The Deadly Sin of Pride

Have you ever heard of the seven deadly sins? The concept originated in early Christian monasticism and worked its way into Catholic theology. The idea of the list is that there are seven sins from which all other sins stem.¹ According to Catholic theology, the seven deadly sins are pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed, and sloth.

There is no inspired list of seven deadly sins in Scripture. The closest thing to it is a list of seven things the LORD hates in Proverbs 6:16–19.

These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: (1) A proud look, (2) A lying tongue, (3) Hands that shed innocent blood, (4) A heart that devises wicked plans, (5) Feet that are swift in running to evil, (6) A false witness who speaks lies, (7) And one who sows discord among brethren.²

You can see that the lists don’t match up. In fact, there is only one sin that is found on both lists. What is it? Pride.

How Does God Feel About Pride?

In God’s eyes, pride is a horrible and destructive sin. The book of Proverbs says that pride leads to destruction (Prov 16:18), punishment (Prov 16:5), shame (Prov 11:2), and humiliation (Prov 29:23).

Proud people are an abomination to the LORD.

Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished. (Proverbs 16:5)

Have you ever seen something that was so disgusting, you thought you were going to throw up? That’s the Hebrew word, “abomination.” It is the same word used in other passages to describe God’s response to child sacrifice. However, the most striking thing about this verse is not that God hates but what (or rather, who) He hates. God hates not just pride, but the prideful!

Another passage in Proverbs that reveals God’s view of pride is Proverbs 26:1–12.

As snow in summer and rain in harvest, So honor is not fitting for a fool. Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, So a curse without cause shall not alight. A whip for the horse, A bridle for the donkey, And a rod for the fool’s back. Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes. He who sends a message by the hand of a fool Cuts off his own feet and drinks violence. Like the legs of the lame that hang limp Is a proverb in the mouth of fools. Like one who binds a stone in a sling Is he who gives honor to a fool. Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard Is a proverb in the mouth of fools. The great God who formed everything Gives the fool his hire and the transgressor his wages. As a dog returns to his own vomit, So a fool repeats his folly. Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Did you catch the rhetorical effect in that passage? Solomon clearly dislikes foolishness. But what kind of a person is even worse than the fool? The proud person.

Pride is so bad that many Christians down through the centuries have dubbed it “the father of all sins.” C.S. Lewis said it this way in his chapter in Mere Christianity entitled, “The Great Sin”:

“According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.”³

Later in that chapter, Lewis says the following about the hopeless situation created by pride.

“As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down you cannot see something that is above you.”⁴

The book of Proverbs concurs. According to Proverbs 26:12, there is NO hope for the proud person while he remains in that state.

So, if this is how God feels about pride, the next question is…

How Do I Know if I’m Proud?

The book of Proverbs lists many symptoms of pride. Some of them are obvious, like boasting about what you have done or will do (Prov 27:1–2). Another symptom of pride according to Proverbs is seeking your own glory (Prov 25:27).

I don’t think anyone fails to recognize pride in the flamboyant boaster or glory hound. However, other symptoms of pride are not as easily traceable back to their root. What are some of the lesser-known symptoms of pride?

• Proud people make assumptions about their own importance.

Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king, And do not stand in the place of the great; For it is better that he say to you, “Come up here,” Than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes have seen. (Proverbs 25:6–7)

• Proud people bully the weak.

Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud. (Proverbs 16:19)

The spoil the proud are dividing in this verse is most likely loot taken unjustly from other people. So Solomon says, “It’s better to be the weak, but humble person who gets his stuff taken away than the strong, but proud person who always seems to get what he wants.”

• Proud people dispute with authorities.

By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well-advised is wisdom. (Proverbs 13:10)

The idea of “strife” in this verse is arguing with authorities who try to correct you, as opposed to the humble, who take advice, making them “well-advised” and wise.

• Proud people look down on others.

It’s fascinating how many times Proverbs references a proud look. We already considered Proverbs 6:17, which says that God hates a proud look. Proverbs 21:4 and 30:11–14 teach essentially the same thing.

Sometimes, we use the phrase, “Look down on others” figuratively, but Proverbs says there is a literal look (something you do with your eyeballs) that smacks of arrogance. According to Proverbs 30:17, when children give their parents this look, it makes God so angry He could send a raven down to pluck out that eyeball. God isn’t messing around!

• Proud people mock God and others.

A proud and haughty man— “Scoffer” is his name; He acts with arrogant pride. (Proverbs 21:24)

“Scoffer” means “mocker.” The purpose of mockery is often to deflate the other person to the point where he or she has no strength to fight back. Mockery requires zero intelligence. Mockery reveals zero desire to dialogue and utter contempt for the other person. It’s no wonder that the scoffer is portrayed in Proverbs as one of the most hardened of sinners!

It’s bad enough when people mock other people. But when they mock God, that’s “a whole ’nother level.” How does God respond when people mock Him? Does he tuck His tail in between his legs and go home? No, He mocks back.

Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble. (Proverbs 3:34)

You want to be proud and mock God? He will use the circumstances of life to mock you.

What’s the Solution for Pride?

The solution is found in Proverbs 3:34: “Humble yourself.”

Do you remember Naaman in the Old Testament? He would rather do anything than go wash in the Jordan River! It was so humiliating! If it wasn’t for his servants, he never would have done it! But what happened as soon as Naaman obeyed Elisha’s command? He became a new man. And the same will happen for you if you stop resisting and humble yourself.

Christian Dad, if God is convicting your heart about pride, don’t resist Him. God is good, and He wants what’s best for your life. But if you continue to resist Him, you’ll pay the price. Humble yourself today.

Footnotes

1. Kind of like Paul said that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil 1 Timothy 6:10. ↩

2. NKJV, numbering added for the sake of clarity ↩

3. C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York, NY: Harper Collins, 1980), 121–122. ↩

4. C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York, NY: Harper Collins, 1980), 124. ↩