Samson had a lot of potential.  He was reared in a Godly home, he was given supernatural strength, and he was popular in an era when there was a huge leadership void.  Samson could have led Israel to impressive victories and complete freedom.

But, while he provided some encouragement to his nation by provoking the Philistine enemies to anger, he never realized his full potential.

J. Oswald Saunders in his book, Spiritual Manpower, calls Samson, “The Champion Who Became A Clown.”

Samson could have been an inspirational leader, but he was little more than a flash in the pan.  He would do something spectacular occasionally but he never raised an army, never won a battle, never rallied the people of Israel to do God’s will.

In the end he was exploited and ridiculed by his enemies as a buffoon.

The reason Samson’s life ended in such tragedy can be summed up in one word—PRIDE.  Samson’s ego, more than lust, was the source of his downfall.  Samson thought too highly of himself and “Edged God Out.”

Pride undermined Samson’s leadership in five ways.

1. He was too proud to settle for a Hebrew girlfriend. When he saw a pretty woman in Timnah, he insisted his parents “get her for me as my wife.”  Even though the Scriptures commanded him not to intermarry with women from other nations, Samson considered himself above the rules.

2. He was too proud to listen to the counsel of His parents. When his mother and father tried to persuade him to marry a girl from his own people Samson disregarded their counsel.  “A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke” (Proverbs 13:1).

3. He was too proud to accept humiliation at the hands of the Philistines. When the Philistines solved one of Samson’s riddles by cheating and his father-in-law gave his wife away to another man, Samson vowed to get even.  It never crossed his arrogant mind that maybe his trouble stemmed from his disobedience to God’s will.  He burned with anger and set fire to 300 foxes’ tails and set them blazing through the Philistine fields.  He was motivated more by a desire for revenge than by patriotism.

4. He was too proud to depend on God for his strength.  One evening the Philistine armies surrounded Samson while he slept with a prostitute.  He got up in the middle of the night and ripped the huge city gate off its hinges and dumped it forty miles away.  Samson loved to impress people with his strength but he arrogantly violated God’s moral guidelines and became convinced he was someone special in his own power.

5. He was too proud to see that Delilah was his enemy. When she seduced him and begged him to reveal the secret of his strength, Samson was so arrogant he couldn’t imagine any woman deliberately harming him.  He thought he was invincible and eventually told her the secret of his strength.  If she cut his hair he’d be as weak as a kitten.  She did…he was!

The bowing: Man’s part

First Corinthians 10:11 says the Old Testament accounts are recorded as “warnings for us.”

Samson’s disastrous end warns those who are gifted not to become prideful and self-sufficient because, “A man’s pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor” (Proverbs 29:23).

In the Chapel of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the door is so small that everyone has to stoop down to get in.  Visitors can see where the old, larger door has been blocked up.

It’s said that, during the Middle Ages the knights would come to the chapel seeking the priest’s blessing before riding out on their crusades.  Many would proudly ride right through the door on their horses and expect to receive a blessing without ever dismounting from their horse.  So the priests blocked up the old door and made it so small that no one could come seeking God’s blessing without getting off their horse and bowing when they came into God’s presence.

The lifting: God’s part

Not until the very end when he was blinded, chained, and humiliated by the enemy did Samson humble himself before God.  Then God’s strength was poured out on him in power and he “killed many more when he died than while he lived” (Judges 16:30).

Anyone who desires to utilize God-given talents to the fullest would do well to learn from Samson’s example and make 1 Peter 5:6 a theme verse.  “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”

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Bob Russell retired from his position as the senior minister of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky where he served for 40 years. During his tenure, Southeast grew to become one of the ten largest churches in America. Russell is nationally known and respected for his clear, biblical preaching. He is the author of more than a dozen books, including When God Builds a Church and When God Answers Prayer.

Sermons from Bob Russell’s preaching archives are broadcast every week on the SermonCast Channel.