A look at pride in the Bible and how Christians today can overcome it.
An article discussing pride in the Bible and its presence in modern-day times. Let’s get started.
When we think of someone who’s bound by pride, we think of someone arrogant, boastful, selfish, and entitled.
But, pride is tricky and it’s talented at hiding…even in the person with the best of intentions. It’s especially hard for one to see pride in themselves. It was just a few weeks ago that I was calling out someone else’s pride that God started to reveal the pride that lied within my own heart.
Every time I prolonged a discussion instead of admitting my wrongs. Every time my type A personality tried to figure it out on my own pushing through with sheer will. Every time I became frustrated asking God why He didn’t do something with an unseen sense of entitlement.
And every time I judged someone for making a choice I thought I wouldn’t have made, pride was rearing its head. Does this sound familiar to you?
Jesus warns us to check our hearts before pointing out the sins of others.
Matthew 7:3-5 (NIV)
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
It’s a hard pill to swallow when our pride is brought before our eyes. It often further reveals itself when we try to deny it or make excuses for it. This makes pride one of the deadliest of sins.
But, don’t worry. Just as God is teaching me, I want to share with you so that we can both grow closer to God and live the life He intended for us.
In this article, we will take a deep dive into the spirit of pride with the goal of allowing the Holy Spirit to uproot it from our hearts. It’s easier to fight the enemy once he’s in plain sight. Hope you’re ready.
What does pride mean biblically?
Like its evil cousins, the deadly sins of envy and jealousy, pride wreaks havoc on anyone it enters. But, to understand the sin and remove it from the heart, we must first define it.
Brittanica defines sinful pride as “an excessive love of one’s excellence” that can lead to more sin and sinful behavior.
The Bible defines it in a warning from Romans 12:13 (NIV),
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
Thinking of oneself more highly than one should equals pride. I must say this is not to be confused with having high self-esteem. God wants you to think well of yourself as the beautiful creation he molded with His own hands and breathed into.
If the difference isn’t clear, keep reading.
Why is pride a deadly sin?
Pride is very deceitful. Pride says I accomplished this and I did that…..emphasis on the “I’s.”
But, a prideful person would do well to know that they can accomplish nothing without God. Pride gives the false sense of security that we can stand on our own ground which is rocky, unsustainable, and humanly flawed. The prideful person doesn’t realize that it’s God’s firm foundation that is required for the journey ahead.
This is why the Bible warns that pride comes before the Fall. This makes pride extremely dangerous and why it qualifies as one of the 7 deadly sins (but make no mistake, all sin is sin in God’s eyes).
Pride can and will lead to the demise of relationships, callings/destinies, and life. To fully understand the spirit of pride, let’s take a look at some examples from the Bible.
Examples of pride in the Bible
Lucifer AKA Satan
When the Bible tells us that all lies and negative things come from Satan, pride is no exception. Satan was the first to be consumed by it and the first to suffer the punishments for it.
Satan’s issue (and it’s his issue still to this day) is that He thought he could be above God. Why should God get all the glory? Satan thought he could do it better.
He didn’t just want a piece of the pie. He wanted the whole pie and this led to his rebellion in heaven and ultimately his downfall.
He knows he could never win the battle against God. However, his pride won’t allow him to repent or surrender. He chooses to take out his wrath on God’s creation to hurt God with what God cares about most….us.
He spreads pride, envy, and fear wanting it to seep in and corrupt us pulling us away from the Lord. Thus, we must guard our hearts and minds against the enemy’s flaming arrows.
Saul
As God elevates me, I find myself praying fervently…..God, please don’t let me make the same mistake that Saul made. Why? Let’s take a brief look at Saul’s story.
You can find it in the Bible starting in 1 Samuel 9. Saul was a Benjaminite who was handsome and as the bible states, taller than anyone else. When the people demanded a king from God, God selected Saul to lead His people.
However, Saul grew ambitious and later disobedient. He chose the praises of the people over the commands of God. His lack of repentance would lead God to take the kingdom from his hands and place it in David’s, a man after God’s heart.
And when God did this, Saul became consumed with sins of envy and jealousy. This led to him trying to end David’s life even though David would not touch God’s anointed.
