How many sermons on pride or humility have you heard recently? “Pride is your enemy, and humility is your friend.” Not many, probably. Surprisingly ,little is spoken about either of these topics by church or parachurch leaders. Indeed, what has historically been seen as the most deadly of vices is today practically hailed as a virtue in our society. The wealthy, influential, successful, well-known, celebrities of all stripes, and even some religious leaders are blatantly conceited and conceited.
Additionally, it is still very much alive and strong in regular individuals like everyone of us. However, few of us are aware of how detrimental it is to our souls and how much it impedes our ability to love people and be intimate with God. Conversely, humility is frequently viewed as weakness, and few of us are aware of or actively seek it out. Therefore, we must better grasp pride and humility, as well as how to give up the former and accept the latter, for the benefit of our souls.
Pride
Every believer ought to study his chapter on “the great sin” in Mere Christianity.
Pride, also known as “the great sin,” is the ultimate evil and the primary vice. In contrast, infidelity, rage, greed, intoxication, and all of that are insignificant: Pride is what made the devil what he is:
Since the beginning of time, pride has been the main source of suffering in every country and family. It is the total anti-God mentality that gives rise to all other vices.
Pride is the source of sin, according to Augustine, Aquinas, Calvin, Luther, and numerous others. Without a doubt, the greatest sin is pride. It is the most devastating and effective tool used by the devil.
Why is this belief shared by the great religious leaders of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant faiths? because Scripture teaches it so firmly and clearly.
The first instance of pride in the Bible is found in Genesis 3, where the devil—that “proud spirit,” as John Donne called him—uses pride as a means of luring our first parents. His method was straightforward but lethal: he assumed the shape of a serpent. First, Satan accused God of lying and haughtily denied what God had told Eve about eating the forbidden fruit.
This startling denial of God’s word was meant to make Eve question the veracity and honesty of God and exposed her to the previously unheard-of prospect of unbelief. The devil then persuaded her to engage in even more deceit by arguing that God was lying to prevent her from taking advantage of all the opportunities that come with being Godlike. This erode her faith in God’s benevolence and love while igniting her desire to become like him.
At the core of pride is the impulse to elevate and glorify ourselves above our status as God’s creation. Eve’s yearning to become more like God intensified as she contemplated the possibilities in her now-confused and deluded state of mind. She developed a fresh perspective on the forbidden fruit, seeing it as visually appealing and palatable to the touch. Growing desire led to rationalization and a matching weakening of the will to object and refuse.
She ultimately chose autonomy and disregarded God’s mandate after becoming weaker due to her lack of faith, seduced by her ego, and tricked by her own deceit. The devil was able to utilize pride to bring about Eve’s demise and send humanity into spiritual ruin with a few clever maneuvers. Every day we are faced with this age-old yet all too familiar process:
The Bible shows how pride and disbelief manifest themselves in the lives of people, families, nations, and cultures from this point on. Spiritual darkness increases and a psychological inversion takes place as people forget or repress their awareness of God, making them seem bigger and God smaller in their minds. In their minds, they start to focus more on themselves than on God. God is neatly pushed to the side, either by denying his existence or by misrepresenting his nature, and they take center stage in their society. Godless self-confidence and self-importance increase. The ensuing cycle is well-known: individuals elevate themselves above others and against God. People suffer as pride rises and haughty and/or violent behavior follows.
This is exemplified on a national level in the history of Israel and the neighboring countries, particularly in the judgments made by the prophets in the eighth and sixth centuries BC. Prideful leaders of Israel, blinded by power and the unparalleled prosperity of the eighth century, adopted a perverted conception of God, put their faith in their own intelligence and might, persecuted their people, disregarded his call for repentance, and thus welcomed his wrath, which came with terrible consequences.
Additionally, there are several instances of pride and its effects on people’s lives in the Bible, which teach us important lessons for our own life. Their stories are easy to read and are frequently self-contained in a single chapter. The story of the believer Uzziah is among the more well-known instances from the Old Testament. When he was sixteen years old and crowned king of Judah, he resolved to follow God and enlisted Zechariah as his spiritual guide. And “God made him to prosper as long as he sought the Lord” (2 Chron. 26:5). He thereby grew wealthy and powerful in both politics and the military. Then things took a turn for the worst. Because he received amazing assistance till he became strong, his fame expanded widely. However, he became arrogant when he was powerful, which led to his demise (26:15–16).
What took place? The narrative contains indications that he ceased seeking the Lord and Zechariah’s spiritual guidance at some point during his ascent to the top. This implies a rising trust on oneself, one’s own strength, and one’s own intelligence, and a decreasing reliance on God. History repeatedly demonstrates how easily pride may grow as we achieve greater success, prosperity, and recognition in our pursuits. Actually, everything that makes us feel superior to others—real or imagined—can serve as a platform for pride. Paradoxically, this holds true even when these things are the outcome of God’s favor.
Because of all his benefits, Uzziah developed an inflated feeling of his own significance and ability and instead of lowering himself in gratitude to God, he started to think more highly of himself than he ought to have. The scriptural cautions are exemplified by this pride of heart, which caused him to be presumed before God and suffer grave repercussions. I urge you to study 2 Chronicles 26 and consider Uzziah’s entire story. The tales of Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4) and Haman (Esther 3–7) are also worth reading since they provide insightful perspectives on pride.
