Dangers of Pride

Now Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel. 1 Chronicles 21:1 (NKJV)

In an act of pride that was prompted by Satan, David sins by numbering Israel's fighting men, which demonstrated a reliance on human strength and a lack of trust in God. His military commander, Joab, knew that David was sinning and warned him that his sin was going to bring trouble to Israel. King David chose to let his pride control him and ignored Joab's warning, forcing him to go with the plan to number Israel. David's sin caused a plaque to go throughout Israel, killing seventy thousand men, and also causing the partial destruction of Jerusalem.

Just like David, pride in our lives is considered the "root of all sin," because it elevates us above God, fosters arrogance, and leads to spiritual and moral downfall. 1 John 2:16 says, “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.” Pride is not from God, but from Satan, who uses it to bring us down and sin against God. Like David, pride blinds us and keeps us from listening to the warnings that a brother or sister in Christ, until we are humbled by God. Jesus says in Luke 14:11, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Choose to have a spirit of humility and reject the prideful thoughts that Satan puts in your head. When you have a mindset of humility that imitates Jesus, it is harder for pride to control you. Do a self-evaluation daily and ask yourself, where have I been prideful? Make amends promptly for any prideful actions. Be willing to listen to other believers who may warn you about prideful acts and be willing to humble yourself. Pride is a dangerous sin, and when we let Jesus be our example, pride does not get a foothold.