Feeling lost and desperately trying to hold on to a kingdom God had already taken from him, Saul turned to a medium for answers instead of seeking God’s word.
Saul knew that God was absolutely against this as he had previously banished them from their lands. Leviticus 19:31 states,
Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.
Modern-day Christians are to be aware of this as well in the day of new age Christianity. God and His laws have not changed. They are there for your benefit.
Don’t make the same mistakes that Saul did. He didn’t start the way he ended. It was pride that provided a pedestal for sin to enter his heart. And this led to his fall.
The Pharisees
The Pharisees had the self-righteous type of pride. They were so “righteous” in standing with God they didn’t see the pride lurking within and God’s rejection of it.
Take a look at Luke 18:9-14 (NIV),
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable:
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Christians today must be careful of self-righteousness under which pride hides. One may think they’re representing God, but all it does is push others away with a sense that they don’t belong, they could never be right with God, or they don’t want to be associated with the self-righteous.
And since the prideful self-righteous person is associating themselves with God, they don’t want to be associated with God either. This is unfortunate as it’s a gross misrepresentation of who God is and what He stands for.
Forgiveness, love, redemption, and humility which are some of the pillars of the Gospel of Jesus are not found in the self-righteous.
Consequences of Pride in the Bible
We can take a lesson from all of the characters above about the repercussions of pride. Satan, Saul and all of the other characters in the Bible who were riddled with pride suffered the same fate.
They fell and they fell hard.
Satan, one of the most beautiful and gifted angels was kicked out of Heaven and is destined for eternity in Hell. Saul lost his kingdom and most of all the favor of God in his life.
Pride has no good outcomes. It can be hard to identify, yet the consequences are grave.
So in the next section, I’ll share some tips on how to reveal the spirit of pride and kill it once and for all.
You can do this. After all, you are a child of God.
How to overcome pride biblically
1. Confess the spirit of pride: In order to fight something you must identify it. But, it would be prideful to think we could get rid of it on our own. Confess the sin to God and then ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
2. Humble yourself before God: Humility is the opposite of pride and it’s the most effective cure. Admit when you’re wrong without resentment, be teachable and accept correction for what it is….the opportunity for you to grow.
Remember Matthew 23:12
For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
3. Capture every thought and make it obey Christ: Essentially guard your heart. Think about what you’re thinking about. When thoughts that do not align with God come (and they will), cast them down quickly.
4. Cast your care: Worry is pride. I didn’t realize this until I heard a sampling of one of Joyce Meyer’s sermons on social media. Trust God instead of yourself to solve your problems
5. Prayer & Quiet Time with God: Spending time with God is the best way to develop a heart like His.
John 1:5 (NIV) states,
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6. Have a thankful heart: With a thankful heart, you are always keenly aware that your life, family, talents, and possessions are yours because God ordained it so. Nothing happened because of something you did but by God’s sovereign choice.
7. Remember God as He elevates you: Don’t make the same mistakes that cost Saul.
8. Practice selflessness: Be able to see others and not just yourself and your needs. I remember at one point in my life, I felt like things were just being taken from me, which included time and money. But, God helped me to see a different perspective and I want to share it with you. God will never leave you nor forsake you. While you’re taking care of others in your human strength, He’s taking care of you in His. As you humble yourself pouring into what He’s called you to, He will pour into you all the more. You will always have more than enough.
Final thoughts on the deadly sin of pride in the Bible.
The spirit of pride can cause catastrophic damage to the lives of those it inhabits. It’s not always easily identifiable, it’s often attached to one’s self-esteem and it often cascades into other sins to protect itself.
In this article, we have unmasked it by providing the biblical definition of pride along with examples of pride from scripture. We have also discussed pride’s consequences as well as a few tips on how you can overcome it.
I hope this has shed light on the spirit of pride and pushed you closer into the arms of Jesus. Let me know what you think in the comments.
Until next time,
-Dr. Jay.
Related article
Being a child of God: What the enemy doesn’t want you to know
How to overcome the sin of envy and jealousy
A lesson on how to cast your care to the Lord and live abundantly