This is seen now in the deadly arrogance of certain Western economic and political elites. To see instances, we need just look to the current political climate in America. Many political leaders, whether liberal or conservative, exhibit pride and arrogance, which makes things far worse than they need to be. Or think about the financial and corporate disasters we have had recently. Following the WorldCom and Enron scandals, a thoughtful piece in the Wall Street Journal blamed them on “pride, greed, and lack of accountability.” The latest American financial crisis is another example of this. It is obvious that pride is extremely harmful and can cause much misery in society when it corrupts those in positions of authority.
Religious individuals are likewise impacted by pride. Spiritual leaders throughout the church’s history have always viewed spiritual pride as a major ailment and a devil’s tool, yet few people today appear to be aware of its danger. It poses a risk even during periods of rebirth. Jonathan Edwards made the following remarks regarding the 1737 revival in Northampton, Massachusetts:
Spiritual pride is the first and worst factor contributing to the many mistakes that occur in our day and age. This is the primary entrance through the hearts of those who are passionate about advancing Christ. It is the main source of smoke from the bottomless pit that clouds judgment and darkens the intellect. Pride is his primary tool for controlling Christians and the major cause of all the trouble he causes to obstruct and impede God’s mission. All other mistakes stem from, or at least are supported by, spiritual pride. Drugs are used in vain to treat all other illnesses until this one is cured.
We can identify our own spiritual pride by using the well-known tale of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. It describes a self-righteous Pharisee who walked up to the temple to pray and a much-maligned tax collector. The Pharisee then looks down on the immoral tax collector with disdainful contempt and praises God for his meticulous following of the law. Thank you, God, that I am not like this tax collector or other men who are extortionists, unfair, or adulterers. He focuses on how excellent he is and how horrible other people are, rather than God at all, as you can see in his prayer. I fast twice a week; I donate tithes of everything that I obtain. Here, vanity is discrediting religion while hiding behind it. The tax collector stands at the back of the temple, far from the altar, and is so keenly aware of his misdeeds and his unworthiness before God that he is unable to even raise his eyes. He can only manage the frantic request, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” Jesus claims that God heard the tax collector’s prayer rather than the Pharisee’s, which is a startling inversion of expectations.
For sincere Christians, yet another lesson in religious pride comes even closer to home. If we find ourselves thinking, “Thank God I am not like that arrogant Pharisee,” we should remember that the apostles themselves were afflicted with pride and quarreled among themselves about who was the best (Luke 22:24–27). Sadly, some ministry leaders still engage in self-promotion in an effort to gain notoriety, influence, and “success.” However, who are we to believe that we are exempt since the apostles had to fight with it?
It would be simple to draw the conclusion that pride is a unique issue for those who are wealthy, influential, successful, well-known, or self-righteous. However, that is incorrect. It can take many different forms and has an impact on everyone to some extent. For instance, pride is at the heart of the pervasive, ongoing self-preoccupation in American culture, which can either cause or exacerbate our emotional issues. According to a well-known Harvard psychologist,
Any neurotic leads a life that is excessively self-centered in certain ways; his entire focus on himself is the source of his suffering. Pride is linked to the very character of neurotic disease. The victim may be expressing a fear that he won’t seem to have an advantage in competitive circumstances where he wants to prove his value if he exhibits hypersensitivity, resentment, or captivity. He is displaying fear of making a mistake and losing his reputation if he is uncertain all the time. He can be trying to demonstrate how admirable he truly is if he is overly meticulous and critical of himself. Therefore, from a religious perspective, the majority of neuroses are associated with the sin of pride.
There’s a lot more to say about pride, but we’re out of room. Let’s review the scriptural viewpoint and proceed. The attitude of self-sufficiency, self-importance, and self-exaltation in respect to God is a concise way to describe pride. It is a disdainful and uncaring attitude toward other people. It is obvious from both the Old and New Testaments that God will not allow a creation to rebel against its Creator. God is displeased by pride and has vowed to fight against it.
You are setting yourself up for potential attack if your pride leads you to glorify yourself. He will, too. Because he has stated that he will bring it down wherever he sees it, whether it be among believers or unbelievers, angels or people. Adam and Eve were banished from Eden and Lucifer was expelled from heaven due to pride. And if we allow pride to rule our life, it will be the cause of our downfall. Each of us must consider the somber reality of pride’s threat. It is, in fact, our worst enemy.
It’s likely, though, that the majority of us don’t feel proud of our life. Because it is very hard to perceive pride in ourselves, but it is easy to see in others. He does, however, offer a few methods to identify its presence. And the more we have it in ourselves, the more we detest it in others. In chapter fifteen of A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, Lewis first cited William Law, who states that “there can be no surer proof of a confirmed pride than a belief that one is sufficiently humble.” Lewis also states that “the easiest way to find out how proud you are is to ask yourself, ‘How much do I dislike it when other people snub me, refuse to take any notice of me, shove their oar in, patronize me, or show off? Given how difficult it is to identify, we might be better off sincerely seeking God in prayer and asking him to show us any sinful pride we may have so that we might turn from it and repent. Asking people who live or work with us if they observe notable instances of sinful pride or arrogance in our lives is another action we could take.
