Pastor John’s Blog

Lust can be a real problem in our lives, especially if we are trying to follow God. It brings problems to relationships and binds people in addictive behaviors. But the worst thing about lust is that it blinds people to its destructiveness until it may be too late. This happened to Samson. Toward the end of his short life Samson falls in love with a Philistine woman named Delilah. Perhaps scarred from the death of his first wife, Samson does not marry Delilah. Instead, they live together in sin. Delilah, an apparent opportunist, was approached by the Philistine leaders and offered 1,100 pieces of silver if she discovered the secret of Samson’s strength. She asked Samson on three occasions and each time he lied to her. But what seems incredible is how oblivious he was to the fact that as he slept she would try on him whatever he told her would weaken him. She did this three times, and each time she woke him up as the Philistines tried to bind him, and each time he set himself free. It should have been obvious to him that she was betraying him, but he was so blinded that he did nothing about it. But as she cried daily she wore him out until he finally gave in and confessed to her that he was a Nazarite from birth and that if his hair was ever cut he would lose his strength. Well, as he slept she had his hair cut and then cried out and warned him of the Philistines. Judges 16:20-21 says, “When he woke up, he thought, “I will do as before and shake myself free.” But he didn’t realize the Lord had left him.²¹ So the Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes.” Samson’s lust had finally separated him from the source of his strength—God. The gouging of his eyes bore witness to the spiritual blindness already present in his life because of lust. Lust blinds us to its destructiveness.  

So, how do you get rid of lust? Here’s how. Psalm 101:3 says, “I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar” (NLT). Control what you see and you will starve your lust to death! Really! Jesus said in Matthew 5:29, “So if your eye—even your good eye —causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away” (NLT). Jesus did not mean to do this literally, of course, but he did mean that we are to stop using our eyes to feed our lust. So today, ask the Lord to help you get rid of all lust in your life. Ask him to help you keep your eyes on good things. Then just do it.

Samson was separated in his mother’s womb to be a Nazarite. This meant that he could not drink alcohol or ever shave his head. As a Nazarite he was to live a consecrated life to God. As a result of his consecration the Holy Spirit would come upon him and give him super human strength when he needed it to fulfill his life’s mission. His life’s mission was to begin to free the people of Israel from Philistine oppression. When the Holy Spirit would come on Samson he would become the strongest man on the planet. But there is an irony here for as consecrated as Samson was to God on the outside and as physically strong as he was he had a weakness that he was never able to overcome. Samson’s weakness was lust. God consecrated (separated) Samson for himself and gave him supernatural human strength, but it was up to Samson to live out this consecration by using God’s strength to help him subdue his lust. But he did not. Judges 14:1-2 reveals this weakness in action: “One day when Samson was in Timnah, one of the Philistine women caught his eye.² When he returned home, he told his father and mother, ‘A young Philistine woman in Timnah caught my eye. I want to marry her. Get her for me’” (NLT). Over his parents objections he said, “Get her for me! She looks good to me” (14:3, NLT). Samson chose this woman for a wife based on looks and not based on what he knew to be right. Samson was driven by his carnal appetites, and this would be his down fall.

Like Samson we have been separated for God. And like Samson God gives us strength, although not supernatural human strength. But it is up to us to use God’s power to help us over come our lustful ways and remain faithful to God. Romans 8:13 says it this way: “But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live” (NLT). So today I encourage you to ask God for strength and to help you overcome the desires of the flesh so that you may live for him.