Pride comes from being puffed up in one’s mind resulting in an opinion that is higher than reality, which produces arrogance and disdainful conduct due to this haughty attitude.
It was pride that caused Lucifer to fall from his position within God’s government
Ezekiel 28:17 “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, That they might gaze at you.
When it comes to pride within the Church it is a temptation that will be levied by Satan against a novice who is placed into a position of a Pastor within the assembly. In Paul’s letter to Timothy he warns him not to place a novice into a position of a pastor due to the likelihood that Satan will use pride against him.
not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. – 1 Timothy 3:6
Pride is also a characteristic of a false teacher. One who teaches doctrine that is contrary to godliness
If anyone teaches otherwise and does not come to healthy words, the [words] of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the teaching according to godliness, he is proud, standing upon nothing, but is diseased concerning disputes and arguments out from which come envy, strife, blasphemy, suspicious malignant evils, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose gain is godliness. From such withdraw yourself. Now godliness with contentment is great gain. – 1 Timothy 6:3-6
Pride will also be seen among the unbelievers who stay within the Church.
For men will exist as fond of themselves, fond of money, boasters, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, not pious, without natural affection, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, not friendly of good, traitors, headstrong, prideful, fond of pleasure rather than fond of God, having a form of godliness but denying its inherent ability. And from such people turn away – 1 Timothy 3:2-5
Pride brings nothing good into our world, it only leads to bad things. By pride the novice pastor will fall allowing false teachings and actions within the assembly. Pride will lead a believer to disregard a brother in Christ for their own liberty. By pride those who teach false doctrine subvert the innocent into thinking that gain is godliness. By pride false brethren remain in the church seeking to gain for themselves. It was by pride that Lucifer fell and through this pride he acted independently from God seeking to place himself in a position higher than he belonged. Let us not be ones who hold onto pride, for it is God’s righteousness that gives us the access that we have to Him, not anything we do. Yes, there are times where we can become very good at what we do, but let us never forget, apart from Christ we can do nothing just as the branch cannot produce fruit without the vine.
