Pride develops in people several different ways.  When people get hurt by other people growing up with verbal / emotional pain from a parent, step-parent or any other person then they begin to hear demons tell them in their thoughts that they cannot trust anyone to protect them or make decisions for them.  That they must make all the decisions because their decisions will be the best and to control other people and tell them what to do.  Pride can also come upon a person when they grow up with a prideful parent as they do what they observe.

Pride tells God that you don’t need him as you can do a better job.  Pride caused Naaman not to want to humble himself and do what Elisha told him to get healed from his leprosy (dipping 7 times in the dirty Jordan river).  He ultimately humbled himself, obeyed and got healed.

Pride causes you to behave sexually impure having sex before marriage or masturbating with no conviction as you justify that if it feels good you will do it because you deserve it even if the Bible says it’s a sin.  Pride causes you to ruin your own relationships as you believe your spouse should give you everything you want and you don’t care about their needs.  It ruins all intimacy between a couple in marriage.  Pride stops you from being able to be delivered from the demons tormenting you (Leviathan is the king over all the children of pride – Job 41).

“These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.”

Proverbs 6:16-19 NKJV

“But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.””

James 4:6 NKJV

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

James 4:10 NKJV

“A man’s pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor.”

Proverbs 29:23 NKJV

¹⁸ Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 16:18 NKJV

Pride got Satan to be kicked out of Heaven.  He fell because of pride that originated from his desire to be like God instead of a servant of God. Satan was the highest of all the angels, but he wasn’t happy. He desired to be God and rule the universe. God cast Satan out of heaven as a fallen angel.

Signs of Pride:

#1 – Assuming you already know something when someone is teaching

When you immediately tune someone out who starts teaching you something that you may be somewhat familiar with, that is an example of pride. It is the assumption that you know everything about the subject being communicated and that this person, whom you see as inferior in knowledge to you, cannot teach you something new.

#2 – Seeing yourself as too good to perform certain tasks

When someone asks you to do something and your immediate thought is, “I, out of all people, shouldn’t have to do that. That task is for someone else.” That is a sign of pride that we should consider dealing with. Next time this thought arises ask yourself,

If Jesus was willing to leave heaven and come to earth for me, then who am I to say I am too good to do what someone asks me to do?

#3 – Being too proud to ask for help

There is something to be said for independence. However, there are times in life when we must all admit that something is beyond our capacity and that we need help. The unwillingness to recognize our own shortcomings and need for help is a sign of pride.

#4 – Feeling the Need to Consistently Teach People Things

Have you ever been in a group where someone feels the needs to dominate the conversation and seemingly spill everything they know without giving other people the opportunity to share? Sometimes this can be a sign of pride because when a person knows something that they know most other people don’t know much about, it creates a sense of pride within them.

#5 – Talking about Yourself a Lot

When you talk a lot about your accomplishments, your education, title, position, and/or financial status, that is a sign of pride. The Bible says, “Be quick to listen and slow to speak…” (James 1:19). When we talk about ourselves a lot it reveals that we have not yet learned how to come up out of ourselves and focus on the interests of others (Phil. 2:3).

#6 – Thinking You are Better Than Others Who are Different or Less Fortunate

This one is subtle because a person can appear to be humble and caring on the outside. However, in their minds they secretly think they are better than other people who may have different backgrounds, cultures or experiences than they do.

#7 – When You Disregard the advice of others

This has its root in thinking you have all the answers to life and you somehow don’t need or see the value in other people’s perspectives. It carries the idea that you believe you can be successful and accomplish your goals without the counsel of others.

#8 – When You are Consistently Critical

This is when we tend to put others down often because there is a deep-seated need for us to feel better about ourselves. People who are critical are that way because they secretly see themselves as exempt from the very same things they criticize others. This is pride.

#9 – Consistent need for Attention and Affirmation

When someone constantly needs to be the center of attention in public or secretly craves consistent affirmation for their accomplishments, looks, personality, serving, intelligence, and/or physique, this is a sign of pride.

#10 – Unable to receive constructive criticism

When a person struggles to allow other people to speak into their lives and provide helpful feedback it is a sign of pride because they are too blinded by their own pride to see the value in what someone is sharing with them and how it can help make them a better person. You believe you are never wrong and everyone else is.

#11 – Overly obsessed with their physical appearance

Certainly you should take care of yourself and exercise. But when a person is constantly obsessed with how they look and they like to flaunt their figure/physique in front of others with the hopes that people will notice and gawk at them, this is vanity which is yet another form of pride.

#12 – Unwilling to submit to authority

When a person is unwilling to submit to authority at work, church, at home or in any other relationship it is because deep within the person they believe they could make better decisions than the person God has placed over them. So, they submit outwardly but inwardly they struggle to accept the subordinate position they are in.

#13 – Ignoring people’s attempt to communicate with you

When you consistently blow people off who text or email you, you are essentially minimizing the importance of this person and their communication and saying to yourself that they are not important enough to invest your precious time into. We all get busy but acknowledging a person’s attempt to connect sends the message of importance to the other person.

#14 – Justifying our Sin instead of admitting it

When someone graciously points out a sin issue in your life and you get defensive and even start to justify it that is a dangerous place to be because if they’re using scripture to support then you are essentially saying that you know better than God.

#15 – Name-dropping

When you consistently associate yourself with people who have prominent positions and publicly drop it in conversations in hopes that people will think you are equally as important as the people you associate yourself with, this is a very subtle form of pride.

#16 – You are on a different time table then others

You can show up for a call or meeting late because your time is more valuable than others

#17 – Causes you to get angry easily

If anyone questions your intentions, motives or statements because you will get angry quickly

#18 – Your inner circle of people consist of yes men and women who agree with everything you say and do

As you get older the people in your inner circle will agree with everything you say and do or else they will be gone from you.

#19 – Do you think of yourself as more spiritual than others in your church?

#20 – Do you have a touchy, sensitive spirit? Easily offended? Get your feelings hurt easily?

#21 – Do you avoid participating in certain events, for fear of being embarrassed or looking foolish because you know you won’t win or look good?

#22 – Do you avoid being around certain people because you feel inferior compared to them/don’t feel you measure up?

#23 – When is the last time you said these words to a family member, friend or coworker: “I am sorry for what I did to hurt you. I was wrong; would you please forgive me?” (If it’s been more than a month, you are probably prideful)

#24 – Do you react negatively to rules? Do you have a hard time being told what to do?

#25 – Do you worry about what others think of you? Too concerned about your reputation or your family’s reputation to admit to the truth?

#26 – Always must drive the latest car so extend yourself financially (leases many cars)

Pride will destroy your relationship with God, your spouse, your children, your job, your health and your life.  God is constantly working on His people to humble themselves so that He doesn’t have to do it for you.  When He does step in you will know it because you will not be able to do anything to stop it and it’s for your own good so that you can be saved eternally.  So how do you get rid of your pride.  Ask the Lord to humble all the pride out of you.  Whatever it takes.  Then He will start the process and as long as you allow Him to finish it then you will ultimately win.  No one likes to be around a person who talks about him or herself all the time.  It kills the intimacy between a husband and wife.  When you walk in humility you will be more honest, loving, kind, gentle and peaceful.  You will have healthy relationships that are meaningful.  You will not waste money and go into debt.  You will walk in better health.  God loves you but you must walk in humility like Jesus did.