Human Pride Always Leads to a Fall

January 16

Week 3 – Do Not Trust the Nations

“For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’ Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead, down to its lowest depths.” Isaiah‬ ‭14‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” James‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Break It Down

You may have just watched a short clip of Al Pacino playing the role of the devil, where he says:

 “Vanity… definitely my favourite sin.”

Or you can watch the clip by copy paste this link to a browser: https://youtu.be/zcA42KpGR1g?si=MuBUDDtDaQyGBKbR

I remember hearing that line years ago and thinking, wow… that’s uncomfortably true.

Not because people walk around openly saying, “I want to be God.” They don’t. That’s not how pride usually works.

Isaiah 14 gives us words like:

I will ascend.

I will raise myself up.

I will make myself like the Most High.

But most of us don’t think or speak like that either. Instead, pride shows up far more subtly.

It shows up when we live as though we are in control. When we decide what matters most. When we set the agenda. When we plan, act, react, and move through our days without ever yielding to God.

In other words, pride often looks like self-rule.

Trust Question

Where might you be living as though you are in charge, without even realising it?

God’s Intention

If I’m honest, this is something I recognise in myself.

Not in loud or obvious ways. But in the ordinary rhythms of life. How easily we step into a new day without stopping to say,

“Lord, Your will today, not mine.”

“You are King over my life again today.”

“Lead me. Rule me. Direct me.”

And yet there’s a reason Scripture speaks of daily surrender. There’s a reason we pray for daily bread. There’s a reason trust is learned one day at a time.

Because pride doesn’t usually arrive all at once. It creeps in as we slowly stop surrendering. Vanity wants attention. Pride wants authority.

And the danger is that we often miss it, because it can feel normal.

Weave It In

This is why James says what he says so plainly:

God opposes the proud. But gives grace to the humble.

Not because God is harsh. But because humility keeps us in the right position. Pride shifts God out of the centre, often without us noticing. Humility keeps bringing us back.

Human pride isn’t always dramatic. Sometimes it’s simply the result of living day after day without yielding the throne of our lives to Him. And grace is God’s gentle invitation to return.

Practice for Today

Tomorrow morning, before the day takes hold. In your morning prayer time - doesn’t need to be a long prayer. Just an honest one.

“Lord, please take up Your place as King over my life today. Your will Lord, not mine. Lead me again this day.”

That simple posture is the beginning of humility. And humility is where grace flows freely.

Prayer

Father God, You know how easily we drift into self-rule. You see how often pride disguises itself as normal life in my life. Teach me to surrender again, one day at a time.

Help me to live with You as King, today. In Jesus name I pray, Amen