Prov. 6:16-17

Man, at creation, was blessed with a heart that had no regard for self. He was naked and was unashamed.
He was happy to be dependent on God, to follow His will and to release the ownership and control of his
life to God. All that changed when the devil appealed to the sense of self in man using the instrument of
pride. He lured man into pride in by asking questions that awoke self. Do you not want to be equal with
God? Don’t you want to know what God knows? Do you not want to be the ruler over yourself? In that
moment, the devil gave to man the same fruit of pride he consumed that led to his fall (1 Tim. 3:6). It is
no surprise that the subsequent actions showed that man had enthroned a new lord over his heart – Self.

Pride goes before destruction (Pro. 16:18). Nobody knows this better than the devil. He went from being
the “anointed royal cherub” to the “prince of darkness”, destined for destruction because of pride. His
error was his desire to exalt self over God. Pride gave birth to rebellion which then gave birth to
banishment and destruction. Being eternally condemned, the devil seeks to lure us into this same trap.
Adam and Eve fell into this trap and passed that defeat to all men as nature of our carnality. Innate in
man, is a desire to acknowledge, glorify, and to enthrone self as lord. Unfortunately, the throne self seeks
to occupy is the same throne that God requests that we give Him.

Pride is the worship of self (1 Sam. 15:23(NIV)). It is a nature that installs self as a competitor against
God for the throne of our heart. It is the state of the heart that overestimate itself and underestimates
others, including God (Ps. 10:4). Pride’s object of love is self, not God or others. It opposes anything that
seeks to dethrone self, including God. It is this struggle with God for ownership, control and glory that
makes pride a terrible sin. Pride is the mother of rebellion and disobedience. This is why pride is
considered the mother and an essential element in all sin. It is no surprise that God hates and considers it
an abomination. It is the nature of God to resist anything that wants His glory. Pride is subtle, disguisable
and easier to spot in others than in ourselves. However, this one thing is certain, wherever there is
disobedience, there is self and there is pride. It is imperative that we consistently examine our hearts and
motives to ensure that everything we do is unto Him and for His glory.

Prayer Focus – Lord search me and purge of every form of pride in Jesus name. Lord, I receive grace to
dethrone self and enthrone of Lord over my heart. I receive the grace for humility in Jesus name.