Samson's Shortcoming

Self-confidence coupled with the lust of the flesh led to Samson's demise. Raised up by God to be a deliverer, he instead became a Philistine captive. Samson was more of an escape-artist than a conqueror. Living for himself, he eventually fell victim to his cavalier ways and gained deliverance only by death.
The character of Samson's life and his failures are perhaps capsulated symbolically in the incident in which, after a sinful tryst, he carried the gates of the city tea hill which stood before Hebron (Judges 16:3). Perhaps he was content merely to have Hebron within view; regardless, he never made it there.
Deliverance from sin without repentance is only outward and short-lived. Strength of character and personal discipline may temporarily free us from certain vices, but such can never restore our souls or bring us to Hebron. We need God. "He restoreth my soul" (Psa. 23:3).