God’s Strength In Our Struggle

Judges 13:1–5 KJV 1900

1 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years. 2 And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not. 3 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son. 4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: 5 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no rasor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

Judges 16:20–31 KJV 1900

20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him. 21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house. 22 Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven. 23 Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand. 24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us. 25 And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars. 26 And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them. 27 Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport. 28 And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. 29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. 30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life. 31 Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.

Main Idea: God’s strength is present at every stage of our struggles, beginning with His promises before the battle ever begins. Even when failure, sin, or suffering weaken us, His mercy invites us back through genuine repentance and dependent prayer. God restores and empowers His children so that His greatest victories can rise out of our deepest defeats.

Introduction

There is a story told of a young man who loved lifting weights with his father. Every Saturday morning they would head to the old community gym, chalk their hands, load the bar, and train together. The father taught him how to grip the bar, how to breathe through the lift, and how to stay steady when the weight grew heavy. One afternoon, feeling confident and energetic, the young man added more plates than usual. At first the bar rose smoothly, but halfway through the lift his arms began to shake. The weight slipped, his strength faded, and the bar came crashing toward his chest.

His father rushed behind him, grabbed the bar with steady hands, and lifted it off with ease. Then he knelt beside his son and said, “Son, everything will be all right. When the weight gets too heavy, call for your spotter. I will help you lift what you cannot lift alone.” The son watched in amazement as his father reloaded the bar, supported his grip, corrected his stance, and guided him through the very lift that had once crushed him. What had overwhelmed him in a moment was overcome through the strength, patience, and steady hands of a father who refused to let him be defeated.

Beloved, that is the story of our God.

We bring Him the weight; He brings us His willingness.

We bring Him our struggle; He brings us His strength.

We bring Him our weakness; He brings us His overcoming power.

Samson’s story is the story of a God who refuses to abandon His children even when they collapse under the weight of their own decisions.

In Judges 13 we meet Samson in a cradle of promise. A barren mother receives a divine visitation, while a declining nation receives a divine announcement. God steps into Israel’s suffering and says, “I am not finished with you.” But in Judges 16 we meet Samson under the crushing weight of failure. The champion who once tore lions apart with his bare hands now labors like a slave in a Philistine prison. The man who once carried the gates of Gaza now stumbles in blindness. The warrior who once stood tall now bends beneath the weight of consequence.

Yet between the promise and the pain stands the God of power. The God who begins with promise does not abandon us in pain. The God who calls us by grace does not cast us away in guilt. The God who declares our purpose does not deny us His presence. Samson’s beginning was marked by divine promise and his ending was marked by divine power. Even in his failure, God was preparing his future. Even in his collapse, God was setting the stage for his comeback.

Someone listening today may feel like Samson. Life has loaded you with weight. The burdens have weakened your arms. The pressures have shaken your confidence. Decisions have crushed your strength. But the God who shaped Samson in chapter 13 is the same God who restored him in chapter 16. And He is the same God who stands ready to lift the weight off you today. You may be down, but you are not done. You may be weary, but you are not worthless. You may be overwhelmed, but you are still in the hands of a Father who stands behind you.

Say this with me church: God’s strength still works in my struggle.

When my strength ends, God’s strength begins.

I. God’s Promise in Our Struggles (Judges 13:1–5)

A. A Sovereign Purpose (Judges 13:1-3)

Judges 13:1–3 KJV 1900

1 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years. 2 And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not. 3 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.

i. Purpose during their apostasy: When we open Judges 13, the familiar refrain returns like a warning bell: “And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord.” The cycle of sin continues. The people drift again into rebellion. The covenant community forgets again the God who brought them out. (Judges 2:11, 3:7, 3:12, 4:1, 6:1, 10:6, 13:1)

ii. Purpose despite barrenness: Yet the text does something remarkable. Before Israel repents, before Israel cries out, before Israel seeks restoration, God moves. The Angel of the Lord steps into history with a word of promise for a barren woman and a broken nation. This divine initiative reminds us that God’s sovereignty overrules human failure. He does not wait for Israel to get better. He does not wait for Israel to deserve mercy. He does not wait for Israel to fix themselves. God intervenes because God is faithful to His covenant and committed to His purpose. This is the story of sovereign grace. Samson was not Israel’s idea; Samson was God’s answer. Before Samson could lift a finger, God had already lifted a promise.

