Here is THE sin you probably don’t know you struggle with. Consider this interchange between God and Cain found in Gen 4:6-7…
“Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”
Pride may be THE most pervasive and dangerous sin there is. Pride prevents you from seeing your faults. Pride points out the other’s faults. Pride deadens your heart toward God. Pride drives you to use others for your gain rather than love them. Pride causes you to think yourself innocent when you are guilty. Pride is dangerous. You DO have a problem with pride.
The opposite of pride is humility. Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less (Read that again). God said sin is always just outside the door… always looking to spring on us to take us down. Sin causes us to rationalize and justify our actions. The sin of pride keeps us from confessing our sin and repenting.
Every Christian is involved in a spiritual war with Satan and his demons. It is real and serious. Satan’s goal is to take down every believer he can, starting with their leaders… Pastors and then staff, but none are immune. Lucifer is patient. Willing to wait for the right time, place, and situation to bring down everyone he can. But…
But God is sovereign! God controls Satan. Yet at the same time man is completely responsible for all his conduct, action, and decisions. So how is the sin of pride overcome?
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (Ja 4:8).
“If we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn 1:9).
“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (Ja 4:6-7). NOTE: Submitting to God comes BEFORE resisting the devil.