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God’s Hatred of Pride

“Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.” Proverbs 16:5 ESV

Pride turns angels into devils.

Pride deteriorates all that is good. Pride is the most disgusting trait that someone can have. It deems oneself as worthy of all and better than all. It is a trait that turns angels into devils, and it is important that we seek God to pluck it by its roots.


Pride is what led Satan to deception. It was in his pride that he began to see himself better than he actually was. In the midst of his pride, envy took root. He desired what was only rightfully God's: worship. He himself wanted to be worshiped, and in his pride he saw himself 'worthy to be praised'.


It is pride that blinds the eyes of all of us. If we do not take the time to recognize the foolishness of attempting to exalt ourselves above others and God, we will allow pride to damn us.

It is ironic that we hate pride in others, yet we negate looking within ourselves and hating the very pride that we possess.

No one on this earth likes pride, yet multitudes possess it. We have an entire continent of individuals who deem themselves better than others. It is ironic that we hate pride in others, yet we negate looking within ourselves and hating the very pride that we possess.


It is only the genuine born-again believer who can look inside themselves and say, “God, my struggle is pride. I need You to come swiftly and eradicate it from my being. God, help me!” In our desperation, God answers. In our humility, He comes swiftly.


God loves those who are humble, but He despises the proud:

  1. “Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”” James 4:6 ESV

  2. “The Lord lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked to the ground.” Psalm 147:6 ESV

God hates that which destroys those made in His image. God hates sin; specifically, pride. “The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate” (Proverbs 8:13 ESV). It is easy to understand why God despises pride. Since God is the Greatest Conceivable Being, as said by Anselm; since He is Immanent (dwelling in all things) and all things reside within Him (Colossians 1:16-17), He has every right to demand and expect reverence and respect from us.

When humans allow pride to interfere with God, they deny any future blessings from God.

It is when humans allow pride to interfere with God that they deny any future blessings from God. For as pride takes over and deceives, sin will eventually breed. It is in pride that all other sins manifest. For a diluted sense of oneself will result in the illusion that one will be able to do and say anything they please, and get away with it. They will believe that they can live as they choose because they are “better than everyone else.” They will make themselves into an idol and worship themselves. Doing so, sadly, draws men closer to damnation.

Pride makes people into their own idols in which they themselves worship.

It was Hitler who deemed himself superior to all others. Though he is an extreme example, there are many others who allow pride to rule them. Celebrities, businessmen, those on T.V. and radio, rulers, and even regular folk have certain degrees of pride. Though not all struggle with pride, those who do will do one of two things: They will either recognize it and try to fix it, or they will blind themselves to their struggle and allow it to consume them. Sadly, it is the ugliness of pride that negates the ability for the Light of Christ to shine. So long as someone places themselves onto a self-made pedestal, God cannot reign within that individual.

It is the ugliness of pride that negates the ability for the Light of Christ to shine. So long as someone places themselves onto a self-made pedestal, God cannot reign within that individual.

We must, therefore, seek for God to expose any hidden pride that may be within us. As we pray to God, we must trust Him to reveal our weaknesses and faults. As He does so, we must not dwell in guilt. Rather, in humility, we must cry out for deliverance. We must trust that so long as we desire to rid ourselves of pride, God will answer.


First and foremost, we must accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior in order to be born-again. Once we are born-again, it is then in going to God’s Throne that He will help us. “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16 ESV).


When we desire that pride would leave us, God will help. When we refuse to acknowledge pride, it will forever linger. The libertarian free-will decision is up to us. We must not allow this hideous, self-exaltation to take root. We must not allow this to be the tree that grows within us. Instead, we must seek to be delivered from pride by God, in order that we might be vessels who bear good fruit. “So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit” (Matthew 7:17-18 ESV).


May God’s Holy Spirit illuminate within and purify our minds as we seek after that which comes from Him.


PRAYER


O Lord, the spirit of man is Your lamp. Look within and reveal to us our frailties. Shine Your Light on the darkness that lingers within our temples, that we may recognize and repent of our sins. God, we know that through repentance comes deliverance. We are saved by the Blood and made new through the Holy Spirit’s sanctification. We desire for Your will to be done in us, O God. Breathe in us new life. Forgive us where we have been prideful and arrogant. O God, you know that we are naturally wicked. For our hearts are deceitful. Yet, we know, O God, that Christ saves. Christ is our salvation and You, Heavenly Father, are our Fortress. We rest in Your loving arms. Send Holy Ghost fire down from Heaven into our souls. Purge us from pride and sin. We long to walk in humility, in order that all may see You through the way we live. In Jesus’ name, Amen.



Lance VanTine

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