In Matthew 26:31-35, Peter revealed himself to be a boasters. Jesus Christ turned to the disciples and said they would abandon Him that night, and Peter responded with boasting:

“Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” Matthew 26:33

In other words, he was saying, “Me? Do you know who you’re talking to? If all these weak ones abandon you, you can count on me, Lord.” The Lord said, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will disown me three times.” He said, “It seems like you still don’t know who you’re talking to. Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” However, in Matthew 26:69-75, who did we find denying that he knew Jesus? The same Peter!

Everything a person boasts about has power over them. That’s why the Bible says taking pleasure in boasting is bad.

“But now you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.” James 4:16

Once you catch yourself boasting about something, beware, that thing is about to become a tool the devil can use to make you fall. That’s why you should not boast. The only boasting allowed is boasting in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:31). This is what David did in 1 Samuel 17:41-47, leading him to victory over Goliath. Even if you think no one is better than you at something, keep your mouth shut. A man considered wiser than all men (1 Kings 4:31) said:

“Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips.” Proverbs 27:2

Boasting is like being on the battlefield and telling the enemy how to strike and defeat you. You might think you’re talking about your strength, but every wise person knows that when you boast about something, it becomes your weakness. Goliath boasted before being struck down by a simple teenager with a sling. Nebuchadnezzar boasted of his achievements at one moment, and the next moment, he was grazing grass in the field like an animal (Daniel 4:28-33).

Beloved, if you have been a boaster, repent now. You can only boast in God, but avoid all other kinds of boasting. There is nothing good in boasting outside of Christ; it will only lead to shame and defeat.

This text is an excerpt from the book “The Open Heavens 2024: A Daily Guide to Intimate Communion with God 2024” written by Enoch A. Adeboye.

We invite you to read the following article “STAND FIRM.”