Scripture
1 Samuel 2:9
“He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.”
Quoted from King James Version (public domain).
The story
Why this verse
Hannah’s prayer is a song of reversal. The barren woman sings, the proud bow, the strong are quieted, and God guards the feet of His faithful ones. “By strength shall no man prevail” is not a rejection of effort; it is a reordering of confidence. Strength is a gift, not a guarantee. Not By Strength turns that truth into a posture: hands open, knees bent, work offered rather than leveraged. It is a song for anyone who has discovered that their best effort cannot hold the world together — and has found God faithful anyway.
Lyrics
The words of the song
Leader: Oh-oh-oh!
Choir: Jehovah!
Leader: Who gives us victory?
Choir: Jesus! Jesus!
Leader: By strength?
Choir: No! No! No!
All: By the power of the Living God!
I thought I could make it on my own,
Till I found Your mercy on the road.
Every battle, every mountain high,
You were standing right there by my side.
Strong men fall, rich men fade,
Only Your love will never change.
When I lift Your holy name,
Every chain is broken!
Pre-Chorus
I will dance, I will sing,
To the King above all kings.
My victory is in Your hands,
Forever I will stand!
Chorus
Not by strength! Hey!
Not by power! Hey!
By the Spirit of the Lord,
I’m more than a conqueror!
Lift Him high! Hey!
Praise His Name! Hey!
Every victory belongs to Jesus,
Hallelujah! Amen!
David won with just a stone,
Because the Lord was on the throne.
Daniel stood inside the fire,
God became his strong Defender.
When I’m weak, You make me strong,
You have been my victory song.
From generation to generation,
You deserve the highest praise!
Listen!
I don’t trust in silver, I don’t trust in gold,
I trust in the One who never lets me go.
When the battle gets tough, I lift my hands high,
The God of Heaven is fighting by my side.
No fear, no shame, no turning back,
Jesus is the reason I’m still on track.
From sunrise to sunset, His goodness I proclaim,
Everybody shout the mighty Name!
Dance Break
Leader: Who fights for you?
Choir: Jehovah!
Leader: Who opens doors?
Choir: Jehovah!
Leader: Who never fails?
Choir: Jehovah!
All: Not by strength… by the Spirit of God!
Chorus
Not by strength! Hey!
Not by power! Hey!
By the Spirit of the Lord,
I’m more than a conqueror!
Dance for Jesus!
Clap your hands!
Victory belongs to Jesus!
Forever and ever—Amen!
Hey! Hey! Hallelujah!
Hey! Hey! Hallelujah!
By strength shall no man prevail—
But our God will never fail!
Jehovah! Jehovah!
We give You all the praise!
Reflection
Sit with it
Where are you gripping too tightly, as though the outcome rested on your strength alone? Name it, then hand it over in prayer.
A prayer
Lord, my strength is Yours to give and to take. Keep my feet. Let me work faithfully without pretending that I am the one holding everything up.
Amen.
Listen & download
Hear it, then take it with you.
Play “Not By Strength” here, or download the tagged MP3. Both are free and neither requires an account.
Also on external platforms
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