634b. Difficulties for the Proud. Aug 3, 2025

Key Scripture: James 4:6 & Proverbs 29.23

James 4.6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Prov 29.23 A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.

Relevance

Every believer has or has had to deal with pride. Pride is a prison cell that the proud don't realise they are in, and the key to the cell door is nothing less than prostrated repentance.

The Lord asks many things of a believer. We're on a long walk home to glory, and following our Saviour's footsteps requires contemplation, meditation, and a lot of correction. But pride blinds us to anything humble, because we already think we're humble. If you think you are humble, you're probably not! 

Changes must take place within us as we continually mould ourselves into the likeness of Jesus Christ. Yet, those changes won't occur with prideful people. God resists the proud. That corrective scripture from James is to the Church—to those disciples who want to grow in the Spirit and become all they can in Christ. 

When we're prideful, we're more susceptible to lust and the shiny trinkets of sin. They sparkle much brighter in the reflection of the ego. 

The proud dismiss many of the sayings of Jesus, because they say, "I am already someone to be admired!"The proud have their own beatitudes, "Blessed am I, because I am poor in spirit; thankfully I am so meek; I'm no longer thirsty for righteousness, because I live such a righteous life; I'm so merciful and pure in heart that I astound myself; I would make peace with people but too many of them disagree with me; and I am so persecuted because they disagree with me!

Way back in Leviticus 26:19, God warned the Israelites that if they went off track from what He had prescribed, He would break the pride of their power; and I will make their heaven as iron, and their earth as brass:

Have you got the idea that God doesn't like pride?

Proverbs 16:5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD. The selfish works of pride are an abomination to the living God, as they point in the opposite direction to the Cross. 

As I mentioned in the previous post, if you feel you have any pride within you, release it into the wild and never summon it back into your life. 

How do you know if you have it? You will find yourself belittling or removing God's or Jesus' commandments.

For a simple exercise, consider the following three examples.

1. Paul encourages us in Romans 14:13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.

2. In V15, he instructs us again. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.

3. Jesus commands us in Matthew 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them:

A proud person would struggle to obey these tenets. They might begin well, but it wouldn't be long before pride clashed with the humility requirements to heed. He would end up doing what he chose because that is the nature of the proud. That attitude neither works in the Church nor with the Church family for too long. Sooner or later, division comes.

This is enough to convince us that it's a good routine to keep an eye on our behaviour and thoughts. They reveal what is in our hearts. 

All the best with your evaluations, and me with mine!

Prayer

Dear Lord, pride ruins so many relationships. Please help us identify any of it and assist us in properly repenting and removing it in Jesus' name, and following your will in obedience. 

Photo by Timo Wagner