Bible Study · Gospel Parallels 197

What makes a person strong, good strength and bad strength, and how a strong man gets tied up, like Samson

Dr. Gian C. VillatoroAugust 19, 202611 min study

Hello, my friend. Welcome to episode 197. The topic of today: a strong man. We have been studying this passage, and today we read one verse. Thank you, Jeho, for the scripture on the screen, Matthew 12:29:

“Whoever wants to enter a strong man’s house and steal his things, must first tie him up, then they can steal the things from his house.”

Stealing things? The Lord Jesus talking about that? Well, it’s just an idea. Today we are going to talk about the meaning of a strong man.

Last week we discussed how the Lord proved that the kingdom of God is here. If you haven’t watched GP 196, do it. It’s an important message.

Where it begins

What is a strong man? Let’s begin with the creation of God. The creation was Adam and Eve.

“Spiritually and biologically there are only two genders, men and women.”

The Lord made us that way. People say many things.

“What matters is what the scripture says.”

Read chapter 1 of Romans, and you will understand.

A person with force

So what is a strong man? It’s a person with force in any of these areas: physically, emotionally, spiritually, financially, intellectually, socially. The Lord has given us different attributes.

“It’s important how you see yourself, but more importantly is how the Lord sees you. What you don’t want to be is weak.”

Physically. Maybe it’s genetics, maybe you don’t eat well or you are sick. Well, you have to work on that. You need the basic energy to get up, to move, to walk, talk, work.

Emotionally. Not anything that happens should devastate you. You know, some people are drama queens. They cry for everything. Any incident is a huge drama story.

Spiritually.

“When things don’t go well, you are relying on the Lord. You say your prayers, you read the Bible, you get your strength from the Lord and you say, ‘I’m good to go.’”

Financially. You have to be strong enough to pay your bills.

“The Lord will bless you if you do your part.”

Meaning what? You need to work. Take care of your job. If you don’t like it, find another job. And fulfill the first requirement in financial management: give to the Lord the 10% of your income.

Intellectually. Reading comprehension. People don’t like to read the Bible, and they will not be able to comprehend anything. These are the days of advancements. You need to be clever.

Socially. I’m not saying you have to be the center of attention, with hundreds of people following you on social media. But it’s your birthday and nobody says to you, “Happy birthday”?

“Something is not right in that picture. The Lord wants you to be strong.”

If you lack in certain areas, work on those areas, my friend.

Good strength and bad strength

“If you are strong to do good things, you have good strength. But if you are strong to do bad things, that’s bad.”

“You need to be strong to protect people, not to kill, steal, and destroy.”

You need to be strong to help people, not to hurt people. Strong to keep the unity, not to cause division. Strong for togetherness, not to separate people. Take a look at this list and tell me: are you using your strength for good things or not?

How Samson was tied up

The Lord Jesus said the strong man must first be tied up. Think of Samson. He was tied up. How did that happen?

“He revealed private information. He was naive and careless.”

That is the mistake you don’t want to make. Some things only you need to know, or the people in your house. Where are the keys? What is the code? What is the password? People write their passwords in their devices, or in a notebook anybody can open and photograph.

“You have to be careful about not revealing private information. Don’t be naive, my friend.”

And much less, do not be careless. Samson played with the secret of his strength, and eventually he was manipulated. People are still moved into a trap because they were careless.

Not everyone around you is honest

“Are you strong? Use your strength for good things and be careful.”

“Remember this, not everyone around you is honest, my friend.”

Time will tell you who is honest. If someone lies about anything to anybody, that person is dishonest. If someone acts one way with you and a different way with other people, that person is dishonest. Be careful.

One last smile

Why was Samson the best actor in the Bible? Because his last performance really brought down the house.

Thank you for being here, my friend. Jesus is Lord. In Him we receive strength, and I hope you are encouraged to move forward today. In Jesus’ name.

Share this with someone who needs strength.

Questions this study answers

Questions & answers.

What does Matthew 12:29 mean by tying up the strong man?

