The Pride Problem

There's a dangerous kryptonite in the life of every believer, every church, and every movement of God. It's not persecution. It's not politics. It's not even the devil himself. It's something far more subtle, far more destructive, and far more common than we'd like to admit.

It's pride.

While our culture designates entire months to celebrate pride, Scripture paints a starkly different picture. From Genesis to Revelation, pride is portrayed not as something to celebrate, but as the enemy of God Himself. The first sin in heaven was pride. The first sin in the Garden of Eden was pride. And beneath every sin committed today, you'll find some form of pride lurking in the shadows.

When God Becomes Our Opponent

James 4:6 says: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." That word "resists" literally means to arrange oneself in battle against an enemy. Think about that for a moment. The greatest problem in our lives isn't when people oppose us; it's when God Himself stands against us.

Why is God so opposed to pride? Because pride isn't just thinking too highly of yourself. Pride is thinking too little of God. It's looking at God's authority and saying, "I'd rather rule myself than let a holy God be Lord over my life."

This is exactly what happened to Lucifer. Isaiah 14:13-14 records his rebellion: "You have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God... I will be like the Most High.'" Five times in that passage, Lucifer declares "I will." Every sin since then has been a lesser version of that same rebellion.

Every time we knowingly disobey God, we're essentially saying, "My wisdom is greater than God's wisdom. My desires are better than God's design for my life."

The Litmus Test for Pride

Here's a quick diagnostic to see if pride has taken root in your heart:

• When was the last time you admitted you were wrong?
• When was the last time you truly repented and were broken over your sin?
• When was the last time God changed your mind about something?

A proud person can see everybody else's faults while remaining blind to their own sins. And here's a truth worth writing down: as long as you're impressed with yourself, you'll never be desperate for God.

Revival begins where pride ends. Revival is being desperate for God, to love Him, to fall back in love with Him, to repent of our sins, to see ourselves for who we truly are, and to become desperate for His presence.

The Authority Question

James 4:7-8 calls us to "submit to God" and "draw near to God." Submission is the language of revival. Pride says, "I will decide." Humility says, "God has already decided."

When the serpent tempted Eve in Genesis 3, his first attack wasn't against morality; it was against authority. "Did God really say?" That's always been the question. Who gets the final word? God or man?

We live in a culture that wants to redefine marriage, gender, sexuality, sin, and truth itself. But we don't have the right to redefine what God has already defined. We don't have the authority to edit what God has already written. If the Bible says it's right, it's right. If it's wrong, it's wrong, regardless of what we think.

The church's mission has never been to reflect culture. Our mission is to reflect Jesus Christ in the culture. A church that mirrors culture has nothing to offer culture. We will never win this world by being like the world.

The Call to Repentance

James 4:8-9 issues a call: "Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom." This isn't casual Christianity. This is brokenness. This is repentance. This is taking sin seriously.

One of the greatest lies of our generation is simply this: "Just be you. Be true to yourself. Follow your heart." But the gospel never says that. The gospel says repent. The gospel says follow Jesus. The gospel says be transformed. Jesus never encountered a sinner and said, "Stay exactly as you are." He said, "Follow me, and I will change everything about you."

When Isaiah saw God, he cried out, "Woe is me!" When Peter encountered Jesus, he fell at His feet and said, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man." When Job encountered God, he said, "I repent in dust and ashes." None of them walked away impressed with themselves.

When was the last time you grieved over your sin? When was the last time your heart was broken over the condition of a lost co-worker, friend, or family member? When was the last time you came before God broken, realizing you're not worthy? There has never been revival without repentance. Not one single time.

Empty to Be Filled

James 4:10 provides the pathway forward: "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."

Humility is coming to the end of ourselves so Christ can become everything to us. Jesus began His Sermon on the Mount with these words: "Blessed are the poor in spirit." That literally means blessed are those who are spiritually bankrupt, those who realize they are nothing and can do nothing without Jesus Christ.

Our world screams, "Believe in yourself!" But Jesus says, "Come to the end of yourself so I can begin to use you."

Think about Abraham and Isaac on Mount Moriah. God commanded Abraham to offer his only son. But through that story, it becomes evident that God never wanted Isaac. God wanted all of Abraham. He was asking, "Are you willing to surrender everything for me? Even that which you love most?"

Many of us have an Isaac in our lives, something or someone we cling to and refuse to surrender. Maybe it's a relationship, a reputation, comfort, a wound, or a hidden sin. But revival will never come until whatever sits on the throne of our hearts is removed and Jesus takes His rightful place.

The Greatest Prayer

Perhaps the greatest prayer we could pray isn't "Lord, send revival." Instead, it's "Lord, empty me of me."

Jesus Christ wants to fill us with His Holy Spirit, but He will not fill us if we are filled with sin and ourselves. That's why we must empty ourselves and pray, "Lord, search my heart. Rid me of this pride in my life."

The greatest threat to the church isn't the pride we see in culture. The greatest threat is the pride we tolerate within ourselves. It's thinking we're okay, that we don't need God, that we can go through the routines and motions and expect to see God's power displayed.

Revival comes when God's children surrender all and say, "Lord, empty me. I surrender all." Not some. Not part. Not just the convenient parts. All.

All for Him,

Pastor Dustin