Judges 14:19 and he killed 30 Philistine men. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he killed 1,000 Philistine men in Judges 15:14-15.
We see plenty of times when God gave Samson incredible strength to do awesome things. But Samson’s sinful behavior caught up with him. His way of living was his downfall. Samson had great physical strength, but it was his weakness that would destroy him.
This would leave Samson without strength and blinded. Samson was a mighty man until the LORD left him (Judges 16:20). Then his great strength was gone. He was left weak, blind, and with a shuffling gait. He was mocked and ridiculed by the Philistines. He became a source of entertainment for his captors.
Finally, Samson cried out to the LORD and God gave him miraculous strength for one final feat. The Lord gave him the strength to bring the roof caving in and kill 3,000 Philistines. This is what God had called him to do from the womb. Sadly, he died in the process.
He was born to begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines. His mother was told this in Judges 13:5. God did not say he would deliver Israel, but that he would begin to deliver Israel. This indicates that God knew before he was born that Samson would lack the obedience necessary to be a success.
Samson’s flesh made him weak. Jesus warned His disciples to stay awake and pray in the Garden of Gethsemane to avoid temptation. He told them, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Samson had great physical strength endowed upon Him by God. Sadly, his flesh was incredibly weak. Pride was probably at the root of Samson’s problem. His great strength caused both the Philistines and his fellow Israelites to fear him. Proverbs 16:18 warns that pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Samson’s other weakness was Philistine women of low moral character. These women served as Philistine spies who would use his fleshly desire for them to manipulate him.
Samson is a sad example of a person endowed with a wonderful gift from God, but he often failed to use it for good. God still used him to destroy 4,030 Philistines but imagine if he had only lived as God wanted him to live. Imagine all the good he could have done.
In comparison, David was a mighty warrior who was called a man after God’s own heart. David knew where his help came from. He maintained a close relationship with the Lord and killed tens of thousands of Philistines (1 Samuel 18:17).
Whatever strength has given you, use it to do what He has called you to do. Be obedient. Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
Recognize that the flesh is weak, and the devil is constantly prowling around looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Don’t let that someone be you. Pray and stay alert. Stay focused on God and His kingdom.
Don’t be like Samson, his weaknesses literally destroyed him.
Know your strengths and use them to serve the Lord. Recognize your weaknesses. Pray for God to keep you from temptation in those areas.
Have a great day!