The sovereignty of God means that heaven always moves first. God orchestrates deliverance before Israel even understands their danger. He sees the oppression, hears the silence, and enters the suffering with a word that alters the future. When God speaks purpose over your life, no failure can cancel it, no enemy can overturn it, and no struggle can suffocate it. Just like Samson, you are not an accident of time but an assignment of God.

Jeremiah 1:5 KJV 1900

5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Scripture References: Genesis 50:20; Jeremiah 1:5; Romans 8:28; Isaiah 46:9–10; Psalm 139:16.

B. A Sacred Preparation (Judges 13:4-5)

Judges 13:4–5 KJV 1900

4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: 5 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no rasor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

i. Prepared by Consecration (Judges 13:4-5a) - The Angel of the Lord not only announces a child; He announces a consecration. Samson would be a Nazarite unto God from the womb (Numbers 6:1-8). In a world filled with compromise, God sets Samson apart through a vow of holiness. The Nazarite vow was not primarily about hair or diet; it was about identity. It was a visible demonstration that Samson belonged to God. Before Samson ever lifted a weapon against the Philistines, God lifted a standard over his life. Long before Samson stood in public strength, he was shaped in private consecration.

The Nazarite vow marked Samson’s life with dependence on God, devotion to God, and distinction for God. This sacred preparation teaches believers today that if God has called you, He has also consecrated you. There are things He keeps you from so He can prepare you for what He has called you to. The struggle you are in right now may be part of your sacred preparation.

ii. Preparation before confirmation (Judges 13:5b) - “and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” - This is a theological truth that resonates through all of Scripture: God prepares His servants before He presents His servants. Consecration always precedes commission. Before Moses confronted Pharaoh, he encountered God at a burning bush. Before David defeated Goliath, he learned faithfulness tending sheep. Before Before Paul shook the nations, he spent years in Arabia being reshaped by the Word. And before Samson stood against Philistine oppression, he grew up under the weight of a divine vow. God uses preparation to protect purpose.

Illustration

A seed planted deep beneath the soil undergoes a silent preparation. No one sees the roots digging downward. No one sees the seed breaking open. No one sees the nutrients being absorbed. But beneath the surface, God is strengthening what will one day stand tall. Samson’s story begins in the soil of promise and preparation. And so does yours. Even in the hidden places of your life, God is preparing you for the purpose He designed.

Scripture References: Numbers 6:1–8; 1 Peter 1:15–16; Romans 12:1–2; Joshua 3:5; 2 Corinthians 6:17.

Outline of Samson’s Life (Judges 13:5–16:19)

1. Samson’s Divine Calling and Early Life (Judges 13:5–25)

Samson is consecrated as a Nazarite from the womb, set apart to begin delivering Israel from the Philistines.

The Spirit of the Lord begins to move upon him in the region of Dan.

His calling emphasizes God's sovereignty even before Samson’s personal choices are revealed.

2. Samson’s Desire for a Philistine Woman (Judges 14:1–4)

Samson travels to Timnah and desires a Philistine woman for marriage.

His parents object, but God intends to use Samson’s choices to provoke conflict with the Philistines.

This begins Samson’s pattern of following personal impulses rather than divine instruction.

3. Samson Kills a Lion and Later Finds Honey in Its Carcass (Judges 14:5–9)

Empowered by the Spirit, Samson kills a roaring lion with his bare hands.

Later, he retrieves honey from the carcass, violating his Nazarite consecration.

This action foreshadows Samson’s casual disregard for sacred boundaries.

4. Samson’s Wedding Feast and the Riddle Incident (Judges 14:10–20)

Samson proposes a riddle to the Philistines during the wedding feast.

His bride is pressured into revealing the answer.

In anger, Samson kills thirty men of Ashkelon and abandons his wife, escalating hostilities.

5. Samson Destroys the Philistines’ Fields (Judges 15:1–8)

Samson discovers his wife has been given to another man.

He ties 300 foxes together with firebrands and burns Philistine crops.

The Philistines retaliate; Samson strikes them “hip and thigh,” further deepening the conflict.

6. Samson Defeats 1,000 Philistines with a Jawbone (Judges 15:9–17)

The men of Judah surrender Samson to the Philistines to avoid conflict.

