Pride: God’s Ultimate Enemy

Look behind almost anything ‘ungodly’ and you’ll find pride. Pride is the opposite of humility. It’s the enemy of vulnerability. Pride says “I’ve got this”. And pride is what sent Satan to hell.

What?

Yep. Think about it. Here’s this spiritual being who’s right there with God. In His inner-most circle. Maybe like His COO. His “Executive Pastor”. His Vice President. The number two guy.

But pride…by definition, doesn’t want to be number two. Pride wants to be in charge. Pride wants autonomy (which belongs to God alone). Pride always wants more. Pride wants to be number one. So he (name of Lucifer) launches his campaign to unseat His boss. He convinces Adam and Eve to join his cast. He says…”your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5). They ‘bite’ and instantly, pride infects humanity and the struggle begins.

Mark Buchanan, The Rest of God…..

“One thing stops God dead in his tracks. It’s paltry and flimsy, but tenacious enough to shatter all God’s advances. Even grace, abounding in our sin, cannot break it. I speak of pride. Pride usurps God. Pride inverts the universe’s deepest truth: that we need and serve God. Pride gets this exactly backward. Pride is the delusion that God, if he exists, is awfully lucky I’ve shown up and should mind his p’s and q’s lest I change my mind.”

Think about your GPS device. Most times when we buckle up, we know where we’re going and how to get there. But when we’re not sure…maybe we’ve only been there once, we plug in the address and start listening to the “voice”. Then we think “This doesn’t look right.” We start to question. Should we call? Should we pull over and look at the map on the screen? Should we (God forbid) turn around? That’d be like admitting weakness. Like confessing we don’t have what it takes. Like actually expressing our need for help. Ugh!

Think of pride like a “voice”. Pride’s voice says “Keep going. You’re right, she’s wrong. Stand your ground. Your boss doesn’t need to know. You’ve got this. It’ll work out. You’ve got what it takes. You don’t need help. You don’t need anyone!”

Does that sound like God’s voice? Like what Jesus would say? Like the Holy Spirit? Like humility?

No.

Check out this famous verse from Chronicles 7

“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (vs. 14).

God’s “voice” takes us to humility. It reminds us that we’re His. That we’re called by His name. That He hears us from heaven.  That He forgives and heals.

When you feel pride swelling up inside, when pride’s “voice” starts pumping you up, stop and call on Jesus. Choose humility.

Question: Have you found a way to battle pride? Share it here!