One of the areas that a lot of men (and women) never quite overcome in the Battle of Life is the spirit described as The Pride of Life. This spirit of pride is very sinister and insidious because it lurks in the hidden parts of our personality and weaves its way seamlessly into the fabric of our character. Many people don't even realize that they are operating in a spirit of pride. But the reason it is so significant is because this spirit of pride is an anti-Christ spirit and can actually serve to undermine your Christian witness and your personal relationship with God.
In the first epistle of John the second chapter, the scripture says, "for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father". We often talk about the lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5), as well we should. The lusts of the flesh and the affections thereof are still a major issue for many believers in Christ. But the dangerous thing about the Pride of Life is that you can be cleansed from the filth of the flesh through the sanctification process (Colossians 3) and still be vulnerable to the Pride of Life. This is why you can't simply measure where you are in your relationship with God based upon your outward behavior. You have to measure your walk with Christ based upon the condition of your heart (Proverbs 4).
Sin is not the key to falling victim to the Pride of Life. Sin is the by-product of Pride, not the root thereof. We know this because two of the biggest victims of Pride were sinless creatures: Lucifer and Adam. Lucifer (now called Satan, the Devil) was once an angel in Heaven. He was in the very Presence of God (Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28). So how did a perfectly created being who was in the very Presence and Glory of God, end up falling out of Heaven? It was pride. He began to mistake the glory that God had bestowed upon Him with his own. This is why I say, and it sounds un-spiritual, you have to be careful how close you get to God. Not everyone is fit to dwell in the Presence of the Most High.
The same thing happened to Adam. Adam was created in a state of innocence. He knew no sin, was not created with a sinful nature (like we are today, Psalm 51). Yet, at some point in his time in Eden, he decided to rebel against God (disobedience to God is rebellion, no matter how "small" the sin may be). Why? Because of Pride. Satan (at that point already a fallen creature) used Adam's wife to subtly suggest that he compete with God (that strategy itself is a whole 'nother lesson). Instead of submitting to the Divine and Eternal Rule of God, His Maker and Sustainer, Adam proceeds to try to be "self-sufficient" and as a result, lost the Paradise that God had created for him and his family. Yet once again, originally, Adam was not a sinner.
Why is all of this important? Because saints, there are some of us that God is getting ready to transport into a whole new Spiritual Realm and Dimension that we couldn't even possibly imagine. When God, in His Grace, performs this supernatural miracle in our lives, you better believe, Satan is going to be right there, waiting to bait us with the spirit of Pride to sponsor our Fall. We don't have to fall victim to this. If we allow the Holy Spirit to minister to us now a spirit of lowliness, meekness, humility, humbleness of mind, selflessness and long-suffering; we can be strategically and spiritually positioned to side-step the attack of Satan and overcome The Pride of Life.
No comments:
Post a Comment