Overcoming Pt 2: Spirit of Pride

April 9, 2025 / Pastor Richard Donald / Proverbs 16:18-25

Overcoming Pt.2 The Spirit of Pride

Proverbs 16:18-25

Each morning, the enemy lays out a strategic attack for our lives. When we are not in a place of discernment, we will fall prey to his tactics. Pride’s attack can tear a gaping hole in the life of the person who yields to its folly. The Bible is clear that God hates pride.

James 4:6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”.

Proverbs 3:34 He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed. It’s listed among four things the Lord hates

Proverbs 8:13 13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride, arrogance, evil behavior, and perverse speech. Pride finds its place among the seven things that are an abomination to God

Proverbs 6:17-19 17haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, ^18a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, ^19a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.

Pride is one of Satan’s chief modes of operation and favorite weapons of warfare because it tempts us to take our eyes off God and place them on ourselves. The enemy has a plan, the battle is real, and we have to be ready. The Father refuses to share His Glory with Anyone. We fall prey to pride when we forget that God does not exist for us, but we exist for Him.

I. Exposing a Prideful Heart

It’s not the pride in what we do well that steals, it’s the pride as a result of who we think we are and what position we exalted ourselves to have.

1. All glory belongs to the Lord
2. It doesn’t take the enemy long to sense our areas of weakness.
3. He studies our actions and reactions to life’s circumstances
4. When we believe in something, our actions must correspond to what we believe
5. With my actions, faith is perfected (act in corresponding actions to confession)
6. Seeking to do your best according to God’s ways and principles will bring focus to your life. Before you know it, your heart will begin to reflect His goodness and humility on those around you. Godly success is when we honor Him with our lives.
7. Nothing can prevent Him from loving us, but pride can certainly keep us from enjoying His Blessings and Goodness. How?
8. This is because pride always lifts itself above others and certainly above God, something He will not abide.
9. How has Pride destroyed Blessings in your life?
Before You Fell, Pride had already Showed Up
1. Many times we yield to sin and think Oh well, that didn’t matter.
2. Once we feel we have gotten away with sin, we rarely, if ever, think I won’t do it again because I know it displeases God.
3. Instead, when temptation comes, the prideful person repeats the same action only to a greater degree
4. The door of Haughtiness defined
The Consequences of Pride in the Life of the Believer
1. Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a Haughty Spirit before a fall.
2. Pride Hinders our Fellowship with God
3. A haughty spirit before the Fall (spirit of arrogance, self-importance)
4. Looking back at your actions, can you identify a time haughtiness took over instead of humility?
5. WE can’t serve two masters
  1. Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
  2. 1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwells in you?
6. Pride blocks God’s Blessings and often causes us to lose our rewards
7. There’s so much stored up for you
8. Many only tap into just a small portion of the spiritual wealth that is theirs bc we are so busy working, striving, reaching, and longing for something
9. Matthew 6:33 God tells us Seek Ye First the Kingdom and His Righteousness, and all these other things will be added unto you
10. Pride lessens the fullness of the relationship with God
11. It darkens our hearts to the light of God’s truth
12. Pride decreases our Effectiveness
  1. Our focus is inward, not outward
  2. God hates pride because it shifts the glory from Him to US, and we are not the ones to be honored
  3. Pride sets the stage for us to make foolish mistakes
    1. The enemy is waiting for the right moment to tempt us so he can destroy us
    2. His ultimate goal is to shut down the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives
    3. If that happens God’s discernment in our lives fades
    4. All the pride and position in this world and what it has to offer is not worth spending one day outside the goodness and presence of God
The BEST of God is the greatest protection from GodThe Best Blessing God ever gave us was Wisdom
Steps to successfully deal with pride.

Realize that pride is in your life
1. Before I can deal with it I have to acknowledge it

Ask God for forgiveness

2. Tell Him that you do not want anything in your life that would separate you from Him

Pray that He will give you the strength and ability to turn away from pride
1. Its one thing to confess, you need the strength to lay aside

4. Pray that He will set a hedge of protection around your life

1. The enemy comes in to break our spirit
2. A spirit that is wounded, it’s hard to produce faith
3. There are forces that don’t want you to be free
4. Ephesians 6:12 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Remember where you come from and how far God has brought you
1. Many believers forget how far God has brought them
2. Proverbs 4:20-21 My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. ^21Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart;
  1. Attend to His word and say what God says
  2. What is God telling you?
3. 1 Corinthians 6:11 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the LORD Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
4. The moment you allow ingratitude to grow within your heart, you are on the verge of stepping on the trap of pride.
Be willing to Experience Adversity
1. No one wants to sign up for it; however, God does His greatest work in the hard times

Through Failure, God’s Plan is Still at Work
1. We forget that before we can be used we must be broken
2. Brokenness is God’s requirement for maximum usefulness
3. WE must learn to follow if we want to lead

Conclusion

1. 1. God is always at work in our lives
  2. Molding and shaping
  3. Removing the dross or anything that could prevent us from fulfilling our God given purpose

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