WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
AUGUST 08, 2026
TOPIC: WOMEN ARE NOT INFERIOR!
BY T. O. BANSO
“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27 New King James Version).
God created man, male and female. Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (New King James Version). Jesus referred to this in Matthew 19:4 and Mark 10:6. There are differences in roles, but not discrimination against women. Both men and women need each other. The woman’s role should complement the man’s and vice versa. There should be no oppression or domination.
Everybody benefits when society recognises the roles of women and respects their rights. Society will be better when women are allowed to realise their full potential, but it suffers when women are not allowed to take their place in the scheme of things. There should be no exclusion or marginalisation of women.
In God’s design, women are not inferior to men, in marriage relationships, in the church, or in society. 1 Peter 3:7 says, “In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered” (New Living Translation). Note the phrase “equal partner in God’s gift of new life.” The expression “She may be weaker than you are” seeks to protect the wife because of physical differences, not to devalue her. The Amplified Bible uses the phrase “physically weaker.” The New King James Version, however, renders it as “weaker vessel.” There is a theological debate on its meaning.
While the Bible says the husband is the head of the wife (Ephesians 5:23), it doesn’t mean the husband is more brilliant or more intelligent than the wife. It is a matter of role definition. A wise husband will appreciate his wife’s divine endowment and allow her to deploy it for the good of the family and for the fulfilment of her destiny. Headship doesn’t mean the husband has all it takes and doesn’t need the wife. Nobody has everything.
The Bible says wives should submit to their own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord (Colossians 3:18). It doesn’t say wives should submit to all men—only to their husbands. Even within the family, as wives submit to their husbands, the Bible also says husbands should love their wives and not be bitter towards them.
That instruction to the husband doesn’t make him superior or make the wife inferior. The instructions given to them are to ensure harmonious relationships and are for their own good. No husband should become a dictator because of the instruction to the wife to submit to him. They should submit to each other in the fear of God, as the Bible calls all believers to do to one another (Ephesians 5:21). Wives are not inferior even when the final decision-making authority rests with the husbands.
God does not discriminate against women. The subjugation of women in a patriarchal society shouldn’t be seen as God’s design, despite the lies to that effect. God created both men and women, and He didn’t create women as inferior.
Jesus died for both men and women. The salvation of men is not superior to that of women. The blood of Jesus that was shed to save women is not inferior to that shed to save men. Women are no less the children of God than men. Galatians 3:28 says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (New King James Version). There’s no male or female; we’re all one in Christ Jesus. We are saints!
Women are as important as men to the programme of God on the earth. In Joel 2:28-29, the LORD said, “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days” (New King James Version). Note that both sexes are mentioned in that scripture. There is no discrimination against women.
Acts 21:9 says that Philip the evangelist had four virgin daughters who prophesied. That should shame anyone today who thinks that women are only to go about with beautiful faces and dresses and walk like a model! These daughters were as spiritual as their father.
The gift of prophecy is not for men alone. In Exodus 15:20, Moses’ sister, Miriam, is described as a prophetess. These women, Huldah (2 Kings 22:14) and Anna (Luke 2:36-38), were also described as prophetesses. Isaiah’s wife is also referred to as “the prophetess,” but while some scholars argue that she was given the title because of her husband, not because she was a prophetess in the category of Miriam, Huldah, and Anna, others argue that she held her own prophetic office.
Nothing hinders God from using men or women, although divergent views exist on women in church leadership based on New Testament epistles. During a very difficult time in the history of Israel, God used a woman to judge Israel. Her name was Deborah, the fourth judge of Israel and the only female judge. She was also a prophetess (Judges 4-5). Deborah, the wife of Lapidoth, sat under the palm tree of Deborah, and judged Israel.
She was a courageous woman. She motivated Barak to mobilise a ten-thousand-strong army at Mount Tabor–ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun. Barak insisted that if Deborah did not go with him to the battle, he would not go. Deborah went with him.
God lured Sisera, the Commander of Jabin’s army, and his chariots and warriors to the Kishon River to fight the Israelites. The Israelites defeated Jabin’s army, and the commander of his army, Sisera, fled. He was eventually killed by a woman, Jael, in her house.
In Hebrew, Deborah means bee. Bees are known mainly for two things: their sting and the honey they produce. Their sting produces pain, and the honey produces sweetness. Deborah’s leadership caused pain to the Canaanites and joy for the Israelites. Women are not inferior to men. Any such feeling of inferiority is not from God.
I love the five daughters of Zelophehad, a man of the tribe of Manasseh. He died while the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness. He had no son, but only five daughters, Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah (Numbers 26:29-33; 27:1). Because Zelophehad had no male child to inherit his portion of land, the five daughters went to Moses, their leader, Eliezer the priest, the tribal leaders, and the entire community, with a request to be allowed to inherit the land that would have been given to their father.
Numbers 27:2-4 says, “And they stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the leaders and all the congregation, by the doorway of the tabernacle of meeting, saying: ‘Our father died in the wilderness; but he was not in the company of those who gathered together against the Lord, in company with Korah, but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons. Why should the name of our father be removed from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father’s brothers’” (New King James Version).
I love their boldness. They didn’t send anyone to Moses. They went themselves to state their case. They didn’t want their father’s name to disappear from his clan just because he had no male child. There had never been a case like that before then. The existing customary practice didn’t address it. Inheritance was passed from the father to the son to ensure that the land remained with each tribe as allocated. Daughters were denied inheritance.
However, Moses had to take this special case before the LORD. See the LORD’s reply: “The daughters of Zelophehad speak what is right; you shall surely give them a possession of inheritance among their father’s brothers, and cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them” (Numbers 27:7 New King James Version).
Because of these daughters of Zelophehad, God gave the Israelites a law that adjusted the customary practice that excluded daughters from land inheritance. The law allowed daughters the right to inheritance if their fathers had no male children, but they must marry within their tribes so that each tribe’s land would be preserved (Numbers 27:8; 36:2-11).
Women are not inferior. No woman should have an inferiority or superiority complex. There should be mutual respect between men and women. Society should recognise the gifts, talents, and potential of women, and encourage them to deploy these to the glory of God, for their personal fulfilment, and for the betterment of society.
Men who objectify women and, unfortunately, women who objectify themselves or other women, should stop it. There is more to a woman than a beautiful face or a sexy body! Women have destinies they must fulfil. The body of a woman is prepared for her to worship God and fulfil her destiny, not to seduce men or commit sin. Women are not inferior.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you must give your heart to Jesus 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, they will teach you 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 they will teach you 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: Thank you, Father, for making me a woman (a man). I will walk in the consciousness that I am not inferior to anyone. I will fulfill my destiny. Father, help all Your daughters to overcome man-made barriers or obstacles that could hinder them from fulfilling their destinies and excelling in life. They will become all You have ordained them to be.
(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.
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