Is Your Head
In the Lap of the Enemy?

Is Your Head in the Lap of the Enemy?

by Patricia Dailey
Senior Pastor, Bethel Revival Center
43 Norwood St.
Everett, MA 02149

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Samson

see Judges 16
And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah . . . And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee . . . And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.

And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; that he told her all his heart . . . And she made him sleep upon her knees . . . 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.

Is your head in the lap of the enemy?

Samson had his head in the lap of the adversary. This may not seem significant to you right now, but know that it could be you or I who allow our head to be in the lap of the adversary.

Judges 13:1
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.

In the book of Judges, we see where every time the children of Israel sinned, they were put under servitude to their adversaries. And you and I will do the same. If we sin, we will find ourselves in servitude to the devil, the adversary of our soul. If one's head is in the lap of the adversary, the adversary will begin to work on their mind.

Know that a person who is really sold out to God would never allow this to happen. We see this in the life of Joseph.

Joseph was a godly young man. When he was just seventeen, God revealed some things to him through dreams. And, later on in life, those dreams came to pass, just as God had shown him.

The devil will begin to mess up your head, maybe telling you that you're too young to get too serious with God, you're too young to separate yourself from the world, you're too young to separate from your worldly friends.

And many observe his lying vanities! They will not seek God. They will not read and study the Word, just because they believe the lies of the adversary.

If you do what God has called you to do, He is going to see your faithfulness. If He calls you to prayer and separation, calls you to study His Word in preparation — and you do that faithfully — He sees your faithfulness.

And it doesn't have to be down the road a long, long way off.

The devil says: You're too young! You can't preach the Word of God. You're too young! God can't use you.

When is someone too young to do what God calls them to do? Even a child can stand up and preach the Word if God calls them to. A child can pray and have their prayers answered. They can pray for the sick and find the sick being healed.

Since when was there an age limit to be used of God! There is none.

Our daughter, Judy, when she was just a tiny girl, would preach around the house. It was real. Today, she pastors with her husband in Kansas, but way back then the call was developing in her as a child. She preached her first message in church when she was but a young teenager. Yes, young people can preach if God has called them.

If God has called you to be separate unto His call, separate yourself, or your head will wind up in the lap of the enemy. And he will talk you right out of the call of God. He'll not only talk you out of it but will begin to work on you to bring you down, down, down to where he can get you to sin, and then you'll find yourself in bondage.

Now, God had laid His hand upon Samson before he was even born:

see Judges 13
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. 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 . . . and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

God had separated Samson from the womb. He had placed a great anointing upon Samson's life. We don't find anyone else that did the works that Samson did. It was not in his strength nor power and might. It was the Spirit of God moving upon him.

Judges 14:1-3
And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife. Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.

Separation

God had spoken to Israel that they were to be separate from other nations, lest they go whoring after other gods.

And, as God wanted the children of Israel to be separated unto Him, He wants His people today to be separated unto Him. He doesn't want us out mixing with the world, partaking of worldly things, doing what the world does, talking like the world. No, He wants us to be separated unto Him.

II Corinthians 6:17
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing

Isn't that clear? Anyone who reads that should understand that, as children of God, we are not to be mixing in with the world.

This is what happens when we get our head in the lap of the adversary. He convinces us that it's all right for us to interact with the world. But he is a liar and the father of all lies — John 8:44.

I John 2:15,16
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Why would anybody who loves God want those things: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life? If our heart is placed on the world and the things that are in the world, then the love of God is not in us. That's what the Word of God would tell us.

John 14:15
If ye love Me, keep My commandments.

His commandments aren't grievous [I John 5:3]. We ought to thank God that we can come out from the world and separate ourselves unto God. If we do, He spares us of a lot of hardships.

The world is a cruel place. Every day, you hear about the wickedness in this world, the filth and scum, the cruelty. Why would anyone choose to be out there after they have known the Father?

Why? Because they have their head in the lap of the adversary, and the adversary is injecting a love for the world into their mind.

James 1:14
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

There is something within a person who is drawn away unto sin . . . and that something is lust. Their own lust is the reason why they are drawn away from God. And the devil knew that. He was able to tempt them because of the lust within.

The devil knows when we're sincere with God and when we're not sincere. He's out there as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, wanting to bring us into bondage and keep us from serving and loving God.

If we're going to resist temptation, there's got to be a purposing in our heart and a genuine dedication to God.

I Peter 2:21,22
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth

Notice who our example is, whose steps we should be following! He was tempted in all points such as we are, yet without sin [Hebrews 4:15]. Neither was guile found in His mouth.

If you're dishonest, covering up the truth with a story, you're not following His steps. May the Lord open your eyes to see from His Word the need to get down to business.

Joseph

We saw Samson in the lap of Delilah. But let's look at Joseph's life. Here was a young man with a great love for God.

We know the story how Joseph's brothers sold him, how he was brought down to Egypt where he was sold to Potiphar.

Genesis 39:2-4
And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.

The Lord was with Joseph. He didn't forsake him there in Potiphar's house.

Joseph went through some things. He didn't have an experience of rose petals. He had to go through some hard things in his life. It must have been scary when his brothers threw him down into the pit: Will I ever get out of this pit? What if I die down here?

Wouldn't you have asked some questions if that were you down there?

When the trials seemed so great and severe, and there was no let up, how many times have you asked, Will I ever get out of this? When will I ever get out of this trial? It would only be human to wonder at times.

But God was with Joseph, and he found favor in Potiphar's house. When we look at Joseph, we see a faithful young man who had an excellent testimony and a great love for God. It was something for such a young man to have a testimony like Joseph did.

