Satan's Strategy of Seduction

One Year Bible
Old Testament passage for Thursday, May 2, 2013:  Judges 15:1-16:31

¹⁹ Then she lulled him to sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him. ²⁰ And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him.  ²¹ Then the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze fetters, and he became a grinder in the prison. ²² However, the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaven.  Judges 16:19-22 (NKJV)

Delilah is symbolic of the Tempter -- the Accuser -- the one who seeks to seduce our souls.  Her first strategy was to pester and press Samson and in so doing vex his soul (Jud. 16:16). 

Satan has a "wear down" policy.  He seeks to harass us and slowly wear us down.  With soft words, the devil sets his traps.  Rarely does he boldly lay out his destructive plan.  He seeks to move the follower of Jesus one inch at a time toward devastation.

That's the way Delilah began her evil work on Samson.  She had already made an agreement with the Philistines to sell Samson to them for money.  She sought to uncover the secret of his strength.  Like Judas Iscariot, she sold out for thirty pieces of silver. 

Once she had unlocked Samson's heart, she lulled him to sleep.  God calls us to be vigilant because the devil goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (I Pet. 5:8).  Satan seeks to seduce us into slumber.  Therefore, the call of God is, "Awake to righteousness" (I Co. 15:34).

When we fall asleep in our faith, Satan proceeds to strip up -- to steal from us -- to shave off our glory.  Samson's hair was symbolic of his vows.  It spoke of the Nazarite vows that had been made over his life.  His hair represented his commitments -- his devotion.  Satan wants to strip up down -- to back us off any commitment we have ever made to God.

It is tragic to find that Samson did not know that the Lord had left him (Jud. 16:20).  He thought he could operate as usual.  I have many times found that people do not immediately realize what they have done to themselves.  It's like standing out in the hot summer sun.  Usually we do not realize what that sun is doing to us until later that evening when we come inside.  Then we find that we are as red as a beet, but the damage is done.  Sunburn rarely feels bad WHEN it is happening.  It only hurts afterward.

When the Philistines overpowered Samson, the first thing they did was put his eyes out (Jud. 16:21).  That's what happens to us.  The bondage of temptation and sin causes us to loose our spiritual vision.  We then walk in darkness.  So, here's the picture of this once mighty man:  blind, bound, and pushing a grinder.

But, God was still working.  Samson's hair began to grow again (Jud. 16:22).  And, no matter what has happened in your life, your commitments and devotion can re-blossom, too.  Actually, Samson's greatest victory lay yet ahead.  Our God is a REDEEMER.  Such is the story of Samson -- and it is our story, too.