Scriptures tell us that pride results in one’s downfall but humility comes before honor. (Proverbs 18:12)

The sin of pride is one fallen human attribute that effects everyone. Including Christians.

As I was meditating on this phenomenon I felt led to do a little research on the subject.

The Oxford dictionary defines pride as ‘a deep feeling or satisfaction of one’s own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.’

Well, that definition fits about everybody’s bill.

The online dictionary describes pride as ‘the state or feeling of being proud.
Becoming or dignified sense of what is due to oneself or one’s position or character; self-respect; self-esteem’.

In other words, pride is the pleasure or satisfaction in something done by or belonging to oneself. Believed to reflect credit upon oneself.

Interestingly enough, the secular world embraces pride as if it’s a wonderful attribute.

Even some Christians believe that pride in one’s achievements is a godly attribute.

I am about to show you that this is far from the truth.

Let’s take a look at pride or self-esteem from a Biblical perspective.

The Bible defines pride as the following.

In Hebrew the word for pride is gâ’ôn or gôbahh.

It means to be filled with arrogancy, pomp, excellence, majesty, high, lofty, swelling. In other words , to be full of yourself.

Pride is a bondage. A demonic stronghold. (Psalm 73:6)

Scriptures say that if we fear the Lord we will hate pride.

Why? Because if we understand that the spiritual principle of ‘pride leads to a fall’, we will avoid pride at all costs.

To have the fear of the Lord is to hate pride. (Proverbs 18:13)

God says in his word that he humbles the proud.

Some do not have the fear of the Lord in their lives , so they do not realize that they will pay the price for their pride eventually.

News flash! They will!

That does not mean that God doesn’t love us when we step out in pride , but God will definitely chastise us for it.

Many people are not successful in life because they have pride. Refusing to repent of pride will never get one out of the doghouse!

Let’s take a closer look at what pride is and why God hates it.

Pride is a destructive force. It hurts other people and will eventually result in a humiliating fall for us.

The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. Proverbs 8:13

More scriptures on pride.

(Proverbs 11:12
Proverbs 16:18 Proverbs 29:23 Daniel 4:37)

In the New Testament , the words for pride are as follows:

Huperēphania
Haughty

Tuphoō
Inflated
Conceited
Lifted up
High-minded

Alazoneia self confidence , boasting.

New Testament Scriptures on pride.

I John 2:16,
1 Timothy 3:6
Mark 7:22

The Bible says that God hates pride.

“The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.” Proverbs 16:5

Pride in effect is to be overly concerned with one’s own abilities, talents, merits , or gifts.

Pride was the downfall of Lucifer.

Let’s take a look at the pattern this fallen cherubim Lucifer followed which caused him to be cast out of God’s presence.

Isaiah 14: 22-15 gives us some insight.

Lucifer said in his heart.

1. I will ascend
2. I will exalt myself
3. I will sit on a throne
4. I will be like God

Let’s translate that to our modern language.

1. I will self promote myself
2. I will regard myself as highly qualified
3. I will usurp authority over others or undermine them to take a position.
4. I will Lord over others to be the dominant one

These are the reasons God rejected Lucifer.

Let me give you an example of pride in action.

I was attending a church that started out as having an evangelistic vision. I was given an outreach ministry in that church.

Our team however, ministered mostly outside the church.

One day a woman came into the church having different giftings. Before long her vision had taken over the church.

This woman had advantageous resources and was very charismatic in personality. She was also highly skilled at schmoozing. She knew how to manipulate with her words.

Before long the church rejected the evangelistic vision it had at first and went full force into this vision of promoting Christian social enterprises.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am quite aware that my gift of evangelism is not every one else’s gift. However, this woman deliberately pushed our ministry to the curb to promote hers.

Well, that’s Ok, who am I to say? Although the church went full force into that woman’s vision, I was not fired from my position in the church as evangelistic outreach leader. I was just ignored.

So our team went about evangelizing anyway even though it was not the vision of the church anymore.

What did it matter? After all, we were outside the church mostly anyway.

Then , one Christmas season, the church was going to put on a banquet. I saw this as an opportunity to show love to the lost and hurting in our community. I asked the leader of the banquet if we could put a table in the back for the homeless. To share some of our Christmas dinner. The guy in charge of the banquet said, “Sure, no problem!’

I worked hard at cooking extra food for the banquet because I did not want to burden the church.

On the day of the banquet , the table at the back was filled with homeless people. Plus, the evangelism ministry invited some elderly shut ins to attend the banquet. We had a ministry bus to pick them up.

An elderly lady 80 years old received Jesus Christ that Christmas Eve. We were so excited! We told the pastor about it.

Rather than rejoicing over this woman’s salvation, the pastor was mad!!

I got rebuked! “How dare you turn our church into a soup kitchen!”

We were totally blown away! It was one table in the back!

I challenged the pastor with the word of God, I said, ‘Doesn’t the scriptures tell us that when we have a banquet to invite the poor and needy to share in our blessings?” (Luke 14:12-24)

His response was quite clear, “That is your interpretation!”

