“And Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah, of the daughters of the Philistines. And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnah, of the daughters of the Philistines; now, therefore, get her for me to wife. Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there no woman among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well” (Judges 14:1-3).
Samson was definitely a man that did not live up to his potential. God did use him because he’s God and he can still use us in spite of ourselves but Samson paid a heavy price for his escapades. Physically Samson was known for being a strong man but spiritually he was no superman. Samson had some weaknesses. One of Samson’s greatest struggles was lust, which later in life led to his demise. If you struggle with lust there is much that you can learn from Samson about what not to do. Samson had a knack for falling for the wrong women and in Judges 14 we find one such example. Here are a few lessons we can learn from the life of Samson about fighting lust:
1. Samson frequented the wrong places. In Judges 14 we learn that Samson went “down to Timnah...” (Judges 14:1). Timnath was a Philistine stronghold and enemy territory. Samson was physically strong and wasn’t afraid of the Philistines, but he was morally weak. It’s been said, “An unguarded strength is a double weakness.” His strength and position gave him access to places that others would not be able to go, and that’s not always a good thing. His strength and position as a leader also made him less accountable. Who was going to question him? You had to be a pretty women to question Samson. Avoiding the wrong places is a biblical strategy for fighting lust that Samson did not practice. In Proverbs we read, “Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death” (Proverbs 7:25-27). It’s important to remember that when it’s not possible to avoid that wrong places, like being in a hotel room alone on a business trip for example, that you stay accountable. Look for an accountability partner that will call you and ask you the hard questions and don’t be offended. In fact, if your accountability partner isn’t asking you the hard questions it’s time for you to look for another one.
2. Samson hung out with the wrong people. If Samson unguarded strength led him into the wrong places it follows that he was hanging with the wrong people and falling for the wrong women. You will become like those who you hang out with (Proverbs 13:20). If you desire to fight the battle with lust you must get with the right crowd and not just on Sunday mornings.
3. Samson gave in to the wrong passions. When you go to the wrong places and hang out with the wrong people you will struggle much more with the wrong passions. Samson’s struggle with the wrong passions was fueled by the lust of the eyes. In Judges we read, “And Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah, of the daughters of the Philistines…And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well” (Judges 14:1-3). In an article entitled “sex and the single person” John Piper rights, “avoid unnecessary sexual stimulation. It doesn't take any brains to know that there are enough X-rated movie houses and adult bookstores in this city to keep a person livid 24 hours a day. To visit these crummy places is temptation enough. But the real test is what you do with the more legitimate sources of sexual stimulation. PG movies, Timemagazine, the newspaper, television, drugstore magazine racks, rock music lyrics. In our society you cannot escape sexual stimulation, but you can refuse to seek it. And you can avoid it often when you see it coming. This is the great test of whether we are enslaved or free—can we say no to the slave driver in our bodies who wants us to keep on looking and keep on lusting.”
Don’t believe the lie that a little look won’t hurt. Sometimes what we see initially is unavoidable but you can choose with the help of the Holy Spirit not to keep on looking. I often say, that if you give in to sin like the lust of the eyes keep a short account with God. In other words, confess it to God immediately and ask him to help you by the power of his Spirit not to go there again. Fight the good fight. As John Owens put it, “Be killing sin or it will be killing you.”
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