Luk. 14:11 ... "Everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted."
Pride and humility are attitudes that polarize human spirits. They do not coexist within the human psyche. Either pride takes control and drives out humility, or humility dominates and expels pride. Morality is also inextricably involved in the tension between the forces of pride and humility. Morality is defined not by human deliberation, but by God's standard for human behavior. Even a superficial survey of the Bible reveals that God condemns pride and approves humility. Those who exalt themselves with pride alienate themselves from God, but those who develop the attitude of humility find themselves ever closer to God's presence.
The Book of Proverbs lists seven things which God hates because they are opposed to His nature, (6:16-19). The first on the list is "a proud look." A person's countenance mirrors the arrogance and cockiness of his spirit; and God, who sees both the face and the soul, finds offense in both when they emanate such pride. We are told that "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble," (Jas. 4:6). It pleases God when a person divests himself of pride and clothes his mind with humility. God bestows grace upon the humble, readily supplying them with all they need to endure and develop lives of service.
It is stated that "pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling," (Pro. 16:18). It makes one overconfident and too self-assured. A veteran of the Pacific Theater in World War II told me of a man in his unit who boasted that "the Japanese bullet for me has not been made." So, he took unusual risks after a battle to loot dead enemy soldiers. But finally the Japanese made a bullet just for him. As he was plundering dead bodies on an Okinawa battlefield, a sniper shot him dead. His boastful, reckless pride earned him a 3x6 plot of ground in a foreign cemetery. The Japanese no longer shoot at us, but we are warned about the "flaming missiles of the evil one," (aka Satan), which are aimed at us every day, (Eph. 6:16). Thus we are issued the warning, "Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall," (I Cor. 10:12). The strength of pride lies in deception. It persuades the unwary soul that man is the measure of everything, that a person can deal with life on his own terms, and that he can be the master of every situation. To take this persuasion into your heart creates there an expansive feeling of power and great personal worth. This leads you, however, to the brink of destruction. It sets you up as a target for personal disaster, as many unfortunate souls have discovered, albeit too late. "How have the mighty fallen!" (II Sam. 1:19).
Pride would have you, like an ancient Achilles or Hector, to strap on the armor in which you trust and go forth to do battle with the enemy. But Hector fell in his pride before Achilles' sword, and Achilles was slain by the chance arrow that penetrated the one vulnerable spot of his armor. God counsels us to reject the deceitful persuasion of pride and assume instead the mental posture of humility. And do not think that humility means weakness, paleness of life, and shame. If you have that conception of humility, you have already been deceived by the counsel of pride. Humility involves the total control of one's spirit so that it can be directed to glorify God rather than self. Divine wisdom declares that "he who rules his spirit" is mightier than "he who captures a city," (Pro. 16:32). To overcome great obstacles in one's own wisdom and power builds pride. But eventually that pride will become the conqueror's master and destroy him. However, to overcome life's barriers with the power and wisdom acquired from God will result in your exaltation in the aura of His glory both now and forever.
