This week’s Pastor to Person is written by Pastor Caleb Beller.
[Isa 14:14 NKJV] 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’
Most of us when we hear the phrase “the fall” think of Genesis and the “fall of man.” While this is a critical part of the gospel story, Isaiah gives us a brief look into another fall, the fall of Lucifer. Jesus is Luke 10:18 says, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” While not much is explicitly described about Satan and his kingdom, his effects can be seen from the beginning of Genesis to his ultimate end in Revelation.
Proverbs 16:18 tells us that “pride goes before destruction,” Paul tells Timothy to guard against pride (1 Tim 3:6) as it will lead to the “same condemnation as the devil.” The five “I will’s” of Satan described in vs. 13-14 record the cancerous growth of pride that precipitated his fall from an anointed cherub (Ez 28:12) to the defeated & destined prisoner of Hell (vs15).
We live in a world that celebrates “pride” in so many ways. The constant pressure of this age is the magnification of “self.” “I,” becomes the standard for truth, “my feelings,” “my truth,” “my will,” etc. etc. Like a malignant tumor pride turns my will against, “Thy Will.” Pride is the cancer of the soul. Satan wanted the attention of heaven, to be exalted over others, and ultimately lay claim to the worship that alone belongs to God. How many have the lie of pride caused to exchange the glory of heaven for the torment of hell?
A few closing thoughts, we must guard against pride. It is a battle of the heart and mind. It is a battle for the closest of saint’s and the farthest of sinners. Pride seeks to rob you of your eternal destiny. It promises heaven but delivers hell. The Gospel is the greatest cure for pride. It is a re-orienting of our hearts from “my will” to “thy will.” It is the path not just of emptying of self, but the indwelling of the Spirit of God. It is less of me and more of Him! If “pride” is the Cancer, then the gospel is the cure.
Take some time to audit your life today? Are there any ways that pride is trying to distract you or destroy you? Humble yourself and get off the path that leads to destruction.
-Pastor Caleb