WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
SEPTEMBER 15, 2026
TOPIC: GOD WILL SILENCE YOUR BOASTFUL ENEMIES
BY T. O. BANSO
“Talk no more so very proudly; let no arrogance come from your mouth, for the Lord is the God of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed.” (1 Samuel 2:3, New King James Version).
The psalmist says in Psalm 75:4, “I warned the proud, ‘Stop your boasting!’ I told the wicked, ‘Don’t raise your fists!’” (New Living Translation). After the LORD had opened Hannah’s womb, she said, “Talk no more so very proudly; let no arrogance come from your mouth, for the Lord is the God of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed.” (1 Samuel 2:3, New King James Version).
Hannah continued by saying that the bows of the mighty men were broken, and those who stumbled were girded with strength. She also said that those who were full had hired themselves out for bread, and the hungry had ceased to hunger. According to her, the barren had borne seven, and she who had many children had become feeble (verses 4-5).
You probably have some boastful enemies currently threatening you, your family, your business, or your project. You should respond to them with the love of Christ, as Jesus says in Matthew 5:44, while trusting God’s ultimate justice. God often silences boastful enemies. Without hatred for your enemies or seeking revenge, you should trust in God to give you justice and silence your boastful enemies. However, do not pray for their misfortune or wish them evil.
Ahab, the king of Israel, sent this reply to Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, who had threatened to destroy Samaria, the capital of Israel: “Tell him, ‘Let not the one who puts on his armor boast like the one who takes it off” (1 Kings 20:11, New King James Version). Boasting alone does not win wars! In the ensuing war, the LORD gave Israel victory.
Also, King Sennacherib of Assyria boasted that he would conquer Jerusalem. But who is he who speaks and it comes to pass when the Lord has not commanded it? (Lamentations 3:37). God shocked Sennacherib. In one night, 185,000 soldiers in his army died without the people of Judah using any weapon against them! The angel of the LORD did the job. Overwhelmed by the mass death, Sennacherib ran home, and his sons, Adrammelech and Sharezer, later killed him, right before his god (Isaiah 37:36-38).
Boastful Sennacherib was unable to enter Jerusalem, just as the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, had declared by the Word of the LORD that he would not come into this city, shoot an arrow there, come before it with shield, or build a siege mound against it. He said that he would return through the way he came, and he would not come into this city. God promised to defend and save Jerusalem for His own sake and for the sake of His servant, David (2 Kings 19:33-34). God fulfilled His promise.
It was a national disaster for the Assyrians, an unprecedented massacre! God did it for the people of Judah because Hezekiah, the king of Judah, had prayed to Him about Sennacherib (2 Kings 19:15-20). God took over the battle Himself and silenced Judah’s boastful enemy.
Need I talk about the stubborn Egyptians? Without the children of Israel fighting any battle, God defeated their Egyptian enemies. He buried them in the Red Sea while the Israelites passed through the same sea unhurt. Pharaoh’s chariots and his army perished in the sea (Exodus 14).
The LORD also defeated the Ethiopians when King Asa of Judah put his trust in Him. 2 Chronicles 14:9-11 says, “Then Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots, and he came to Mareshah. So Asa went out against him, and they set the troops in battle array in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. And Asa cried out to the Lord his God, and said, ‘Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!’” (New King James Version).
What was the result of King Asa’s cry to the LORD? “So the Lord struck the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. And Asa and the people who were with him pursued them to Gerar. So the Ethiopians were overthrown, and they could not recover, for they were broken before the Lord and His army. And they carried away very much spoil” (2 Chronicles 14:12-13, New King James Version).
The Ethiopians came against Judah with a superior army, but King Asa of Judah told God that it wasn’t a problem for Him to help the powerless against the mighty. He trusted God and went to fight the Ethiopians. God turned the battle against the Ethiopians and gave Judah victory.
As Ephesians 6:12 says, our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of evil. The weapons of our warfare are not physical but spiritual (2 Corinthians 10:4). Have faith in God that He will defeat all the powerful forces fighting you. God will turn the battle against your boastful enemies. The God who defeated the Syrians, the Assyrians, the Egyptians, and the Ethiopians will defeat them. Cry to the Lord! Never stop praying (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Call upon God, knowing that He is your refuge and strength. Call upon Him as Moses did. The horses and their riders will be thrown into the sea! Cry unto Him as Hezekiah and Asa did. Put your trust in God.
Jeremiah 48:14-16 says about Moab, “‘You used to boast, “We are heroes, mighty men of war.” But now Moab and his towns will be destroyed. His most promising youth are doomed to slaughter,’ says the King, whose name is the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. ‘Destruction is coming fast for Moab; calamity threatens ominously.’” (New Living Translation). God will silence all your boastful enemies.
While God judged nations physically in the past, our battle today is spiritual. Therefore, don’t pray for the destruction of your human enemies. The psalmist says, “For I will not trust in my bow, nor shall my sword save me. But You have saved us from our enemies, and have put to shame those who hated us.” (Psalm 44:6-7, New King James Version). Put your trust in the Lord; let Him fight your battles for you. “The Lord doesn’t care about the strength of horses or powerful armies. The Lord is pleased only with those who worship him and trust his love.” (Psalm 147:10-11, Contemporary English Version).
When your enemies boast and wage a war against you, call upon the King of glory, the LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle (Psalm 24:8). His name is Yahweh Sabaoth—The LORD of hosts. This phrase is used over two hundred times in the Old Testament. Jehovah Sabaoth means the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. The armies of heaven fight for God’s people. No force can withstand God.
In Exodus 15:3, Moses and the Israelites described Him as “a man of war” (New King James Version), or “a warrior” (New Living Translation). Verse 6 says, “Your right hand, O Lord, has become glorious in power; Your right hand, O Lord, has dashed the enemy in pieces” (New King James Version). God will not deliver you to the will of your adversaries (Psalm 27:12). The waves of life may toss and roar. Still, they can never pass the bounds set by God (Jeremiah 5:22). The adversaries are under God’s sovereign control and will never triumph over His children. The Lord gives them victory.
God will silence the unrighteous opposition, but you must avoid doing evil as they do. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). God will fight your battles; have faith in Him.
As Hannah said, “Now I have an answer for my enemies” (1 Samuel 2:1, New Living Translation). The King James Version also notes, “My mouth is enlarged over mine enemies.” The Lord will give you an answer for your enemies. He will enlarge your mouth over your enemies. Trust in the Lord to give you victory and silence your boastful enemies.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you must repent of your sins and confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour now. Please take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself, and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life—your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your heart. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church. There, you will be taught how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me, and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I invite Jesus into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You must join a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church where you will be taught how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: My Father and my God, vindicate me by Your righteousness and silence all my boastful enemies. Give me a mouth and wisdom that all my adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist. Enlarge my mouth over my enemies. Father, I pray that You will fight for all Your children, silence their boastful enemies, and save their souls.
(For over 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
BE OUR FINANCIAL PARTNER
Account Name: Cedar Ministry International
Bank: United Bank for Africa
Account Number: 1027304911 (Naira)
Account Number: 3004481420 (USD)
Swift Code: UNAFNGLA