Matthew 12:29: "Whoever wants to enter a strong man's house and steal his things, must first tie him up, then they can steal the things from his house." Dr. Gian: the Lord Jesus is not teaching anyone to steal; "it's just an idea" to explain what a strong man is, and how even a strong man can be tied up, like Samson.

What makes a person strong?

A strong person is "a person with force in any of the following areas": physically, emotionally, spiritually, financially, intellectually and socially. "It's important how you see yourself, but more importantly is how the Lord sees you. What you don't want to be is weak."

How can I be strong spiritually?

"When things don't go well, you are relying on the Lord. You say your prayers, you read the Bible, you get your strength from the Lord and you say, 'I'm good to go.'"

What is the difference between good strength and bad strength?

"If you are strong to do good things, you have good strength. But if you are strong to do bad things, that's bad." Be strong to help people, not to hurt them; to protect people, not to kill, steal and destroy; to keep the unity, not to cause division.

How was Samson tied up, and how do I avoid his mistake?

"He revealed private information. He was naive and careless." Keep private things private (keys, codes, passwords), don't be naive, don't be careless, and remember: "not everyone around you is honest, my friend."

Full transcript Read

00:00Episode 197: A strong man

Hello my friend, welcome to our episode 197, August 19, 2026, the topic of today, A Strong Man.

00:11One verse today, and prayer

We have been studying this passage, we are going to read one verse today on this story. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, please, Lord, guide us through this reflection. Thank you, Jeho, for the scripture on

00:25The reading: Matthew 12:29

the screen. Matthew 12:29: whoever wants to enter a strong man's house and steal his things, must first tie him up, then they can steal the things from his house.

00:40Stealing things?

Stealing things? The Lord Jesus talking about that? Well, it's just an idea. We are going to talk today about the meaning of

00:52Last week, and today

a strong man. Last week, we discussed how the Lord proved that the kingdom of God is here. If you haven't watched GP 196, do it. It's an important

01:04What is a strong man?

message. What is a strong man? Well let's begin with the creation of God about humankind.

01:15The creation: Adam and Eve

The creation was Adam and Eve, two genders. Listen, spiritually and biologically there are only two genders, men and women. There is no one in between. The Lord made us that way. Romans chapter 1 explains the cause of sexual perversion and all kinds of deviations. People say many things. What matters is what the scripture says. If you read the chapter 1 of Romans, you will understand the origin of homosexualism. Now we are talking today about a strong man.

01:54A person with force

So what is a strong man? Well it's a person with force in any of the following areas. It is physically strong with these big arms like I possess. No.

02:11Six areas of strength

But it's also a strong person, the one who possesses tremendous strength emotionally. That I do. Tremendous force spiritually. That I do. Tremendous force financially. Intellectually. Socially. Well everyone sees himself in his own way. I know the Lord has given us different attributes.

02:45How the Lord sees you

It's important how you see yourself, but more importantly is how the Lord sees you. What you don't want to be is weak.

02:54Strong physically

If you are weak physically, maybe it's because of genetics, maybe it's because you don't eat well or you are sick, you know. Well you have to work on that. You need to be strong physically. The basic energy to get up, to move, to walk, talk, work.

03:14Strong emotionally: no drama

Emotionally you need to be strong my friend. Meaning not anything that happens will affect you and devastate you. You know like some people you see that are drama queens. They cry for everything. They are cry babies. Any incident is a huge drama

03:31Strong spiritually

story. Spiritually speaking you need to be strong. Meaning what? When things don't go well, you are relying on the Lord. You say your prayers, you read the Bible, you get your strength from the Lord and you say, "I'm

03:43Strong financially

good to go." Financially you have to be strong enough to pay your bills.

03:50Do your part

The Lord will bless you if you do your part. Meaning what? You need to work. You need to take care of your job. You need to please your supervisor. You need to work with everything they give you to do. If you don't like it, find another job in order to make money. And you need to fulfill the first requirement in financial management. Give to the Lord the 10% of your income. Well, if you don't care for that, don't cry later. I

04:20Strong intellectually: read

just told you. Intellectually speaking you must be strong when you are able to understand reading comprehension. Reading comprehension. People don't like to read the Bible. They are going to be in trouble because they will not be able to comprehend anything. If you don't learn, you are going to be in trouble. These days are the days of advancements. There are new things. You need to be clever.

