"Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23, 24
Satan is not our most dangerous enemy, because he can only operate
where we allow. When we walk in intimacy and obedience to Christ,
the demons have little or nothing in us to work with. Not even the world,
with all its temptations and pleasures can touch us,
because we have overcome the world in Christ! No, our greatest enemy is
not in hell or the world system of things
. . . our greatest enemy is pride!
Pride is the most dangerous of sins, because it is completely
blind to itself. Pride plans, acts, and thinks without considering the
Lord. It is a bold affront to Him, and we're all guilty of it -- yet it
is so subtle that we rarely detect it or confess it. Pride distorts
our self-concept, props us up, puffs us up, and makes us believe things of
ourselves and others that are not true. It makes us think of
ourselves first and last, it takes and demands more credit than it
deserves, and it talks about itself more than it should. Pride doesn't
respond to correction very well. I'm sure each of us can
immediately point to at least one person who fits this
description. The proof that we are blind to our own pride
is we didn't point to ourselves.
Remember, children of God are called to be as wise as serpents,
and that wisdom begins with knowing God and understanding ourselves. Nothing
but the searchlight of the Holy Spirit and the mirror of the word of God can
reveal these things to us, and we suffer with pride to the degree that we
ignore what they show us.
Perhaps you know all this already, and it's not for you.
Then again, maybe that might be your . . .
Love
and perfect peace,
Pastor
Eric