The Spirit of the Lord empowers Samson, and he kills 1,000 Philistines with a donkey’s jawbone.

He renames the place Ramath-lehi, marking God’s deliverance.

7. Samson’s Prayer and God’s Provision of Water (Judges 15:18–20)

Exhausted after battle, Samson cries out to God.

God miraculously provides water from a hollow place in Lehi.

Samson judges Israel for 20 years during Philistine oppression.

8. Samson at Gaza and the City Gate Incident (Judges 16:1–3)

Samson visits a prostitute in Gaza, and the Philistines plan an ambush.

He tears the gates from the city wall and carries them to a hill outside Hebron.

This miraculous feat shows that God’s strength is still active through him.

9. Samson and Delilah (Judges 16:4–19)

Samson falls in love with Delilah in the Valley of Sorek.

Betty Wright would say she’s “The Clean Up Woman.” The Commodores would say, “She’s a brick house.” Johnny Gill would say, “My, my,my, you sure look good tonight.” And Cardi B would say, “Somebody better get her cause she’s out here looking fine….ooh ooh”

Philistine lords offer her payment to uncover the source of his strength.

After three deceptive attempts, he tells her the truth: his strength is tied to his Nazarite vow.

Delilah shaves his head while he sleeps, and Samson’s strength departs from him.

Samson awakes unaware that the Lord has left him, setting the stage for his final downfall.

II. Grueling Pain in Our Struggles (Judges 16:20–22)

A. Crushing Consequences (Judges 16:20-21)

Judges 16:20–21 KJV 1900

20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him. 21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

i. Physically Awake, but Spiritually Asleep (Judges 16:20): When Samson awakens from Delilah’s lap, the text says he thought, “I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself.” This is one of the most tragic statements in the book of Judges because it reveals Samson’s spiritual presumption. He assumes that the power of God is still available while living outside the will of God. Samson treated the anointing as if it were an achievement rather than a gift. He believed strength was something he could summon, not something God supplied. But the text says, “He knew not that the Lord was departed from him.” There is no pain like the pain of realizing that your disobedience has distanced you from the presence of God.

ii. Painful Consequences (Judges 16:21): Samson is now balded, blinded, bound, and burdened. A undisciplined life will lead to a desperate end.

Samson’s fall teaches that sin always has consequences. The Philistines seize him. They gouge out his eyes, bind him in brass fetters, and force him to grind grain in the prison house. His eyes remind us of his lust. His chains remind us of his rebellion. His labor reminds us that sin enslaves the soul. Samson’s physical blindness reflects his spiritual blindness. The man who refused to see God’s purpose now cannot see anything at all. Yet even in this moment, God's faithfulness is quietly present. God allows consequences to teach us what comfort never could. God uses captivity to correct what compromise corrupted. And yet, even these consequences cannot cancel the covenant God has with His people.

Scripture References: Galatians 6:7; Proverbs 14:12; Numbers 32:23; James 1:14–15; Judges 2:11–15.

B. Concealed Grace (Judges 16:22)

Judges 16:22 KJV 1900

22 Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.

Judges 16:22 is a whisper of hope in a chapter of heartbreak. “Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again.” Samson’s hair was never the source of his strength; God was. But his hair was a symbol of his vow, his calling, and his identity as God’s chosen instrument. So when the text says his hair began to grow, it signals that God’s grace was already at work while Samson was still in chains. Grace grows quietly. Grace begins gradually. Grace moves gently. God was restoring Samson long before Samson prayed for restoration.

Samson is grinding grain in humiliation, but grace is growing in anticipation. He is suffering, but grace is strengthening. He is bound, but grace is breathing. The Philistines could cut his hair, but they could not cut his covenant. Sin can interrupt your fellowship with God, but it cannot erase the favor of God. God specializes in meeting His children in dark places. Even when consequences remain, mercy is at work beneath the surface. Samson’s recovery begins not on the battlefield but in the prison house. God’s grace shines brightest in the shadows of our greatest failures.

Scripture References: Lamentations 3:22–23; Psalm 103:8–12; Isaiah 55:7; Micah 7:18–19; Romans 5:20.