04:46Strong socially

And socially you have to be strong. I mean, I'm not saying you have to be the kind of person that is the center of the attention everywhere you go, that you have hundreds of people following on social media. It's not what I'm saying. But not having a friend, not having anybody to hang out. It's your birthday and nobody says to you, "Happy birthday."

05:11The Lord wants you to be strong

Something is not right in that picture. The Lord wants you to be strong. Now, there are people that they lack in certain areas. If that is your case, you need to work on those areas,

05:23Good strength and bad strength

my friend. Let's talk about strength. There is good strength and bad strength. For example, if you are strong to do good things, you have good strength. But if you are strong to do bad things, that's bad. You must be strong about godly things, not about perverse things. You need to be strong to help people, not to hurt people. You need to be strong to protect people, not to kill, steal, and destroy. You need to be strong to keep the unity, not to cause division. You need to be strong for togetherness, not to look for separating people.

06:07Are you strong?

Are you strong? Take a look at this list here and tell me, are you using your strength for good things or not? Are you strong, my friend?

06:20Samson was tied up

Now, the Lord Jesus said, "Well, if you tie him up, then you can steal your things." So imagine the case of Samson, he was tied up.

06:31Private information

How that happened? Well, first of all, he revealed private information. He was naive and careless. That is the mistake you don't want to make. There are things that only you need to know or the people in your house. Where are the keys? What is the code? What is the password? Etc. There are things that are private. People say passwords in their devices and clearly they say, "My username and my bank account is da-da-da-da-da-da." The password is da-da-da-da-da-da.

07:10Passwords on your devices

Do you not think that people will eventually have access to those files in your device? Think about it. You know, it's a good idea to have a book with passwords or a notebook with passwords, but you need to know where you're going to put that book. Because imagine if you have a book with all these passwords and people come to your house and easily they can take that or just open and start taking pictures, you will be in trouble.

07:38Don't be naive or careless

You have to be careful about not revealing private information. Don't be naive, my friend. And much less, do not be careless.

07:49Samson's secret

You know, Samson said, "Yeah, I will tell you what is the source of my strength, is my hair." He was naive, you know, he teased the girl, but eventually

08:02Manipulated

the girl manipulated him. That is what happened to so many people, especially guys, manipulated by women. How? Sexually. And they just, they are like idiots, forgive me, but they are like, because then the girls are doing whatever they want with their money, their lives. People can be moved into a trap by taking pictures of them, anything, because they were careless.

08:32Use your strength for good

Are you strong? Use your strength for good things and be careful. Remember this, not everyone around you is honest, my friend. Just be aware of

08:44Time will tell who is honest

that. Time will tell you who is honest. If you discover someone that is lying about anything to anybody, that person is dishonest. If you see someone that when is with you is pretending to be somebody, but when you see this person with other people is acting in a different way, that person is dishonest. Be careful because not everyone around you is honest.

09:19A little humor

Hi, I'm sorry about that. Hey guys, I have a question for you. Why was Samson the best actor anywhere in the Bible? Well, it was Samson because his last performance really brought down the house. Okay, all right, another one with Samson. Why did Samson say... I'm sorry. Okay, now he is. Now I got it. Okay. Why did Samson... Oh my gosh, come on, Gian. What did Samson say when he lost his strength? I guess I'm not cutting my hair anymore. All right, to finish with Samson. What was the brand of Samson's phone? Samsung. All right.

10:16Episode 197

Okay, my friend. Thank you so much for being here. This is episode 197. Remember, we have tons of materials. Go to the website. Enjoy everything we have here. Jesus is Lord, in Him we receive strength. And I hope you are encouraged to move forward today. In Jesus' name.

Transcribed from the video and lightly corrected. Spoken words are kept as Dr. Gian said them.

Pull up a chair

Study with us online every Wednesday at 7 PM, or come and worship in person on Sunday at 10 AM.