Genesis 39:7-10
And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; there is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

I want you to know that Joseph was not an old man. You young men, know that Joseph was about 17 when things started to spin around in his life. Just because you're young doesn't mean you can't let your light shine. Everything about you should reflect Jesus Christ.

How can I do this thing, and sin against God?

Potiphar's wife had approached Joseph, and said, Lie with me! There is nothing new under the sun. You know, the young girls of this day and hour are so bold. They speak right up and ask a man to come to bed with them! The old carnal human nature has not changed.

But thank God when we have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and put away the things of the flesh, we are no longer of that old carnal nature.

That old carnal nature should be dead in everyone who professes to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. They should now be a new creature in Him.

II Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

The new things are the spiritual things. Those are the things which will cause us to have life everlasting.

Now, Potiphar's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and said, Lie with me. And look at what it says in the next verse: But he refused!

I wonder how many people today would refuse such a temptation as this!

Why do you think these examples are in the Word of God? Why does God warn us about these types of things? Why does He speak to us about mortifying the flesh and about putting the things of the flesh away?

He has called us unto holiness and purity — separated from sin and uncleanness — and these examples show us those who resisted temptation and those who didn't.

There are many who say they are saved yet commit fornication. They have their head in the lap of the devil, and the devil entices them to yield to the lust of the flesh. That lust is in them, and that's why the devil was able to go to work and entice them. If that lust has not been mortified — if it is within — they will go after it.

Do you know many young men today who would take a stand like young Joseph took?

You young people, know that you can be pure! You can sell yourself out to God. You can give yourself completely over to Him.

And, if you have bondages in your life, realize that you can get the help you need. If you surrender to the Lord, He will come and break the bondages and help you to stand for Him. His grace is sufficient for you.

It is often thought that this happened just once with Joseph. But the Scripture tells us that Potiphar's wife was after him day after day:

Genesis 39:9,10
There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.

Joseph knew it would be sinning against God if he yielded to this temptation.

Don't you know that when you do such things as this, it's a great wickedness and that you are sinning against God? Don't you know that? Well, you know it now! Open your eyes and read what the Scripture says. It's not what I am saying but what God said in His Word in verse 9: How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?

Now, she spoke to Joseph day by day to do this great sin. Day by day . . . day by day! And that it is what the devil does when you have your head in his lap. Day by day he's there to cause you to sin. Day by day! What a woman! Any of you men want a wife like that?

But Joseph hearkened not unto her, to lie with her or to be with her. He didn't have a lust problem. He didn't let passions get out of control. Don't tell me you can't control yourself.

You won't if you don't serve God. Your passions will run away with you. They'll get you in trouble. With your head in the lap of the devil, this will happen. The devil is sly. He'll place things right before your eyes to tempt you to sin.

You might see someone almost totally nude or some other thing which might cause your passions to rise.

Many times, it's not a person that he puts before you. It might be just because you were in the store and began to look at the magazines, with all their nudity, at the checkout. You look . . . and feast.

Listen, that only stirs lust up all the more, causing one to burn within themselves to where they can't contain themselves. And many who look in these types of magazines, or go to a movie that is filled with lust, will then go out and find someone to rape. It's dangerous to allow yourself to feast on such things.

You can't expect God to bless you and keep you when you're doing these types of things! That is wickedness and sin against God.

Let's not be naive.

Notice that Potiphar's wife didn't let up. What a bold woman she was! What a wicked person, what a lustful woman.

But keep in mind that Joseph hearkened not! No matter how much she tried, he refused. He would not lie with her or even be with her.

The Scripture tells us to avoid those types of things. Don't just hang around.

You might think this ought not to be preached about. Then why does God have it in His Word? Because He wants us to do right, and He gives us examples to show us it can be done.

Here is Joseph, faithful to God. He loved God, and wasn't about to sin against Him.

How many young people would just walk away, paying no mind to such advances?

Genesis 39:11,12
And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.

Joseph wasn't going to wait for his garment! Better to leave the garment behind than to sin against God.

Potiphar didn't know his wife too well, did he? He was probably too busy in his own little world, paying no mind to his wife. Maybe he wasn't caring for his wife like he needed to be doing. Those of us who are married have some responsibility to our mate. If not, we could run into a situation just like this! Pay attention: Do your duty to your mate!

Back to Samson

Now, let's go back and look at Samson again. His head was in the lap of Delilah. Every day, she tried to find out where his great strength lay.

Finally, Samson broke down and told her all — a man with a supernatural strength. The Spirit of God would come upon him and anoint him with this great strength. Samson was a man whom the Spirit of God used, but Samson had a problem: He had a weakness for women.

Some think they can just play around, doing sinful and wicked things, and everything is all right between them and God. They convince others that they're doing well, when all the time they're sinning. They give people the snow job, deceitful, pulling a fast one!

How easy it is for young people to give their parents a snow job: My child would never do anything like that! Your child is human. If they're not serving God wholeheartedly, they'll do these types of things as much as anyone else would.

Why? Because they have their head in the lap of the enemy.

They may be able to deceive you. They may be able to deceive others. But they cannot deceive God.

Realize, now, that it isn't just young people who allow themselves to place their heads in the lap of the enemy. And it isn't just the unmarried who find themselves in these types of situations. This is why married couples need to keep their love fresh. If they don't, that gives an opportunity for Satan to work. If you're unloving towards your mate, someone may come along and show them a little attention, and you could very well lose them.

What was Samson's head doing in Delilah's lap? She was able to get Samson to reveal where his great strength lay — all because he had his head in her lap. As he lay there, she had his hair cut off, and then cried out, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson.

Samson got up, thinking he could shake himself as at other times, but he found out that the Spirit of God had departed from him! And his great strength was gone.