Illustration for Point II

A potter does not discard clay when it collapses on the wheel. Instead, he reshapes it, re-centers it, and works it again. The collapse is painful, but the potter’s hands are still present. Samson collapsed, but God never removed His hands. And just like that clay, your collapse does not disqualify you from God’s purpose. His hands are still on your life, shaping you even through the grueling pain of your struggle.

III. Genuine Prayers During Our Struggles (Judges 16:28–29)

A. A Desperate Cry (Judges 16:28)

Judges 16:28 KJV 1900

28 And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.

i. Painful Plea (Judges 16:28a) - Samson’s prayer in Judges 16:28 is the second recorded prayer of his life. That fact alone is theologically sobering. A man who had judged Israel for twenty years had never prayed with this level of honesty. He prayed after he lost his eyes. He prayed after he lost his freedom. He prayed after he lost his strength. He prayed after he lost his dignity. He prayed after he lost what pride prevented him from surrendering. Sometimes God will allow life to press us until prayer finally pours out of us.

Samson’s cry is not polished. It is not poetic. It is not professionally structured. It is the cry of a man who knows he has failed God and yet still believes that God is merciful. Samson does not bargain. He does not excuse. He does not justify. He simply calls on the covenant name of God: “O Lord God, remember me.” Remember me. The Hebrew word used here means “to call back to mind with affection.” It is the same word used when God remembered Noah in the ark. When God remembered Rachel in her barrenness. When God remembered Israel in Egypt. When God remembers, God responds.

Samson’s cry becomes a picture of true repentance. Repentance does not begin with eloquence. It begins with honesty. Repentance is the return of the heart before the return of the circumstances. Samson teaches us that prayer is not about perfection of speech but the posture of the soul. When you cry out to God with sincerity, heaven bends down with mercy.

Psalm 51:17 KJV 1900

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Scripture References: Psalm 34:17; Psalm 51:17; Jeremiah 33:3; Luke 18:13; Hebrews 4:16.

B. A Dependent Confidence (Judges 16:29)

Judges 16:29 KJV 1900

29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.

Samson’s entire life had been marked by self-reliance. He relied on his strength. He relied on his gifting. He relied on his reputation. He relied on his physical power. But in this moment, Samson abandons self-reliance for God-reliance. He says, “Strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once.” This is not the voice of arrogance; it is the voice of dependence. Samson no longer assumes he deserves strength; he asks for it as a gift of grace.

True prayer humbles the heart and honors the God who hears. Samson recognizes that one act of God’s power is worth more than a lifetime of human effort. Prayer shifts us from the throne of self to the throne of God. It reminds us that God is the source of all spiritual power. Samson’s prayer acknowledges that he can do nothing without God’s enabling. In his prayer we see a man who finally understands that the strength he lost was never his strength. It was always God’s strength.

This is where many believers struggle. We want God’s blessing without God’s boundaries. We want God’s power without God’s presence. We want God’s strength without God’s surrender. But prayer teaches us to lean on God and not on ourselves. Samson’s prayer proves that God can do more with a surrendered heart than He can with an unsurrendered hero.

Scripture References: John 15:5; Philippians 4:6–7; 1 Samuel 7:8–9; Psalm 18:1–6; Ephesians 6:18.

Illustration for Point III

A drowning man cannot save himself, but he can cry for help. It is the cry that draws the rescuer near. Samson’s prayer was the cry of a drowning soul, a sinking man, a collapsing life. And God, rich in mercy, heard him. The lifeguard of heaven always hears the cries of His children, no matter how far they have fallen or how deep they have sunk.

IV. Glorious Power to Overcome Our Struggles (Judges 16:30–31)

A. Restored Strength (Judges 16:30)

Judges 16:30 KJV 1900

30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.

Samson’s final moment is one of the most profound demonstrations of divine restoration in all of Scripture. Though blinded, bound, and broken, the God who called him in Judges 13 is still the God who empowers him in Judges 16. Restoration in the kingdom of God is never the result of human effort but the overflow of divine mercy. God does not restore Samson because Samson deserves it; God restores Samson because God is gracious. The Philistines believed Samson’s strength was gone forever, but they misunderstood the nature of his power. Samson’s strength was never in his hair; it was in his God. His hair was a symbol, but God was the source.

