Should We Watch Out for the Delilah Spirit?

How many people do you know who believe in a Delilah Spirit? It sounds like the name of a horror movie in which the ghost of a woman named Delilah wreaks havoc. However, some denominations believe there is a real spiritual manifestation of Delilah’s behavior mentioned in the Bible that can affect people today. So, what’s the truth?

Do We See the Delilah Spirit in the Bible?

When researching this article, I had never heard of a Delilah Spirit.

In fact, nowhere in the story of Delilah do we see a “Delilah Spirit” or any mention of the spiritual world.

Lori Roeleveld wrote, “The term ‘Delilah spirit’ is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, but some Christians use it metaphorically to refer to the seductive or deceptive influences that can lead individuals away from their spiritual commitments or God's purpose. It is often used to caution against relationships or behaviors that may compromise one's faith or commitment to God.”

While we don’t see a Delilah spirit in the Bible, we see enough details to know that she was dangerous. Her story is found in Judges 16, which finishes with the story of Samson, a man “set apart to God from birth.” The Christianity.com editorial staff article on Samson and Delilah’s Bible story reports that “Samson's life took place during the period of the Judges, a time before the establishment of the monarchy in ancient Israel, roughly between 1200 and 1020 BCE.”

Since we are familiar with the name Delilah from the Bible, it makes sense to study her story first and see the connection.

What Happened to Samson Before He Met Delilah?

Samson’s birth was announced to the barren wife of a man named Manoah, a Danite. His mother was told Samson “will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines” (Judges 13:5). Upon Manoah’s request, the angel returned to instruct how to raise this child. He was to be a Nazirite of God, meaning that he couldn’t drink fermented beverages, no razor could be used on his head, couldn’t touch a rotting carcass, and other restrictions found in Numbers 6.

However, Samson was not good at being “set apart.” In Judges 14, he saw a young Philistine woman who captured his attention and told his parents to get her as his wife. Being Jewish, his parents did not want him to marry a Philistine—especially since the Philistines were oppressing Israel at the time. But Samson insisted. In an interesting aside, we read that his parents “did not know that this was from the Lord, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines” (Judges 14:4). On the way to meet this woman, Samson had an encounter with a lion, which he killed with his bare hands. Later, when Samson went to marry the woman, he saw the lion carcass, which some bees had repurposed into a hive. He took some honey to eat and share with his parents. He created a riddle from this experience, and the bride’s family tried to get his answer during the seven-day wedding feast. When the bride told her family the answer, Samson was furious, killed 30 of their men, and gave the bride back to her family.

When he decided to return for the girl, the family had given her to someone else. Samson’s anger burned against the Philistines, so he used 300 foxes to carry fiery torches and burn grain, vineyards, and olive groves. The Philistines took revenge by killing Samson’s former bride and father and tried to take Samson captive, but “the Spirit of the Lord came upon him in power. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax . . . Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men.” (Judges 15:14-15). Much like when he took the honey from the lion carcass, it’s hard to tell whether Samson touching a dead animal’s remains broke his Nazirite vow. Even if it wasn’t technically a violation (touching bones as opposed to a rotting carcass), it suggests that Samson was struggling to live up to God’s standards from the start.

Enter Delilah (on the heels of Samson having sex with a prostitute in Gaza).

What Happened When Samson Met Delilah?

Samson fell in love with Delilah from the Valley of Sorek. According to the Jewish Virtual Library, Sorek was on the border of Philistia and the area of the Tribe of Dan.

Hope Bolinger observes that Delilah was one of several Philistine women that Samson got involved with and “was likely not his wife, but a harlot, as we see Samson engaging with women outside of marriage in an intimate manner.” We don’t know for sure if Delilah worked as a prostitute or, if so, how she entered that profession (money, lack of other opportunities, etc.). However, the relationship has bigger consequences for Samson than any previous one.

The Philistines knew of her relationship with Samson and promised her thousands of shekels of silver if she found out his strength’s secret. Samson told her if he was tied up a certain way, he would not be able to break out of the ropes. When Delilah tied him, he broke through easily. He tricked Delilah on several other occasions until he finally gave in.

“‘No razor has ever been used on my head,’ he said, ‘because I have been a Nazirite set apart to God since birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.’” (Judges 16:17).

Delilah sent word to the Philistines, and they brought her the silver. Somehow, Delilah had put Samson to sleep in her lap. Some scholars have speculated whether he had a fermented beverage, which would violate his Nazirite vow. Whatever happened, the text emphasizes that the key thing is what happened to his hair: a man came to shave his braids, and Samson’s strength left him because “the Lord had left him” (Judges 16:20).

The Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes, bound him, and threw him in prison, where his hair began to grow back. The Philistines then threw a victory party where Samson was displayed between two pillars. He begged God to give him strength one last time. God granted it, and Samson knocked down the pillars and killed everyone in the building.

