About a month ago, I was asked by a dear Sister in Christ to do a teaching at her church on the Spirit of Pride as part of a series that was being conducted on spiritual warfare. I have said on more than one occasion that Father God has a great sense of humour and here again He proved my point. Who better to teach on pride than one who has struggled with it in one form or another and the struggle goes on. In fact, it is my own journey that has revealed to me the many faces of pride, some so subtle that if you are not careful you will mistake it for something else. Truth be told, pride is a sin that all Christians struggle with whether you want to admit it or not. It is one of those all-pervasive sins, like fear, that if not conquered will hinder the fulfilment of all that God has purposed and planned for your life. I believe that, except for my series on Holiness, this is the most important series I will publish. Topics to be covered will be: the importance of pride, the nature of pride, the consequences of pride, the many faces of pride and overcoming pride. May you be transformed by the renewing of your mind as you yield yourself to all that the Holy Spirit wants to minister to you as we go on this journey together.

The Importance of Pride

To fully understand the importance of pride we need only look at the Father’s heart.

These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 
A proud look, a lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren. (Proverbs 6:16-19)

Pride is an abomination to God. The word ‘abomination’ means causes disgust or loathing, a disgrace, an outrage, evil, an atrocity, an obscenity, a curse, a torment. Notice in these verses, pride is the first abomination mentioned. It comes even before ‘hands that shed innocent blood’. This is the degree to which God hates pride. If we think about it, many times pride is at the root of many of the other abominations mentioned.

Pride was Satan’s cardinal sin. This is the sin that caused him to be cast out of heaven, out of God’s presence.

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. (Isa. 14:12-14, emphases mine)

Jesus was there in heaven and testified of what He saw.

And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” (Luke 10:18)

Pride was the first sin recounted in the scriptures. We see in Genesis 3:5, that Satan beguiled Eve to disobey God by appealing to her pride.

For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. (Gen. 3:5, emphasis mine)

In both cases, Satan and Eve, we see that the essence of pride is wanting to be our own god. Thinking we can do the same as or better than God. Thinking we know as much as or even more than God.

Pride is at the root of most of the problems in society and, yes I will say it, in the church. Marketers understand man’s innate nature that is called the ‘pride of life’ and use it as a prime marketing tool.

For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world. (1 John 2:16)

Next time, we will delve deeper into the nature of pride.

Shalom.