Shedding the Satanic Shackles of Pride

We are never more like Satan than when we are proud. We are called to Christlikeness, but when we let pride rule in our hearts, we stand in opposition to God. However, when that pride is swallowed—when our concern for self-image lessens and our concern for Christ's image increases—God begins to receive the glory that is due Him, and we begin to fully enjoy the power of revival in our lives.

Such was the case Sunday morning at the church where one of our teams is ministering. After a message on pride, people had the opportunity to come to the microphone and share what God has been doing in their lives during recent days. Fifteen people shed the satanic shackles of pride and made their way forward to tell the stories of God's grace poured out in their lives.

Several confessed pride through the course of the testimonies. One teenage girl told how God had convicted her of selfishness last Sunday morning, and that led to her salvation. Another girl confessed that she had been unwilling to share her story in the previous testimony services due to her pride. She ended with the statement, "This is my first step in obedience."

A staff member shared that God had been telling him for two years to confess his struggles to his wife, but in his pride, he was disobedient. A week ago, he finally swallowed the pride and shared with her his struggle. It wasn't something major; it was simply hard for him to admit to her that he wasn't perfect.

If we are most like Satan when we are proud, we are most like Christ when we humble ourselves in submission to the Father. Obviously, this is not easy, and it can come at great cost. Nevertheless, it is doubtful that anyone who shared that morning regrets their obedience. Surely, the intimacy one experiences with Christ after humility is far greater than the illusion of comfort one experiences in pride.

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