Anyone who lays a strong emphasis on the word “I” is a proud person. Satan lost his beautiful position in heaven because of “I”. Anyone who intends to satisfy God must be humble; his emphasis must be in “Him” (That is, in Christ Jesus!)
Satan is a prime example of pride. He initiated pride and fell for the sake. Satan lost his position in heaven because of pride.
“And war broke out in heaven… So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Revelation 12:7-9).
Just as Satan is an example of pride so is Jesus an example of humility.
Jesus Christ is the prime example of humility. He humbled himself and was willing to do the will of God at all costs. (Revelation 5:1-4; Philippians 2:5-8). Therefore, God awarded him the highest honor as the king of the entire universe (earth and heaven inclusive).
“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven, on earth, and under the earth…” (Philippians 2:9-11).
God debased Satan to the lowest part of the earth with a promise to eternally condemned him to hell fire on the last day.
Be humble! Aspire to live your life in Christ Jesus; train your mind to declare, “I am what I am by the grace of God!”
Emulate Jesus Christ who is the prime example of humility.
Make humility your lifestyle to enjoy God’s premium benefits in every aspect of your life.
See some questions and answers on Pride versus Humility:
What did Satan lose as a result of pride?
He was instantly judged by God and condemned to a permanent place of punishment called hell fire.
“…The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone… will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:10).
He was banished in heaven and cast to the earth pending his permanent punishment of hell fire.
“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!… you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit” (Isaiah 14:12-15).
He became a “Lesser Personality” to all creatures. (Revelation 12:11; Isaiah 14:15).
“Those who see you will gaze at you… saying: ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble… But you are cast out of your grave Like an abominable branch… Like the garment of those who are slain… Like a corpse trodden underfoot” (Isaiah 14:15-17).
What did Jesus Christ gain as a result of humility?
He was awarded the highest authority in the universe – The King!
“And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!” (Revelation 5:13).
He became the only channel of salvation for mankind.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).
Paul used his personal experience to analyze how Satan can manipulate anyone into pride through personal achievement.
The enemy can trick someone to mistake God’s grace and blessing as mere fruits of human labor (which is a practice detested by God). Paul used his life as an example and said,
“…And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).
Lesson on Pride of achievement
God created humanity to depend on him. He wants us to look up to him for every help that we need.
Even when we have adequate provisions, God still wants us to gratify whatever we have towards him.
The Creator simply does not want us to be self-sufficient. He is our sufficiency.
Meanwhile, human flesh tends to do the opposite of God’s expectations.
The flesh wants self-gratification, which makes us prone to Satan’s temptations.
Meanwhile, since we Christians have the Spirit of God in us, we can mortify the desires of the flesh.
We can yield ourselves to the leadership of the Holy Spirit, which will make us satisfy God.
Hence, every child of God should be sensitive not to entertain human gratification that can cause us to sin against God.
(This fact does not negate the fact that we can be thankful of our achievement and have a sense of accomplishment in it).
Prayer Against Pride of achievement
Dear God, please give me the grace to see you in all things that happen in my life.
Let me glorify you in my achievements. Enable me with the courage to honor you with everything I have.
Let your Holy Spirit empower me to live a pleasant life before you always so that I can qualify for more blessings.
For in the name of Jesus Christ I make my requests. Amen.
“Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. He himself shall dwell in prosperity, And his descendants shall inherit the earth” (Psalm 25:12-13 NKJV)).
Pray To Become Rich In God’s Way
Dear God please give me grace to pursue riches that come from you!
Let my efforts be effective towards righteousness.
Do not let me envy the wicked people, or follow their footsteps.
Let my efforts glorify your name in this life to receive abiding success and also qualify for your eternal blessings in heaven.
Jesus Christ established a rule that his disciples must love one another dearly, and every Christian must abide by this rule. Also, the love of God must be paramount in the life of every believer. Jesus Christ emphasized the importance of God’s agape’s love (true love); he stated,
“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:34-35 NLT)
He sent his only Son Jesus Christ to die for the world because of love (John 3:16).
Jesus himself testified that he has remarkable love for his disciples.
He stated, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11NLT).
Jesus also emphasized that all his followers must demonstrate love towards one another (John 13:34-35).
Therefore, anyone who claims to be a Christian and lacks love is yet to understand his or her confession.
Christianity means love, and every Christian must demonstrate love to receive God’s blessings on earth and in heaven.
Prayer on Genuine Love of God
In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray for fellow Christians and myself that God give us the spirit of love.
May the Almighty God empower us to love each other! May the churches put segregation aside to love and serve God with the spirit of unity! May pride, stubbornness, and self-righteous spirits be subdued in Christian fold!
May all children of God feel and experience genuine love of God that is beyond human comprehension!
May it be well for all believers in Christ today, tomorrow, and forevermore! Amen.