Biblical Answers for Pride
Overcoming Pride Through
Faith
Pride is a self-defense mechanism to compensate for feelings of inferiority or worthlessness. In one ditch on the side of the road to health are feelings of inferiority and on the other side is the ditch of pride. King Nebuchadnezzar was the greatest of the Babylonian kings. His name means, “Nebo is the protector from misfortune.” It is the job of our self to protect us and insure that our needs are met. Because pride extols the self over God and takes credit for what God has done, God resists it and gives grace to the humble. A humble person is one that rightly evaluates himself and sees that God made him, has given him what he has, has promoted him; and therefore, he is completely dependent on God.
1. The temptation to be
proud comes when we think things are going good for us or when we are
feeling insecure. As we have
seen, Nebuchadnezzar stands for the self.
He was at rest and flourishing.
Da 4:4 I Nebuchadnezzar was
at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace:
2. God warns us against
pride. People of the world
(the wisemen of Babylon) cannot understand the warnings against pride (the
dream), since they also rely totally on themselves and are proud of what
they accomplish.
Da 4:5 I saw a dream which
made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head
troubled me. 6 Therefore made I a
decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might
make known unto me the interpretation of the dream. 7
Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the
soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known
unto me the interpretation thereof.
3. The spirit, which includes our conscience, will warn us against pride. Here Daniel stands for our spirit as indicated in the verses below. We will have conviction in our spirit when we begin to brag or act arrogantly.
Da 4:9
O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit
of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the
visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.
4. The temptation to be
proud begins with a false
evaluation of our importance to ourselves and others.
Da 4:10 Thus were the visions of mine
head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the
height thereof was great.
Da 4:13 I saw in the visions of my
head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from
heaven;
6. Because God still cares for us,
he will give us a chance to recover if we will repent and turn from our
pride. Iron usually stands for irresistible power and brass stands
for shame. Grass stands for weakness and instability. Dew stands
for gracious refreshing blessings. Therefore, these verses are telling
us that God’s power to put down pride is irresistible and ends in our shame.
He makes the proud person feel weak and unstable, but showers him with
gracious refreshing when he repents. Instead of being brilliant, he
will find himself acting more like an animal just meeting the basest of
needs. Seven stands for completeness. God’s judgment of pride
will end when it has been completely irradiated.
Da 4:15 Nevertheless leave the stump
of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender
grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his
portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth:
7. God resists pride so that we realize that we cannot be our own God; and that promotion comes from God, not from our own intelligence or efforts. God can accomplish his wishes even through the basest of men if he chooses to do so. As we know, at one point God even used a donkey to speak for Him. (Numbers 22:28)
Da 4:17 This matter is by the decree
of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent
that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men,
and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of
men.
8. When the human spirit realizes
that the self is about to be humbled because of pride, it is distraught.
This humbling seems to the spirit (Daniel) as a negative event to be wished
on one’s enemies.
Da 4:18 This dream I king
Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the
interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not
able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the
spirit of the holy gods is in thee.
9. If we fall into pride, we will be
humbled. Complete recovery requires that we realize that we are
weak as grass “that passesth away,” we exist only by the grace of God (dew),
we grow our faith in God (hair), and we become strong in Him (claws).
Da 4:33 The same hour was the thing
fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass
as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were
grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.
10. We have real understanding only when
we realize who we are in God’s sight and thank God for all that He has done
for us. We must realize that all of us are really nothing without
God and that we do not have a right to question anything He does.
Da 4:34 And at the end of the days I
Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding
returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured
him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his
kingdom is from generation to generation:
11. When we confront our pride and
repent, God will restore and uplift us (our self) again, since we are now
willing to obey God and rely on Him in faith.
Da 4:36 At the same time my reason
returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and
brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me;
and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto
me.
Steps for Overcoming Pride
1. We must understand that pride is a self-defense
mechanism against
2. We must realize that pride is a statement to God that
we can handle
3. God sees pride as a very serious sin, because it is the
sin of rebellion which was authored by Satan when he led a third of the
angels to rebel against God.
4. Therefore, God actively resists proud people and gives
unmerited favor to those who humble themselves. Humility is not
putting ourselves down but an honest evaluation of ourselves from God’s
point of view.
5. Prideful people believe the lie of the world that their
worth is based on their performance, and they are deluding themselves that
who they are and what they do on this earth is of great value without God.
The Bible states that those who compare themselves with others are not wise.
6. If we do not repent and humble ourselves immediately,
we will bring
7. Until we realize that our very existence, everything we
have, and even
8. We must repent, ask for forgiveness, give all the glory
to God, and
For a videos on this subject select the link below:
1. Overcoming pride by faith (Faith Therapy Lesson 8) [Start 37:40]
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