Well , I learned a hard lesson about conflict of visions!

Needless to say, I left that church. I joined a street church where the vision was about evangelism.

That church who rejected the poor  closed a few months later. Due to some setbacks and tragedies in the leadership.

How is the sin of pride related to this story?

Pride goes before a fall.

If we are too good, too important, too self prompting to give the poor a little table in the back to be blessed, then we are in pride.

Another example I will share concerning the sin of pride.

I was in a church prayer group that was wonderful at the beginning! The members knew how to flow with each other in the Spirit. Everyone ministered according to scriptural protocol, “You can all prophecy one by one.” (1 Corinthians 14:31)

One day , a new member joined the church and prayer group. After a while, this new member began to override the church leadership. This person thought they had the ‘word of the Lord,’ for everything.

This person it seems was threatened over anyone else who operated in the gifts of the Spirit. Even to the point of  brazenly dominating other people with their ‘gifts’.

This person was not officially in church leadership but wanted to be in a ministry position without submitting to church protocol.

Their pride by self-promotion caused some fractions, divisions, and clicks.

Now, don’t get me wrong I don’t believe we are to submit to everything and every person in leadership. For one thing there are many false things out there. Also, we may not have the same vision as the leadership. But that does not means we are to promote ourselves on some one else’s platform!

If we are not in agreement with the vision where we are at, be it church or employment, we should either leave or submit anyway.

If we put our hands to someone else’s ministry by any means (using the stick or the honey pot), we are in grave danger of being humiliated for the sin of pride.

Remember that David did not put his hand to God’s anointed leader even though Saul was in sin. He did leave the situation eventually, but he left the matter in God’s hands. (1 Samuel chapter 24)

Now , let’s compare Lucifer’s fall to Jesus Christ’s resurrection to glory.

Philippians 2:7 says

1. Jesus humbled himself
2. Jesus did not seek an exalted reputation or high position.
3. Jesus did not go about proving himself
4. Jesus took a low position as a servant.
5.  The result was that God highly exalted him

As we can see, Jesus was our example on how to walk in humility.

Humbling ourselves means waiting on the Lord to promote us. In this life or the next.

Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, and before honor is humility. Proverbs 18:12

Pride while a desirable attribute in secular society is not a godly attribute. In fact the Scriptures say God hates pride. That means God despises pride so much that he will allow a person to be debased and humiliated in order to bring them to repentance.

Pride in one’s self or achievements is what made Lucifer fall.

If you go on to read the rest of Isaiah chapter 14 you will find that Lucifer was prideful in attributes that were given to him as gifts. In other words, Lucifer was attributing to himself qualities that were endowments of God’s favor and giftings.

Just so you know, pride is in actuality theft.

Exalting ourselves above others and Lording over others with power and domination is us making the assumption that we are the most qualified. We deserve to be promoted because we are so gifted!

This is what God says about Lucifer’s high-mindedness.

“Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. ” (Isaiah)

Pride caused Lucifer’s downfall.

Not only that but pride caused Lucifer to become corrupt or perverse. In other words Lucifer went into deception. He became Satan, the father of lies.

This is a common result of self-promotion. The prideful become deceived by their gifts and abilities causing them to lose relationship with Lord.

They forfeit having the anointing in their ministry and end up ministering in the flesh. In some cases, even the demonic!

Pride leads to a fall.

This is what God says to Lucifer and all who operate in pride.

“I cast you to the ground,
I laid you before kings,
That they might gaze at you.
“You defiled your sanctuaries
By the multitude of your iniquities,
By the iniquity of your trading;
Therefore I brought fire from your midst;
It devoured you,
And I turned you to ashes upon the earth
In the sight of all who saw you.”

Pride is something to be avoided, like the plague! It actually is a plague! A sin that causes rotten fruit and corruption!

How can pride be avoided? What can we do to keep ourselves from walking in the sin of pride?

The remedy for pride is humility.

Humility is defined in the dictionary as “a modest or low view of one’s own importance; humbleness.”

Humility in the Bible in the Hebrew is ănâvâh
Gentleness, meekness or lowliness of mind.
Modesty. (Proverbs 15:33, Proverbs 28:12)

In the Greek humility is tapeinophrosunē
Humbleness of mind, humility , and lowliness of mind. (Acts 20:29
1 Peter 5:5, Philippians 2:3,4)

Humility means that as Christians , we should promote Jesus Christ as Lord and not ourselves. We should take a low position, and let God exalt us in his time.

Pride is destructive not only to others but to ourselves. Sooner or later , we will end up being humiliated!

God wants us to have a proper estimation of ourselves. Realizing that our gifts and talents are from the Lord. To be used for his glory and his purposes. Not for self glorification or to be seen of men.

In conclusion, when we humble ourselves before the Lord and wait on his promotion, he will lift us up in his time.

Romans 8:3-8
I Peter 4,:10, 11
Colossians 3:17
John 12:
Romans 12: 7-9

God resists the proud but he gives grace to the humble! James 4:6

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