Verse of the day: Judges 14:5-6, So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him. 7 And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.
What a wonderful picture of the spiritual battle we see in this encounter between Samson and young roaring lion. The Apostle Peter knew up close and personal that Satan desired to destroy Him. Jesus said this to him in Luke 22:31-32, “And the Lord said, ‘Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.’” Along with the warning, Jesus also comforted Peter in that Jesus Himself had prayed for him. The Apostle later wrote in his Epistle, 1 Peter 5:8-9, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” Samson was on his way to meet the woman he desired to marry, and in doing so was actually serving God. However, notice one thing about this passage. He was called to be a Nazarite, consecrated to God, commanded not to drink wine; yet, Samson chose to flirt with temptation by being in the vineyards of Timnah, surrounded by the fruit from which wine was produced. Just like clockwork, the roaring lion rears his ugly head. So it is with us when we flirt with temptation, thinking that we can overcome, when in fact we often set ourselves up for a fall. 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 reminds us, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” Too often, we play with temptation, stumble, and then blame everything and everyone else, when we were the ones who gave the devils the advantage. Praise to our Lord who provides a way of escape with every temptation. Today, we can have greater confidence than Samson had. Right before he encountered the lion, we read that the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson, as in being clothed, or covered, by the Holy Spirit. By the power of the Holy Spirit, he tore the lion apart. How much more power do we have against our demonic enemies, as born again Christians, because we are not only sealed (covered), but the Holy Spirit also indwells us (2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 1:13-14). We are told in 1 John 4:4, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” Therefore, as Samson overpowered the lion, we too can have victory over Satan, his demons, and their devices, when we draw near to God in Christ and the Spirit. James 4:7-8 promises, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” How do we do this? We do this through prayer, obedience to God’s Word, and continually seeking intimacy with God. We are to put on the spiritual armor God has provided for us in Ephesians 6, and wear it in the power of God’s might (Ephesians 6:10-20). The bottom line is that when we set out to live for, and serve God, the enemies will show up to oppose us and cause us to trip and fall because of our own foolishness. However, in Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, we can escape temptation and have victory over the trickery of the devils.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
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