Delilah — her name sounds like layla, the Hebrew word for “night,” making her seem all the more mysterious, all the more enticing to a man who loves women, especially foreign women. Samson strokes her hair and then cups her delicate face in his hands, smiling as he peers into her eyes that are as green as the sea and as difficult to fathom.
As soft as a dove’s cooing, she says, “Tell me the secret of your great strength. How can you be tied up and subdued?”
Her question surprises him: Is she toying with me? Playing a game? Or does she know something? Will she love me more if I tell her? Can she be trusted with my secret?
At her repeated requests, Samson finally gives in: “No razor has ever been used on my head, because I have been dedicated to God as a Nazirite, set apart to Him since birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me.”
Sensing she had heard the truth at last, Delilah waits until Samson falls asleep on her lap. Calling to Philistine conspirators hidden in the room, she signals a man to shave Samson’s hair. When they are finished, she screams, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!”
Jumping up to take them on just as he always had, Samson soon discovers he lacks the power to resist them. The Lord has left him. He is alone now and as weak as other men. Looking around for Delilah, he sees only the open door through which she has fled. Outside is darkness.*
• • •
He was the classic tragic hero — an otherwise strong human being destroyed by a single character flaw. Samson, the strongest man of his generation, a real “he-man,” yet so pitifully vulnerable to pride, so tragically unable to conquer his tendency toward lust.
Still, God used this spiritually weak man. God used Samson’s strength to keep the Philistines off balance and to keep the Israelite nation alive until she was ready for the next stage in God’s redemptive purpose. God used the tragedy of Samson’s life for good. God will have His way; He is the real superhero.
Can you relate to Samson’s battle with lust? Does it threaten to bring you down? If so, then it’s time to make a change, beginning with your thought life.
NINE WAYS TO COMBAT LUST
• Accept the truth. All guys of a certain age share the same desperate plea: “It’s as if lust is controlling me! I beg God to forgive me, and I even promise to stop doing what I don’t want to do. But then I fail — again and again. HELP!”
• Understand the addictive power of lust. Consider this strange (but true) thought: Whether the issue is lust or some other struggle, every guy is an addict. Here’s how Dr. Gerald G. May explains it in his book Addiction and Grace: “The psychological, neurological and spiritual dynamics of full-fledged addiction are actively at work in every human being. The same processes that are responsible for addiction to alcohol and narcotics are also responsible for addiction to ideas, work, relationships, power, moods, fantasies and an endless variety of other things. We are all addicts in every sense of the word.”
• Evaluate yourself. Ask yourself some questions: How is my battle with lust like an addiction? Do I truly want to surrender this struggle to Jesus? Do I believe He is able to help me overcome my misplaced desires?
• Accept God’s grace. May says our addictions are our own worst enemies. They enslave us with chains of our own making, and still they are beyond our control. “Yet, in another paradox,” May says in his book, “our addictions can lead us to a deep appreciation of grace. They can bring us to our knees.”
• Confess your struggles. This is the key to winning the tug-of-war against lust. It also is the answer to making things right again and preventing your old nature from ruining your new life in Christ. You don’t have to live with a huge load of guilt and shame. Tell Jesus all about your sins, tell Him how sorry you are. He will forgive you: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
• Know that the Lord won’t give up on you — even if it’s the same sin you confessed yesterday. When you’re truly seeking after Jesus, no sin can keep you from Him. You’ll find acceptance, love and freedom — despite your shortcomings. Ask Him to go deep into your heart and to heal the real cause of what’s causing you to stumble.
• Take up your shield. Make it a goal to memorize Romans 6:12–14. Then, when you’re tempted, use these words as your shield: “I will not let sin reign in my body. I will not offer my body as an instrument of wickedness. Sin is not my master. I’m under grace. Jesus is my Lord.”
• Strive to live without secrets. God sees our hearts. He knows our deepest secrets. He understands our true motives. “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked” (Galatians 6:7). We can fool others. We can even fool ourselves. But we can never fool God. So strive to be real — with your weaknesses and your struggles.
• Seek the counsel of a trustworthy Christian. Find an accountability partner. As you talk honestly with another person, you’ll probably discover that the things you think are your problems are just symptoms of a deeper heart problem. And God is faithful and willing to help. If you let Him, He’ll transform your damaged heart. 
