Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years. A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was childless, unable to give birth. The angel of the Lord appeared to her and said, “You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son. Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean. You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”

The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson. He grew and the Lord blessed him, and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him while he was in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol. (Judges 13:1-5, 24-25)

The above scriptures depict the miraculous birth of Samson, one of the Old Testament judges who was anointed by the Holy Spirit. The scriptures following describe how he lost his anointing.

So he told her everything. “No razor has ever been used on my head,” he said, “because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mother’s womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.” When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, “Come back once more; he has told me everything.” So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. After putting him to sleep on her lap, she called for someone to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him. Then she called, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” He awoke from his sleep and thought, “I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him. Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding grain in the prison. (Judges 16:17-21)

Why did Samson lose the anointing?

1. Personal weakness

Samson was anointed, set apart to be a Nazirite for God. He was not allowed to drink wine, cut his hair or eat fruits or vegetables grown on the vine, nor was he permitted to touch any dead carcass.

The devil will allow you to use your strength, as long as you allow him to exploit your weaknesses. This is precisely what happened to Samson. The devil knows your weaknesses, and when you play with your weakness, slowly but surely, it will get to you. Samson did not give away his secrets immediately, but as the pleasure became deeper and deeper, his strength was sabotaged.

2. He did not take his calling seriously.

He ate the honey from the lions’ carcasses which God had forbid him to do. It is possible for your anointing to feed your ego to a point that you think you can rely on your own strength instead of God.

He did not take self-discipline seriously, thereby revealing his weakness. You will meet your Delilah, and in the heat of temptation, it is easy to slip into the deep sinkhole of sin. The cunning schemes of the enemy can dull your senses until it is too late and give you false confidence in your own abilities. Delilah may not come in the form of a temptation to lust; your temptation may be to pursue power, wealth, or any other delight of the flesh.

Entice and do not be enticed. No man or woman is strong enough to dance with the devil. Do not play around your temptations; flee. Try to imagine Samson’s position. He lost his strength, he lost the woman he loved so much, he lost his sight, and he became a slave. What a sad, painful fall. Do not let the enemy tempt you to misuse your anointing.

How do you get back?

But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.

Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.” Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived. (Judges 16:22, 28-30)

Get your life right with God. Realize that everything is vanity in life except a life lived for God. We have to learn in the Spirit and not revel in the flesh; this will change your perspective. This is what Samson did near the end of his life when he fully realized the purpose of his calling.

Change your life. Change your lifestyle, know your calling, and understand your purpose. It is not an easy journey, but you need to find the true meaning of your life. Read the Bible, and have fellowship with people of God who will help you understand your unique calling and hold you accountable.

Start doing what is right. There is no greater joy than knowing that you are doing what is right. You will have peace when you are on the right track.