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✧ 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕳𝖔𝖑𝖞 𝕾𝖕𝖎𝖗𝖎𝖙 𝕯𝖔𝖊𝖘 𝕹𝖔𝖙 𝕯𝖊𝖕𝖆𝖗𝖙 𝕱𝖗𝖔𝖒 𝕳𝖎𝖘 𝕻𝖊𝖔𝖕𝖑𝖊 𝕹𝖔 𝕸𝖔𝖗𝖊 ✧
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 6 minutes ago
Headline
I think I’ve come to understand the stories of Saul and Samson: the Holy Spirit departed from them because they were not born again. But the new birth cannot be destroyed by the devil, because it is the work of God.
Whatever caused the Holy Spirit to depart from Saul and Samson, we should learn from it. In the new covenant, the Spirit does not leave us in the same way. God corrects us and keeps us rather than forsaking us.
Foreword
The stories of Saul and Samson have long raised important questions for believers. Why did the Holy Spirit depart from them? What does that mean in light of the New Covenant? And can that happen to believers today?
These are serious questions, and they deserve a careful, Scripture-based answer. What follows is an attempt to show the difference between Old Covenant anointing and New Covenant regeneration. My hope is that this message brings clarity, strengthens assurance, and magnifies the grace of God in the lives of His people.
The Holy Spirit Does Not Depart from God’s People Anymore: Understanding Samson, Saul, and the New Birth
One of the most important truths of the New Covenant is this: the New Birth cannot be destroyed. It cannot be undone, reversed, or taken away by the devil — because it is the work of God Himself.
This raises a question many believers wrestle with: If the Holy Spirit departed from Samson and Saul, why doesn’t He depart from us today? And even deeper: Were Samson and Saul born again?
After studying these stories and the promises of God, the answer becomes clear.
Samson and Saul Were Anointed — Not Born Again
In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit came upon people to empower them for a task — leadership, strength, prophecy, or kingship. But He did not yet dwell within them as a permanent, regenerating presence.
That means:
Samson was empowered by the Spirit for strength.
Saul was empowered by the Spirit for kingship.
But neither of them had the new heart, new spirit, or indwelling Spirit promised in the New Covenant.
So, when Scripture says the Spirit departed from Saul (1 Samuel 16:14) or left Samson (Judges 16:20), it is describing Old Covenant anointing, not New Covenant regeneration.
They were never born again — because the New Birth did not exist yet.
Jesus makes this clear in John 7:39:
“The Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.”
The New Birth is a New Covenant reality, made possible only after Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension.
The New Covenant Changed Everything
Under the New Covenant, God promised something radically different:
1. A New Heart
“I will give you a new heart.” — Ezekiel 36:26
2. A New Spirit
“I will put a new spirit within you.” — Ezekiel 36:26
3. The Holy Spirit Inside Us
“I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes.” — Ezekiel 36:27
4. God’s Law Written on Our Hearts
“I will write My law in their minds and on their hearts.” — Jeremiah 31:33
This is not anointing. This is regeneration — the New Birth.
And Jesus confirms it in John 3:1–8:
“You must be born again.”
This birth is spiritual, supernatural, and entirely the work of God.
Why the New Birth Cannot Be Destroyed
Because God Himself performs it.
Here are the Scriptures that show its permanence:
The Spirit Never Leaves the Believer
John 14:16 — The Spirit will be with us forever.
Ephesians 1:13–14 — The Spirit is the seal and guarantee of our inheritance.
Ephesians 4:30 — We are sealed until the day of redemption.
Romans 8:9–11 — The Spirit who raised Jesus lives in us permanently.
The New Birth Is Incorruptible
1 Peter 1:23 — Born again of incorruptible seed.
John 1:13 — Born of God, not human effort.
God Keeps What He Creates
John 10:28–29 — No one can snatch us from His hand.
Jude 24 — God keeps us from falling.
Philippians 1:6 — He finishes the work He begins.
The believer’s sanctification can be messy. Their life can be inconsistent. Their obedience can fluctuate.
But the new birth itself cannot be undone.
So, Why Did the Spirit Leave Samson and Saul?
Because they were never regenerated.
They were anointed, not born again.
Their stories show what life looks like when the Spirit comes upon a person temporarily — not within them permanently.
The New Covenant shows us the difference:
Old Covenant: The Spirit comes and goes.
New Covenant: The Spirit indwells and stays.
This is why the Holy Spirit does not depart from God’s people anymore.
Final Thought
The New Birth is God’s miracle — not ours. It is His work, His seal, His Spirit, His promise.
And what God creates, the devil cannot destroy.
I’ll be writing more on this soon, especially how this truth shapes our assurance, our obedience, and our daily walk with God.
Epilogue
The stories of Saul and Samson are not written to make believers fearful, but to help us understand the glory of the New Covenant. What God has done in Christ is greater, deeper, and more secure than anything the Old Covenant revealed.
If you belong to Christ, your salvation rests not on your strength, but on God’s power to save, seal, and keep. The same Spirit who gives life also preserves it. So, you don't have to worry about the Holy Spirit departing from you when you stumble over sin as He did with Saul and Samson.
That is our hope. That is our confidence. That is the grace of God.
𝖂𝖔𝖗𝖑𝖉 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖚𝖙 𝖊𝖓𝖉 𝕬𝖒𝖊𝖓
All Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise noted. This message may be freely shared for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.
