Chapter 6: Overcome Pride, Cling to Humility

#53 The Inside Story

Discipleship Level 2: Reaching Beyond Mediocrity

By Paul J. Bucknell

Introduction to Chapter 6

Overcome Pride, Cling to Humility

God is speaking. Is anyone listening? The Lord provides the path to experience a Spirit-filled life. Learn how to successfully combat the fiercest enemy out there—pride. “God is opposed to the proud...” (James 4:6). We commit all sorts of sins, but pride keeps us from repentance, which is ultimately the thing that helps us heal. Man’s arrogance forms a wall that keeps him from finding reconciliation.

People are reluctant to recognize the sin of pride even though it can be seen in every aspect of their lives. This spiritual arrogance creeps up everywhere, even in the most holy places, such as in prayer, making donations, or while worshiping the Lord.

Pride ruins a person’s chances at finding God, no matter how religious they are. How amazing it is, then, that God reaches out to such a collection of prideful people. Paul the apostle says, “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners among whom I am foremost of all” (1 Timothy 1:15).

Fortunately, God intervenes in our lives for His glory. Only by understanding pride and taking steps to seek humility can we find restoration. “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). So how does man find his way back to God? In this lesson we will further study the nature and problem with pride but also learn how to overcome it.

#53 The Inside Story

Introduction

• Where did pride begin? After taking a brief look at the history of pride, we observe how it has been perpetuated down through the ages into our very own hearts and lives.

Showed Up in the Garden

The problem of pride, as far as mankind is concerned, showed up in the beautiful Garden of Eden. The serpent was well aware of the issue of pride for he himself fell because of his pride. Lucifer, Satan’s former name, meant light. It most likely reflected the glorious character and position God gave to him.

He was the greatest of God’s creatures but came to think himself equal with, and thus deserving of, God’s glory. This was Satan’s fall into darkness, and God appropriately judged him.

Corruption of the Best

Two chapters describe Lucifer’s downfall, Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28. Each is subtly placed in a prophecy toward a proud country. Isaiah 14 depicts Babylon’s pride, whereas Ezekiel 28 illustrates Tyre’s arrogance. Most stunning is the judgment, “You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor.”

Thus says the Lord GOD, “You had the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 “You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: the ruby, the topaz, and the diamond... And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you... 17 “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your

wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, that they may see you” (Ezekiel 28:12-17).

The Susceptibility of Greatness

Greatness of any kind makes a person, creature, or nation more susceptible to pride. If a person comes to think highly of himself apart from God’s purpose, design, and power, pride has settled in. This corruption of Lucifer’s thoughts transformed him into Satan, the evil one. Deceived by his pride and aggressively seeking affirmation of his delusion, he uses his resources to draw others into pride by placing tempting thoughts into their minds.

Satan took his newly found pride and found a way to insert it into Adam and Eve, thus poisoning the human race. Now, just like Satan, mankind is willing to think his own thoughts and ways as better than their Maker God’s. One thing is clear: pride seeks to possess more and more of our hearts and eventually destroy us—often without noticing the decay of our beings. As God’s people, redeemed from the curse of pride, we need to be on high alert to keep us far from arrogance. And if pride has settled in, we must eliminate it.

Points of Reflection

Why is pride one of man’s worst enemies?

What is so amazing about 1 Timothy 1:15?

Explain how pride began.

How does any perceived greatness become a place pride can exploit?