The Philistines had found Samson was unconquerable and incomparable. No road was free of danger for their caravans. A cry for a champion arose in Philistia. But there were no takers.

The king said, “Not I.”

The general said, “Not I.”

The foot soldier said, “Not I.”

The secretary of state said, “Not I.”

No one would go.

Then one day a beautiful sensuous young woman came twisting her way into the palace of the king.

She said, “I will go out and fight against him.”

He said, “I can do a lot.”

“Can you wield a sword.?”

“No.”

“Do you know military strategy?”

“What can you do, Delilah?”

She said, “I can conquer Samson. I can make him weak and helpless.”

He said, “Delilah, how will you go about this?”

She said, “I have a weapon none of your soldiers have. His power comes from his God, his faith. But I know how to catch him. He has passions like other men. I know how to inflame those passions and make him lust after me. I’ll get his mind off his God and his faith. I’ll reduce him to a physical level, and when I do, your soldiers can imprison him. Just turn him over to me.

He said, “If you are successful, each of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.

Each champion had a powerful weapon.

Samson, his faith.

Delilah, her seductive power.

Delilah did not attempt to fight against Samson’s faith. She came at him with the devil’s own weapon-lust. Her purpose was to pull his faith down to the level of human lust.

Everyone has some-weakness and Samson was no exception. His weakness was his attraction to the opposite sex. And at that point of weakness the devil began pounding away. His father and mother said, Samson, you can’t do that, Son. God’s Spirit is in your life. You must not throw your life away like that.

“Why,” he said, “Dad, Mom. I know how to take care of myself. I know how far I can go.”

His mother said, “Son, what if she finds out your secret?”

He said, “Mom, I know how far to go. Don’t worry about me.”

Every man who ever fell, every woman who ever fell, said the same words, “I know how far to go. I know how to take care of myself.

But I will tell you now, friend, not one of us knows how to take care of himself. All of us need the help of God to keep us right with the Lord.