What You Tolerate Will Take You Down | Judges 16:4-9

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Our text today is Judges 16:4-9:

“After this he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, ‘Seduce him, and see where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to humble him. And we will each give you 1,100 pieces of silver.’ So Delilah said to Samson, ‘Please tell me where your great strength lies, and how you might be bound, that one could subdue you.’ Samson said to her, ‘If they bind me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, then I shall become weak and be like any other man.’ Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she bound him with them. Now she had men lying in ambush in an inner chamber. And she said to him, ‘The Philistines are upon you, Samson!’ But he snapped the bowstrings, as a thread of flax snaps when it touches the fire. So the secret of his strength was not known.” — Judges 16:4-9

Samson fell in love with Delilah. On the outside, it probably looked harmless—even romantic. But underneath, the Philistine rulers were using her to unravel him. Notice their strategy: not an ambush, not an outright attack, but seduction. Quiet. Subtle. Patient.

That’s how sin usually works. Rarely does the enemy come at you with flashing lights and a sword in hand. More often, he whispers through slow compromise, through small concessions that seem harmless—until you realize you’ve been tied up.

And here’s the irony: Samson kept playing along. He knew she was setting him up, but he continued to entertain the idea. He tolerated the danger, thinking he could handle it. That’s exactly how sin works in us. What we entertain today eventually enslaves us tomorrow.

This is still happening now. Just look around. Our culture seduces us with subtle compromises—porn normalized as entertainment, propaganda hidden in schools, news outlets, and governments selling the lie that we can trade truth for comfort and cultural ideologies. Like Israel tolerating Gaza for generations, many believers today tolerate little footholds of sin, thinking they won’t matter. But they do. Small compromises left unchecked lead to devastating collapse.

Sin doesn’t usually take you out all at once. It wears you down until you give away what you never meant to lose.

ASK THIS:

1. Where are you tolerating small compromises in your life right now?
2. Why do you think subtle temptations feel safer than obvious ones?
3. How can you recognize when sin is “wearing you down” before it’s too late?
4. What cultural lies are you tempted to tolerate instead of resisting?

DO THIS:

• Identify: One “small” compromise you’ve been tolerating.
• Confess: Ask God to help you shut the door before it grows.
• Pay attention: Is culture shaping your convictions—or is God’s Word?

PRAY THIS:

Lord, open my eyes to the subtle compromises that wear me down. Give me the courage to resist what seems small, and the wisdom to guard what You’ve set apart in me. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

“Lord, I Need You.”