Understanding Pride
Pride is a high opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority. It is also a dignified sense of what is due to oneself, one's position, or character.
Pride has infected all humans in varying degrees. Through pride, Satan, originally the guardian angel of God, fell and became the devil (Isaiah 14:12-14). Satan then used an appeal of pride to entice Adam and Eve to rebel against God so that they could become "like God" (Genesis 3:4-5).
Pride entices a person to exalt himself or to bring others low for the sake of comparative advantage or superiority. It is essentially competitive and wickedly deceptive. Prideful people have difficulty recognizing their own pride, while being keenly aware of pride in others. The opposite of pride is humility.
C.S. Lewis wrote, "According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere flea bites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind."
Dangerous Results of Pride
Pride produces destructive results in your life, your relationships, and your walk with God. Here are the primary dangers:
Distorted Views of Self and God
We all fall short when compared to a holy God. Pride works to minimize your own depravity and/or deny God's holy nature. God must be moved to the periphery, His character distorted, His authority discounted, or His word discredited to make room for self-importance.
Idolatry
Mankind was made to worship and serve God only. Pride shifts your focus from God to pursue that which exalts yourself, serves your own will, and affirms your own importance. You become your own god.
Depravity Resulting in Destruction
When personal desires and glory are predominant, you become dependent on what affirms your self-importance. Addictions and destructive patterns form when you pursue significance or cope with failure apart from Christ.
Stunted Spiritual and Relational Growth
Your pride closes your mind to feedback and makes you unteachable. You become self-absorbed, won't admit mistakes, shift blame, and place your desires above others' welfare. You deny your need for growth, correction, and repentance.
Shame and Self-Condemnation
A prideful person finds it very hard to accept their desperate need for grace. They perceive themselves to be above sin or hold themselves to a higher standard than God, saying "I can't forgive myself" even when God forgives them.
False Humility
When caught in sin, a prideful person may confess, but continue to sin when they think no one notices. They may serve others, but congratulate themselves for their humility, or want recognition for their act of service.
Self-Disparagement
When a prideful person falls short of their own standards, they may tell themselves, "I'm worthless, unlovable, a failure, too broken, unforgiveable..." because their self-worth is based on meeting their own expectations rather than receiving God's grace.
Biblical Insights on Pride and Humility
Pride Will Lead to Your Downfall
Pride is not a small character flaw—it is the root of destruction. God warns us clearly that pride comes before a fall, and that those who exalt themselves will be humbled.
"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."
— Proverbs 16:18
"One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor."
— Proverbs 29:23
God Is Holy and You Are a Great Sinner
God is holy, and you are a great sinner in need of His grace and mercy. Only Christ's righteousness can justify you before God. The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector illustrates this perfectly.
"[Jesus] told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 'Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get. But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner! I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.'"
— Luke 18:9-14
You Were Made to Serve and Exalt God Alone
Your life is not your own. You were created to worship, serve, and glorify God. When you attempt to live for yourself, you violate your very purpose.
"Then Jesus said to [Satan], 'Be gone, Satan! For it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'"
— Matthew 4:10
"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."
— 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Humility and Service Lead to Life
Abiding with Christ to love and humbly serve God above all others leads to true life. Humility is not weakness; it is strength submitted to God. Jesus is our ultimate example of humility.
"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"
— Micah 6:8
"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."
— Philippians 2:3-8
You Are Significant Because You Are Significant to God
Your significance does not come from what others think of you or from your accomplishments. Your significance comes from the fact that you matter to God—the One whose opinion is the only one that truly matters.
"But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me."
— 1 Corinthians 4:3-4
Next Steps Toward Humility and Freedom
- Shift your focus to God. Spend time reading His Word. Ask Him to reveal His nature and your nature. Understanding God's holiness and His love for you (a great sinner) brings genuine humility (Philippians 3:7-11).
- Recognize symptoms of pride in yourself. Are you critical of others? Are you defensive when someone points out sin? Do you quickly notice pride in others? Do you look for others' approval more than God's? Are you insecure? Do you take advantage of God's grace? Do you think your sin is greater than God's grace?
- Ask people who know you well if they see pride in you. Pride is deceptive. Just because you don't see pride doesn't mean it is not there (Proverbs 27:6, Proverbs 18:1). Be willing to hear the truth from trusted friends.
- Confess and repent quickly when you recognize pride or its symptoms. Don't delay. As soon as you become aware of prideful thoughts or actions, bring them to God in repentance (James 5:16, Proverbs 29:23).
- Ask God to humble you. Pray for genuine humility that comes from understanding your need for God and His grace (Psalm 51:17, Matthew 5:3-9). Be willing to be humbled by God.
- Follow Christ's example as a servant. Jesus is the ultimate model of humility and servanthood. Study His life and ask Him to work His character into you (Philippians 2:3-8, Mark 10:45).
- Fulfill your purpose in Christ. Instead of pursuing your own glory, pursue God's purpose for your life. You were designed for something greater than self-promotion (Ephesians 2:10, Galatians 2:20, John 17:3-4).
- Praise God in all things—even weaknesses that humble you and cause you to depend on Him. Your weakness is an opportunity to experience God's strength. Rejoice in your need for Him (2 Corinthians 12:7-9, Romans 5:2-5).
Freedom Through Humility
If pride has been a driving force in your life—if you've spent years trying to prove your worth, defending your reputation, comparing yourself to others, and struggling to accept your need for help and grace—know that there is freedom available to you. That freedom comes when you surrender your life to Christ and embrace your true identity as a beloved child of God who is completely dependent on His grace. When you stop fighting to prove yourself and start resting in who God says you are, you experience a peace that pride never offered. Your weaknesses become opportunities to experience God's strength. Your failures become invitations to rely on Christ's righteousness. Your need for humility becomes the gateway to true greatness—the greatness of serving God and others rather than yourself. Take the step. Ask God to show you your pride. Listen to those who love you. Repent. And allow Christ to remake you into His image, characterized by humility, service, and love. That is where true freedom and significance are found.