Of sure, there is a positive kind of pride. For instance, Paul took pride in the churches he founded. However, this was neither conceited nor self-aggrandizing. In Rom. 15:17–19, he made it apparent that his achievements were the result of God’s goodness to and through him. Paul sometimes talks of bragging, but this is really about pointing out what God has accomplished by his grace, either in the churches or via Paul. It never elevates itself. Nowadays, most people would say that they are proud of their kids, their favorite sports team, or maybe something they have done. In situations such as these, we are (one hopes) expressing our genuine satisfaction with something positive and refraining from the immoral kind of conceit and haughtiness that the Bible forbids.
Being humble
Prayer and Humility Pride is a problem that affects everyone. It affects everyone to some extent. God wants to forgive and restore us when we have inflated our pride rather than punish and degrade us. In Scripture, he repeatedly states, “Humble yourselves, and I will exalt you.”
It is true that most of us find humility and self-humbling undesirable, and that it is out of style in today’s society. By reflecting on the greatest example of humility in history—Jesus Christ—we might drastically alter our understanding of humility. He showed an unfathomable humility by descending from heaven, coming to earth, and taking on the shape of man. As Jesus stated in Matthew 20:28, “not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many,” he exhibited a spirit of profound humility during his earthly ministry. During his final evening with the disciples, he used a towel and basin to wash their filthy feet (John 13:1–11) and gave them instructions to emulate his servant leadership (John 13:12–17).
When the apostle Paul urged the believers in Philippi to have this mind among themselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, despite being in the form of God, did not count equality with God as something to be grasped, but made himself nothing by taking the form of a servant and being born in the likeness of men, he may have been thinking of this exact scene in the Upper Room. He humbled himself by being obedient to death, even death on a cross, after being discovered in human form (Phil. 2:5–8).
Here, Paul urges regular churchgoers, who seem to harbor some sinful pride in their hearts and interpersonal connections, to consider and emulate Jesus’ humility by imitating his demeanor and behavior.
We might be concerned about the repercussions of such a mindset. It could be expensive to humble ourselves in the community, at work, or in other ways. That’s a worldly, shortsighted view, though.
The “example of all examples” is found in Jesus: those who humble themselves shall be glorified! And this is supposed to direct our life here on Earth. We may rely on God to elevate us if we will take care of humble ourselves.
How do we humble ourselves and acquire the mind of Christ? We must firmly resolve to consider, comprehend, and embrace Jesus’ philosophy in order to put on the mentality of Christ; we must take up his attitudes and ideals. His focus on meekness and humility, as well as his own example, must permeate our thoughts, desires, and behavior. We must respect his humility and aspire to possess it ourselves. Since it is impossible for us to alter our hearts on our own, we must fervently and consistently pray for the Holy Spirit to do so. Jesus’ admonition for men and women to humble themselves is another thing we must comprehend. We learn that Jesus and the apostles used the Greek word tapeinos, which means “having a right view of ourselves before God and others.” Humility is having a realistic view of who we are in front of God and other people, whereas pride is an elevated view of who we are in respect to others. We must avoid having an overly positive (or negative) self-perception. Instead, we need to be truthful and practical about ourselves and what we are.
What is a proper self-perception? Although specifics will differ from person to person, we all share some characteristics. According to Hebrews 9:27, we are God’s creatures—small, restricted, reliant, mentally and physically weak, prone to sin, and about to die and face God’s wrath. What do you have that you did not receive, Paul asks the Corinthians? Why do you brag as though you didn’t receive it if you did receive it? (1 Corinthians 4:7). It’s crucial that we remind ourselves of these things often.
Our interactions with others are significantly impacted by having a correct understanding of God and ourselves. “Live in harmony with one another,” Paul continues in the book of Romans. Instead of being arrogant, surround yourself with humble people (Rom. 12:16). “Do not act in a competitive or arrogant manner, but in humility, consider others more important than yourself,” he advised the Philippians. Let everyone consider the interests of others in addition to their own (Phil. 2:3–4). It will shift our focus from self-centeredness to other-centeredness—to serving and caring for others as Jesus did for us—as we choose to put others’ needs and wants ahead of our own. This is an especially potent countercultural evidence of Christ’s presence and rule in our lives in the narcissistic society of modern America.
Humility is, in fact, our best friend. It exposes our hearts to the Spirit of God and intensifies our desire for his word.
The character, temperament, and conduct of a humble servant are developed over time. In that you cut off one layer to expose another underlying, it’s like peeling an onion. But it does happen. As we let go of our pride and strive to humble ourselves via daily intentional choices made with the help of the Holy Spirit, humility grows inside our souls. When he declared, “Humility cannot be acquired in a few months: it is the work of a lifetime,” Fenelon was spot on. In God’s view, it is likewise a valuable virtue, and people who practice it will ultimately be glorified.
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