Delilah - watch out!

Last time we studied, Samson had just told Delilah the truth. He told her the secret of his great strength. Oy vey.
Delilah was just the right person to take Samson down, to destroy him. That's why she was chosen.

We are in spiritual warfare each and every day on this earth. And the devil has weapons that have been made after studying each of us, and finding out what our weak points are. The devil's purpose is to destroy us. For some of us, it may be pride; for others it may be sexual sins; others may fall prey to self esteem issues, or drugs, loneliness, or a sudden financial fall.

Whatever weapons the devil has forged in his battle for our souls, we have this assurance:

No weapon formed against you shall prosper,And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn.This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,And their righteousness is from Me,”Says the Lord. (Isaiah 54:17)

There is one important thing to remember, though, and it's something that Samson forgot. We have to follow God's rules! Samson kept playing around with sin. He kept doing things that he should not have, and that's what got him into trouble. In our own lives, there are things that we must do in order to receive that blessing of "no weapon" being able to prosper against us! We can't have one foot in the church and the other in a cocktail party, my grandma used to say. The Bible tells us to "come out from among them" and be a special people.

The Bible also gives us some super instructions on how to protect ourselves:

                 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (Ephesians 6:11-18)

When we look at the armor detailed here, we see that the belt of truth will protect us from sexual sins; the breastplate of righteousness will protect our hearts from that special weapon, Delilah, that is the devil's "silver bullet" to bring us down. Our feet will be fitted with the gospel of peace, so we're not going to run into the places that we shouldn't go into. That shield that Paul mentions will protect us from the fiery darts and special missiles that the devil prepares just for us, with his knowledge of our flaws and sins. The helmet of salvation should go on our heads -- and what should be inside those heads? The mind of Christ . . .

                     Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.....               (Philippians 2:5)

The enemy won't be able to penetrate our minds and dig around to find our deepest secrets! Lastly, make sure that we are carrying the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Does this mean that we need to carry our Bible everywhere we go? Well, it's not a bad idea, but no, we don't have to. If we have been seeking God daily in our Bible studies and our prayers, the Word will be in our thoughts at a moment's notice, guiding us and instructing us.
Cathy noted recently that our weapons are mighty:

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of stronghold; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. (II Corinthians 10:4-5)

Oh, if only Samson had followed the instructions! Delilah was able to penetrate his heart, and the Philistines conquered the mighty man of God.  That's not the end of his story, though. And if our own "Delilah," that certain thing or person that causes you and me to sin, has penetrated our hearts, there is more to our story, too.

Samson's strength returned later, when his hair grew and his prayers flew! The Philistines brought him out of prison to make "sport" of him, to laugh and insult and degrade him. The devil wants to do that to us, too, ya know. But when Samson prayed, the Lord heard his prayer, and in his own death he dealt a mighty blow to the Philistines, killing many of them within the walls of the building that he demolished.
So, too, God will hear our prayers, and will allow us to have a second chance.
A new start.
A fresh beginning.
Isn't that what grace is all about? Yup.

So take that verse to heart -- no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper! Grab that devil and tell him that the Delilah he prepared for you is no match for the Spirit of our God!