Devil's Dart: Pride

Last fall, I settled into my seat for Crosspoint’s women’s event, The Well, anticipatory of the words about to be shared by the speaker, Loren Abernathy. Knowing her for almost two decades, I was familiar with her passion for sharing the Word of God with women and her kind spirit that gently points people to Jesus. I was a bit shocked at the beginning of her message when she squarely stepped on my toes. Loren boldly warned the group of women sitting in the audience that pride is not just our inflated view of self; however, pride is also exposed in our deflated view of self. She encouraged us to build our identity in Christ, as chosen daughters, made in His image.

Typically, the devil’s dart of pride seeks attention and glory for self. The story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts five provides a sober warning to prideful Christians seeking to inflate their reputation for their own glory. Ananias and Sapphira sold a piece of land and decided to give the money to the apostles of the early church, following the example of Barnabus who had done the same generous deed at the end of the fourth chapter of Acts: “Joseph…whom the apostles called Barnabas …sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet”. Unlike Barnabus, the couple decided to hold back a portion of the profit for themselves; yet, they planned to keep that withholding a secret and make it appear as if they were giving the full sum. Pride is one of the most dangerous darts from Satan, as prideful motivations often utilizes other sins as tools for vainglory. Ananias’ prideful intent led him to try and deceive the apostles; this deceit quickly led to his death:

Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. (Acts 5:3-5)

Three hours later his wife, Sapphira, appeared in front of the apostles expecting adulation for her generosity and was greeted instead with a question from the Apostle Peter. Her pride and deceit also led her to the same fate as her husband. While most prideful pursuits will not necessarily lead to physical death as the above biblical example, pride deadens our conviction to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33) focusing instead on building kingdoms for perceived personal gain.

As Loren warned in her message, pride can also appear in the deflated view of self. This type of pride is more subtle and accepted in female circles. Often women chronically insult their own personality, appearance, or capabilities in front of others either searching for affirmation or in an attempt to perpetuate insecurities plaguing their identity in Christ.

In the New Testament, the woman with the issue of blood represents an individual with an incredibly deflated view of self. She was an outcast and considered unclean. Even after she boldly touched Jesus’ cloak and knew she was healed, she was still terrified to answer Jesus’ question of “Who touched my clothes? (Mark 5:30). Yet, Jesus encouraged her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering”. Read that again. The Son of God desires believers to be full of peace and freedom. Holding on to negative views of self and refusing to accept the grace and mercy Christ freely offers His children often leads to seeking attention from others for suffering and victimhood instead of turning eyes upon the Savior.

The roles we carry as women, especially motherhood, emphasize the importance of finding our true identity in Christ. Choose to stand firm daily by putting on the full armor of God to ward away any inflated or deflated views of self that come from the dart of pride, so often warping our identity. Ephesians, the first chapter is an encouraging passage reminding us that we are chosen by God, “In order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:12). Let us fix our focus from self to Savior, intentionally shaping our identity to bring Him glory. Offer humble gratitude for the redemption, forgiveness, and grace he “lavishes” on us, His chosen people.