When you hear the word “pride,” what comes to mind? In contemporary culture, pride is often lauded as a virtue. We’re encouraged to have “pride in our work” or “school pride.” Self-pride, being true to oneself, is widely affirmed and celebrated. Dictionaries define pride as both “reasonable self-esteem” and “exaggerated self-esteem,” highlighting its dual nature in common understanding.
Indeed, there’s a generally recognized line where pride becomes excessive and detrimental. We see it in classic literature and historical figures. Shakespeare’s Macbeth, consumed by his ambition for power, exemplifies destructive pride leading to his downfall. Napoleon’s arrogance, contributing to his disastrous Russian campaign, serves as another stark example. Even in Milton’s Paradise Lost, Satan’s defiant declaration, “Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven,” encapsulates the ultimate prideful rebellion against divine authority.
However, while modern society may view pride on a spectrum, the Bible presents a fundamentally different perspective. In scripture, pride isn’t just an excess; it’s equated with sin itself.
The Sinister Nature of Arrogant Pride
The book of Proverbs offers profound insights into the nature of wisdom and folly. In Proverbs 8, Wisdom personified calls out, urging people to listen. Verse 13 explicitly states, “The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.” This verse directly links pride with evil, positioning it as something God inherently detests. Proverbs 16:18 further warns, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall,” emphasizing the inevitable consequences of pride.
Jesus himself, in Mark 7, elucidates that defilement originates not from external sources but from within the human heart. Listing a series of internal evils, including pride, He says, “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness” (Mark 7:21–22). This places pride alongside other serious sins, highlighting its corrupting influence within. Theologian Ed Welch aptly describes pride as “one of the foremost ways of describing sin,” underscoring its pervasive and foundational role in sinful behavior.
Pride is frequently identified as the root of the very first sin. Genesis 3 recounts the serpent’s temptation of Eve in the Garden of Eden. The serpent subtly distorted God’s command, suggesting God was withholding something good, preventing Eve from reaching her full potential. When Eve perceived the tree “to be desired to make one wise,” she succumbed to the temptation and ate the forbidden fruit, sharing it with Adam (Genesis 3:6). This act of disobedience, fueled by a desire to be like God, marked humanity’s fall. From that point forward, self-centeredness became ingrained in human nature. We diminish God’s wisdom in our eyes, elevating ourselves above both God and others.
Pride, in its essence, is arrogance. It’s a belief in one’s own superior knowledge and worth. Pride positions itself as the ultimate authority, refusing to submit to anyone but itself. C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity, powerfully describes pride as “spiritual cancer: it eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense.” This potent analogy underscores the destructive and all-consuming nature of pride.
Humility vs. Pride: A Biblical Contrast
The Bible consistently presents humility as the direct antithesis of pride. This contrast is starkly drawn throughout the book of Proverbs:
- “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom” (Prov. 11:2). This proverb directly links pride to shame and humility to wisdom, highlighting their opposing outcomes.
- “Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor” (Prov. 18:12). Here, pride is positioned before destruction, while humility precedes honor, reinforcing the consequences of each.
- “One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor” (Prov. 29:23). This proverb reiterates the humbling nature of pride and the elevating effect of humility.
The proud operate as if they are sovereign rulers of their own lives, while the humble acknowledge their status as created beings under the authority of the King of kings. The fundamental truth is that God is God, and we are not. He created us, and we belong to Him. We are utterly dependent on God for every aspect of our existence – “life, breath, and everything else” (Acts 17:25). Everything we possess, everything we are, is a gift of His grace.
When God humbles the proud, it is an act of His profound grace.
This understanding illuminates why disgrace and dishonor are the natural consequences of pride. While God, in His patience, may temporarily allow us to live under the illusion of self-sovereignty, ultimately, reality will break through. We will inevitably confront the truth of our lack of control. The things we cling to will be stripped away. We will reach the limits of our own strength and resources. Our self-constructed kingdoms will crumble, leaving us with nothing but ourselves. Pride truly comes before a fall.
However, when God humbles the proud, it is not an act of punishment but an act of grace. In that moment of emptiness and brokenness, we are presented with an opportunity to repent, to turn away from pride, and to yield to the transformative work of the Holy Spirit within our hearts. In this surrender, we relinquish our self-proclaimed crowns, bow before the true King, and submit to His loving Lordship.
Cultivating Humility: Putting Off Pride
The Apostle Paul, in his letters, urges believers to emulate Christ in all aspects of life. We are called to live with Christ as our ultimate example. In Philippians 2, Paul calls us to embrace humility, mirroring the humility of Jesus Christ. Jesus, though divine, willingly relinquished the glories of heaven, took on human form, lived a life of perfect obedience, and died a sacrificial death – a death we rightfully deserved. Because of Christ’s redemptive work and the indwelling Holy Spirit, we are empowered to turn away from pride and cultivate humility, valuing others above ourselves.
Paul writes:
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. (Phil. 2:3–8)
This Christ-like humility gives rise to a different kind of “pride” – a righteous pride that is not self-centered. In Romans 15, Paul speaks of his ministry to the Gentiles and states, “In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God” (v.17). Similarly, in Philippians 2:16, after urging the Philippians to humility, Paul expresses his hope to “be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain” on the day of Christ. This is a godly pride in laboring for the Lord and witnessing His work in others. We can express healthy pride in a child’s efforts in school or rejoice in the growth of ministry through God’s grace.
Ultimately, believing we can achieve anything independently of God is the height of arrogance. He is the source of our creation and sustenance. May we continually humble ourselves before the Lord, living in complete dependence on His abundant grace.
This article is part of the Virtues and Vices collection.