Bible movies like Samson and Delilah often depict her dying in the building as it collapses around Samson. But was Delilah killed in the process? We don’t know for sure. The Bible says there were men and women inside and on the roof, so perhaps she also went to her grave that day.

What Characteristics Do People Associate with the Delilah Spirit?

From this one chapter about her relationship with Samson, Delilah has developed a larger-than-life reputation. That reputation has led many people to associate certain traits with Delilah, which they also associate with the Delilah Spirit.

So, what characteristics does Delilah have in this story?

First of all, she appears to be seductive. We learn from the start that Samson fell in love with Delilah, and it’s more likely that she seduced him than vice versa. Given his reputation, Samson could probably have whoever he wanted. The text doesn’t say she loved him back, and her later actions suggest she didn’t. But Samson lived with an intensity (many women, many heroic actions) that we can imagine he would do anything for the woman he loved.

Second, she appears to be deceptive. We don’t know how much of her deception was based on malice or pressure from the Philistines. Either way, she uses romance to get information from Samson and doesn’t stop asking about his source of strength until she reaches her goal.

Third, she appears to be greedy. It’s hard to tell whether the Philistines offer her thousands of pieces of silver to tempt her to do the job or are pressuring her and adding money so she feels obligated to do the job and stay quiet afterward. Regardless, the story has developed a larger reputation where she appears greedy, willing to betray Samson for enough money.

Fourth, she wasn’t an Israelite, and there’s no indication in the text that she followed God herself. She represents everything that God told the Israelites throughout the Bible to avoid—romantic partners from outside Israel who would lead them astray.

All these factors have made Delilah a legendary figure representing how greed, deception, and sexual allure can lead people away from God. For many Christians, anytime a problem arises involving those factors, they worry that the Delilah Spirit is involved.

But where does the idea that there’s a Delilah Spirit come from?

Do We Know Who Invented the Term Delilah Spirit?

It’s not clear who first coined the term “Delilah Spirit.” However, charismatic denominations use the term frequently, along with words like “Jezebel Spirit” for spirits with other particular traits (deception, seduction, etc.). One scholar, Hans J.M. van Deventer, described the Jezebel Spirit as a recent development when he wrote a research paper about the concept in 2009, so we can assume the Delilah Spirit is a fairly recent phenomenon.

The Bible may hint that some evil spirits have specialized roles, like the “spirit of infirmity” in Luke 13. Therefore, there might be spirits that specialize in encouraging seduction or deception.

However, even if we take that view, there’s a difference between talking about spirits with specific roles and giving spirits specialized names that don’t appear in the Bible.

We also have to consider the fact that discussions about the Delilah Spirits often assume that demonic influence is behind most bad things that happen in the world. There is a range of debate about spiritual warfare, with many scholars arguing that bad things are caused by a mix of things that may not be explicitly demonic.

Are There Other Ways to Describe Someone Who Is Like a Bible Character?

Though I don’t believe in a Delilah Spirit, I think it’s worth considering whether we are behaving too much like people the Bible warns us not to imitate.

We should probably avoid phrases like “He has the spirit of Jacob” or “She has the spirit of Jezebel” to avoid confusion. We can consider whether people we know have problems like Jacob (blessed but experiencing trouble) or Jezebel (selfish behavior, refusing to listen to godly wisdom).

While the Bible doesn’t talk about a Delilah Spirit, we can always study different people in the Bible and see their lives based on whether they walked with the Lord. We can also consider how they responded to God’s will: did they follow faithfully, like Moses, or swing between obedience and rebellion, like Samson? We remember that we are called to emulate those who pursued God—people like Joseph, Esther, and Daniel—and avoid becoming like those who pursued sin—people like Delilah, Ahab, or Judas.

Photo Credit:©GettyImages/SiberianArt

Mary Oelerich-Meyer is a Chicago-area freelance writer and copy editor who prayed for years for a way to write about and for the Lord. She spent 20 years writing for area healthcare organizations, interviewing doctors and clinical professionals and writing more than 1,500 articles in addition to marketing collateral materials. Important work, but not what she felt called to do. She is grateful for any opportunity to share the Lord in her writing and editing, believing that life is too short to write about anything else. Previously she served as Marketing Communications Director for a large healthcare system. She holds a B.A. in International Business and Marketing from Cornell College (the original Cornell!) When not researching or writing, she loves to spend time with her writer daughter, granddaughter, rescue doggie and husband (not always in that order).  

This article is part of our People from the Bible Series featuring the most well-known historical names and figures from Scripture. We have compiled these articles to help you study those whom God chose to set before us as examples in His Word. May their lives and walks with God strengthen your faith and encourage your soul.

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