Lesson 53. God Resisteth the Proud

It is written in Proverbs 29:23: “A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.”

What image comes to mind when I hear the word “pride”? What do I associate this quality with? Most likely, I imagine a person who holds his nose high and looks at me or those around him with arrogance or contempt. Such people do exist, but they are not encountered very often. But if a person is modest, quiet, speaks softly, and smiles, can he still be proud? How can this be determined?

It is not always worthwhile to analyze the character of other people. There is not much benefit in doing so, for the human heart is deceitful and desperately wicked.

In this lesson and the lessons that follow, we will understand what pride is and what forms it takes. We will look more deeply into our own hearts in order to determine whether pride is present within us.

Pride is the most vile and treacherous sin, for it has the remarkable ability to hide from my sight so that I do not regard it as something evil. I will find a thousand arguments and excuses for all my actions and motives. I will describe any of my feelings and thoughts from the perspective of a humble person, and therefore I will feel no need to repent, because I will see no necessity for it. Most likely, I will accuse everyone around me of the very things of which I myself am guilty, but I will not repent of my own sinfulness. This is the most serious problem of a proud person, because the condition of my heart does not lead me to deep repentance and the abandonment of my sin. And when God’s judgments fall upon me, I agree with God’s justice and bow before Him, acknowledging my guilt, but the proud “self” continues to rebel or justify the sin. And who will deliver me from this carnal mind?

But there is very good news! The blood of Christ is powerful enough to cleanse me from this sin as well, and God’s grace has the power to change my heart. When the Lord, in His great mercy, calls me to repentance by sending me this gift, I should respond and do what He offers me.

Pride is the very first sin, and it arose where there were no grounds for it whatsoever. This is how the prophet Ezekiel describes this event, telling about the creation and fall of Satan by comparing him to the king of Tyrus. Ezekiel 28:12–19: “Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.”

The prophet Isaiah also describes this event, pointing to the cause of sin. Isaiah 14:12–14: “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”

Pride is that very first sin for which there were no grounds, and for which there is and never will be any justification. It binds a person’s will with the iron chains of its grip and holds it in its nets.

One form of pride is haughtiness. Most often, this alone is considered pride. Haughtiness is very noticeable because it manifests itself in extreme arrogance, open revulsion toward one’s neighbor, contempt for someone, conceit, intolerance of correction, and self-confidence. Such people are usually very easy to recognize, and at times they themselves suffer because of who they are and because of their selfishness.

What can contribute to the development of haughtiness? Authority, beauty, wealth, strength, success, knowledge, attachment to possessions, and giftedness. All these attributes are neutral in themselves and contain no evil. Sometimes they are given as blessings from God, but a sinful heart perverts these blessings to its own destruction.

Haughtiness causes dislike and rejection in the people against whom it is directed. It is obvious to everyone. Such a spirit manifests itself very actively and openly.

Love is the complete opposite of haughtiness. It is humble, meek, sensitive, and obedient to God. Such is the nature of a converted person.

When God gives His grace to a sinful heart possessed by the spirit of haughtiness, and the soul responds to this divine call to repentance, the greatest miracle of personal transformation takes place. And all the heavenly powers rejoice over it.

I remember how my first employer, being precisely such a man possessed by immeasurable haughtiness, blew tobacco smoke into my face and laughed at my inability to oppose him in his arrogance. But I prayed for him and did good to him, doing everything from a pure heart. Time passed, and this man developed cancer. I visited him in the hospital. He was a pitiful being with tears in his eyes. God showed mercy and healed this man. But haughtiness returned to him, and we had to part forever. When I attended my employer’s funeral, I learned that his final days had been very difficult because his illness had grown worse, and that he had greatly desired to see me, but for some reason he had not contacted me. It is very sad when people close to us turn away from God and die without any hope of salvation. And sometimes it is haughtiness that hinders them or prevents them from hearing the message that God loves the sinner and saves him from sin. They are ready to listen to anything except God’s quiet call to repentance and the beginning of a new and beautiful life with Christ.

“God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” From pride to humility there is only one step, one effort of the will, and one short prayer, but haughtiness builds a high wall beyond which no light can be seen and nothing can be heard.

Love grieves for such people. It desires to save them and, dreaming of a miraculous repentance, is willing to endure them. One small decision to humble yourself and acknowledge the authority of God, and you are already on the other side. It is so simple and so accessible! But when a person passes the point of no return, it is no longer possible to correct anything. A person standing at the edge of the abyss of sin still has a chance to be saved, but once the leap has been made, there is no way back. The person is still alive, prospering, and has no intention of dying. But the point of no return has been crossed, and nothing can be changed. Satan and his angels are a clear example of this. They are still alive, but they will never repent.

But regarding people, we cannot see this point of no return, and therefore we always call them to a better life with hope.

1. Please read Psalm 101:5; Psalm 138:6; Proverbs 6:16–19; and Revelation 13:5, and consider these passages in the light of our lesson.

2. Did this lesson help you see anything? Please share it.

3. What did you understand from this lesson?

4. What other forms of pride are familiar to you?

5. How can I determine whether I am a proud person? And how can I fight the pride within me?

6. Why is pride the most dangerous sin?