James 4:6 (KJV)

“But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

Pride is one of Satan’s most powerful tools. It sneaks into our hearts and blinds us to the truth of God’s grace. Pride tells us, “You’re good enough on your own,” or, “You don’t need help.” We must recognize that pride doesn’t come from us, it’s planted by the enemy to separate us from God’s blessings and strip us of gratitude.

James 4:6 is reminding us that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Pride keeps us from experiencing God’s blessings because it puts the focus on ourselves instead of Him. It blinds us to our need for God’s grace, leading to self-righteousness, sadness, and misery. 

Pride builds walls whereas humility builds bridges.

At its core, pride is self-reliance. It’s trusting in your own strength, wisdom, or righteousness instead of God’s. But self-reliance always leads to disappointment because we were never meant to carry life’s burdens on our own. Pride sets us up for failure because it blinds us to our weaknesses and keeps us from seeking God’s help. Self-righteousness, a form of pride, is especially dangerous. It makes us believe we’re “good enough” on our own, but it robs us of the joy and peace that come from trusting in Jesus. Pride leads to sadness because it takes our eyes off God’s grace and places them on our inadequacies. 

The first step to overcoming pride is acknowledging it. This requires humility, which Satan works hard to keep us from. Pride tells us that surrendering is weakness, but in actuality surrendering to God is the ultimate act of strength. For example, Jesus had every right to be exalted, but chose humility. He surrendered everything, even His life, to obtain eternal redemption for us all. 

When we surrender our pride to God, we follow Jesus’ example. We let go of our need to be right, strong, or self-sufficient and allow God to take over our lives. 

Surrendering isn't defeat, it's the gateway to strength and true freedom.

Pride blocks us from seeing God’s blessings because it blinds us to His work in our lives. It keeps us focused on what we lack instead of what we have. Gratitude counteracts pride and shifts our focus back to God. 

Pride tells us, "we/I did this.’ Humility tells us, "God did this."

I hope we can always remember that Pride isn't from God but Satan. Whenever you feel prideful, I hope we can think deeply to forsake it. Amen!