Message
In , Peter showed himself as a boaster. Jesus Christ turned to the disciples and said that they would desert Him that night, and Peter responded boastfully:
…Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.
In other words, he was saying, “Me? Do you know whom you are talking to? If all these weaklings desert you, you can count on me, Lord.” The Lord said, “Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me thrice.” He said, “It seems as if you don't know whom you are talking to. Even if I have to die with you, I will die; I can never deny you.” However, in , who did we find swearing that he did not know Jesus? The same Peter!
Whatever a fellow boasts about has power over him or her. This is why the Bible says rejoicing in boasting is evil.
But now ye rejoice in your boastings:all such rejoicing is evil.
Once you find yourself boasting about something, watch out, that thing is about to become a tool for the devil to use in bringing you down. This is why you must not boast. The only boasting allowed is boasting in the Lord (). That is what David did in which led to him defeating Goliath. Even if you feel no one is better than you at something, keep your mouth shut. A man considered to be wiser than all men () said:
Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
Boasting is like being on the battlefield and telling the enemy how to strike and defeat you. You may think you are talking about your strength, but every wise fellow knows that the moment you boast about something, it becomes your weakness. Goliath was boasting before he got struck down by a mere teenager with a catapult. Nebuchadnezzar was boasting about his achievements in one moment, and the next moment, he was eating grass in the field like an animal ().
Beloved, if you have been a boaster, repent now. You may only boast in God, but avoid all other kinds of boasting. There is no good in boasting outside Christ; it will only lead to shame and defeat.