When God restores, He does not merely return you to where you were; He empowers you to fulfill what He designed. Samson prayed, and God answered. Samson leaned, and God strengthened. Samson pushed, and God prevailed. The text says Samson killed more in his death than he did in his life. This does not glorify Samson’s destruction but God’s redemption. It means that God can take your worst chapter and turn it into your greatest testimony. God can take the ashes of a collapsed life and breathe resurrection into them. Samson’s final act reminds every believer that failure does not have to be your finish. God can restore strength you thought you lost, courage you thought had faded, passion you thought had died, and purpose you thought had been forfeited.

Scripture References: Joel 2:25; Isaiah 40:29–31; Psalm 147:3; Ephesians 3:20; 2 Corinthians 12:9.

B. Redemptive Victory (Judges 16:31)

Judges 16:31 KJV 1900

31 Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burying place of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.

Samson’s death is not a defeat but a divine deliverance. The Philistines gathered to celebrate what they believed was the victory of their god Dagon over the God of Israel. They mocked Samson, humiliated Israel, and blasphemed the Lord. But God will never allow His name to be mocked without setting the record straight. Samson’s final push was not just a physical act; it was a theological declaration. It announced to Israel and to the watching world that God alone is sovereign, God alone is powerful, and God alone brings deliverance.

Samson’s victory was redemptive because God used what the enemy meant for humiliation and turned it into holy vindication. The pillars fell, the temple collapsed, the Philistine lords died, and God’s justice prevailed. In that moment, God demonstrated that no enemy is too strong, no circumstance is too overwhelming, no failure is too deep, and no situation is too far gone for Him to redeem. Samson’s story ends not in disgrace but in divine glory. This reminds us that God writes the last chapter of every believer’s life. Not the enemy. Not failure. Not sin. Not shame. God.

Scripture References: Romans 8:37; 1 Corinthians 15:54–57; Exodus 14:13–14; Psalm 20:6; Revelation 12:11.

Illustration for Point IV

A broken crayon still colors. The wrapper may be torn. The edges may be uneven. The shape may be distorted. But the color is still inside. And when placed in the hand of someone who knows how to use it, that broken crayon can still create beauty. Samson was a broken man, but in the hands of a faithful God, he still colored victory across Israel’s story. And church, you may feel like that crayon today. Torn. Worn. Scarred. But God can still draw something beautiful with your life.

Conclusion

Samson’s story is not merely the tale of a man who fell. It is the testimony of a God who restores. It is the record of a God who refuses to abandon what He has anointed. It is the reminder that even when we lose our way, God never loses His grip. Samson’s life shows us that God does His greatest work in the moments when we feel our weakest. God does His strongest work in the seasons when we feel our lowest. God does His most redemptive work when we come to Him with nothing but surrender.

Samson lost his sight, but God never lost His servant. Samson lost his strength, but God never lost His sovereignty. Samson lost his position, but God never lost His plan. Samson lost his dignity, but God never lost His destiny. And the same God who stood by Samson in the prison house stands by you in the pressure you are facing today.

Samson pushed those pillars with everything he had left, but it was God who shook the foundation. Samson leaned on those columns with trembling hands, but it was God who toppled the enemy. Samson bowed his head in humility, but it was God who lifted His glory in victory. Samson died with his hands stretched out between two pillars, but it was God who stretched His power across an entire nation.

And church, that is the good news today. Because when you reach the end of your strength, God releases the beginning of His. When you come to the end of your ability, God unveils the abundance of His. When you fall to the lowest place, God raises you to see the highest purpose. When your hands tremble in weakness, His hands triumph in power.

Is there anybody here who can testify that God has held you when life tried to drop you. Is there anybody who can say that God kept you when trouble tried to break you. Is there anybody who knows that God restored you when mistakes tried to erase you. Samson may have pushed the pillars, but God pushed back the enemy. Samson may have died in the temple, but God lifted His people from oppression. Samson may have finished in weakness, but God finished in victory.

So lift up your head, child of God. The struggle is not your end. The pain is not your prison. The failure is not your funeral. God still has strength for you. God still has power for you. God still has purpose for you. And if you bring Him your brokenness, He will bring you His breakthrough.

Say it with me church: His strength is my strength. His power is my power. His victory is my victory.

To God be the glory for the strength He gives in every struggle. Amen.

Closing Hymn

“I need Thee, O I need Thee; every hour I need Thee. O bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee.”