GOD WILL OPPOSE YOU
God RESISTS THE PROUD!
Here are some descriptors of Pride. Stop at each one and examine yourself to see if you may recognize any of these in operation in your own life:
• self sufficiency
• independence
• self-righteous
• boastfulness
• superiority
• does not listen well
• stubborn
• not eager to learn
• not quick to admit wrong
• competitive
• easily threatened
• insecure
Let us now look at a few verses that tell us God’s viewpoint on pride:
James 4:6
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
I Peter 5:5b
“All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Proverbs 29:23
Solomon said, “A man’s pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.”
Psalms 18:27
“You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.”
Spiritual victory cannot be gained until pride is revealed — and put to death.
A quality that cannot exist with love is pride… So, if you are having a problem with loving someone, first look to the possibility that pride could be an issue.
Is pride at work somewhere? And no, I am not speaking of the “other person’s pride” — for you will naturally first focus there. (smile) How about your own?
I don’t know about you, but I do not desire God to oppose me… or to resist me. Do you?
Hmm… You don’t think He will?
Look at these powerful scriptures:
Prov 8:13
“To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.”
Prov 16:5
“The Lord detests the proud in heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.”
Well, if God hates it… and He says it won’t go unpunished… who are we to argue with these facts?
I would rather choose to humble myself, than to have myself “humbled” by God or another person.
I would rather have God lift me up and bring resolution to any issue that arises.
This includes putting a watch over my tongue, for slander and gossip is indeed a form of pride:
Psalms 101:5
“Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure.”
Slander and pride are likely to backfire on us:
Prov 11:2
“When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.”
I’ll take this a step further: Gay Pride and other forms of pride such as all in the LGBTQ community exhibit, that smack straight into the face of God disregarding The Creator’s Plan For Man, as given us in scripture, will one day be humbled.
“Why do the heathen rage? and the people imagine a vain thing?” Psalm 2 tells of God’s response! He looks at their efforts as in vain, laughing because man thinks he can plot against God with any hope of success, and calmly moves forward in the execution of his own purposes.
Isaiah 2:17
“The arrogance of man will be brought low, and the pride of men humbled; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.”
In closing, I humbly post this, just to shed light upon this area of resistance in many of God’s people’s lives. The love of the Lord is working in us all, through the Holy Spirit, to crucify PRIDE every day in our lives. Let us choose to be humble, and to obey him in this. So, we won’t have to be humbled… later…
The world may look upon believers who stand against “those in pride against God”, as having pride… but just the opposite is true. They desire them to surrender to God, so they do not have to receive the judgment of God.
Satan is deceiving too many people. But Holy Spirit is at work in the hearts of God’s people to dispel lies and bring light into the darkness all around us. Amen! We each start by ridding our own selves of pride, through repentance, that God’s grace can manifest then through us.
If you have not invited Christ to be Your Savior from sin, realize that when you do, He will then be “at work within you” giving you his divine nature, which is “meek and lowly”, and as you yield to Him, you are able to resist pride by simple choice. No sin is beyond the grace of God when repented of and turned from. Hallelujah!
My prayer is that those who have lifted their hearts in pride against the Lord will repent and know His Blessings and not his judgment. This will take humility, but as you look again at James 4:6 and I Peter 5:5b, we see God gives grace to the humble!
Thank you, Lord, that you are able to undo even a lifestyle of pride that many live at the present time… and are able to recreate their lives. You are amazing In Grace! And your blood is a powerful eraser! You know how to give new fresh beginnings to those who humble themselves before you. Take our pride and give us true humility… which is awareness of who we are in the light of how magnificent you are! Truly there is no comparison.