Many people have had a friend who was unkind or untrue to them. The one who deceived us. But what about a friend stealing your life?
Samson, a man from Israel, had been dedicated as a Nazirite from birth and for the duration of his life he had certain restrictions. God blessed Samson with indomitable strength to rid Israel of Philistine foes whilever he kept those conditions.
He attempted to marry a Philistine lady on one occasion and she betrayed his trust and the marriage fell through. He then went and lived with a woman, Delilah, who treacherously betrayed him to the Philistines and Samson went into captivity. God was merciful to Samson and his strength returned and he slew thousands of godless Philistines in his final moments.
What kind of woman was Delilah? She used her personal charm to seduce and manipulate a weak man who couldn’t fight his lusts. She schemed and lured him to break faith with his ideals and he was destroyed.
Delilah reminds me of the immoral woman in Proverbs, the woman whose “lips drip honey, and (whose) mouth is smoother than oil; but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death, her steps lay hold of hell” (Prov. 5:3-5 ).
Solomon’s advice is to guard your heart, to “remove your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house” (v8). He refers to the fool who is enticed by her flattering words and impudence who is like an ox to the slaughter, losing his life ignominiously (Prov. 7:21-23).
Solomon’s antidote to the advances of a Delilah on your spirit is to firmly grasp hold of godly wisdom and prudence (Prov. 8), which begins with the “fear of the LORD and the knowledge of the Holy One” (Prov. 9:10).
God understands our weaknesses which is why Jesus became wisdom for us so that we could gain mastery over our lusts and gain life.
It is written: “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption”(I Cor. 1:27-30).
* All quotes are from the NKJV