Judges 16;18

Judges 16:18 says, And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.  When Dalilah realized that Samson had told her the truth, she again sent for the Philistines.  They may have been becoming wary of her being able to really tell them the source of Samson’s strength, but she was still trying.  The world will never give up on attempting to discredit or even kill those who follow God, but as long as people remain faithful to God, they will never be successful from an everlasting perspective.  Verse nineteen adds, And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.  While Samson was asleep, Delilah had a men cut off the seven braids of his hair, which is what he told her would rob him of his strength.  She wasn't taking chances on just braiding it, but had it cut off as well.  We are told Samson’s strength went out of him, but it wasn't because of the physical act of cutting his hair, but because of his breaking his vow to God, even if it was unintentional.  If we begin to play games with our faith, as Samson seemed to have been doing, this may lead us, even if unintentionally to breaking our promise to be faithful to God.  Verse twenty states, 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.  Once again Delilah woke Samson and said the Philistines are at the door.  Once again he said he would shake himself and deal with them as before.  Then, we are told that he did not realize that the Spirit of the LORD had left him.  Samson had begun to rely on his own strength instead of relying on God, and he had lost his reliance on God.  We as followers of Christ may gradually slip away from relying on God and begin to simply believe that we can do things by our own power, but this will only lead to defeat when trials come.  Verse twenty-one adds, 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.  The Philistines took Samson, blinded him, bound him, and put him to work grinding in the prison.  We may find ourselves bound by the things of this world if we become blinded to the light of Jesus Christ, and if we do, life can become nothing more than drudgery.  Verse twenty-two continues, Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.  The Philistines ignored the fact that Samson’s hair was growing out again,  evidently believing that once he as defeated that he was defeated forever.  Still, it really wasn't his hair that controlled Samson’s strength, but the presence of the Holy Spirit in his life.  The world may at times defeat us if we put our faith in anything but God, but as Christians, the Holy Spirit always awaits to restore us if we put our faith in God once more.