The Evil of Pride

By Archdeacon Habib Guirgus

Pride is an embedded poison, a plague that begets envy, treachery, and deceit. It is an unseen thief, stealing the glory of God. It is the devil's discovery, despised before God and people.

Pride is the origin of all evil. It comes from a boastful heart, which is far from God, destined to perdition, weak in its worship, loving defilement, stranded of virtues.

It makes one fetch for the deficiencies of others, which is a sign of the decay of the heart and a proof for the defect of the spirit and its prevention from the grace of God.

What a terrible sin, and how ugly is its image; it is like a fierce beast which destructs all virtues, a burning fire for the reward, and withering for the water of grace.

Did not pride cause the fall of an angel "How are you fallen from heaven...O, son of the morning" (Isaiah 14:12), and put down the ascension and dignity of Adam depriving him from grace, when he obeyed the enemy being covetous of divinity! Didn't it kill nations, stepped over kingdoms, and demolished thrones? Didn't you see that many honored and dignified ones became like bats, which do not see the light of the day or the illumination of the sun? All have fallen from their dignified positions and posts because of boast and pride, which destroyed their ranks and high positions, and were diminished, abolished, and became a memory!

As I told you, it is a thief that steals, takes, deprives and rapes what is God's, and ascribes it to its despised and rejected self. Pride loves to share God's glory! Look at the Lord Jesus and you will see that He was "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3); born in a manger, lived poor, tasted simplicity, His life was filed with humility and meekness, to destroy our pride, and destruct our boast.

Do not be so sure of yourself in anything, for St. Peter the apostle would not have fallen, if he was not sure of himself, when he said; "If everyone denied You, I won't" (Matthew 26:33).

"In my prosperity I said: This is forever; nothing can stop me now ... He has made me steady as a mountain... Then, Lord, you turned Your face away from me and cut off Your river of blessings. Suddenly my courage was gone; I was terrified and panic-stricken" (Psalm 30: 6, 7).

Never ascribe to yourself something, even if you were granted all the gifts; materialistic or spiritual, and was put high above all ranks of virtue, or being granted the gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as; raising the dead, casting out demons, or healing the sick, for you did not grant yourself these gifts.

Beware that your heart boasts and become proud, lest you fall, and the virtues become a reason for your fall, and a lever for your destruction.

Why are you boasting, O man, when you have nothing in you? Is not everything you have from God? Are you boasting over God, "Shall the axe boast greater power than the man who uses it? Is the saw greater than the man who saws? Can a rod strike unless a hand is moving it? Can a cane walk by itself?" (Isaiah 10:15). You are nothing but a 'rod' that won't move by itself, but you are in the hands of God. He moves you and guides you as He wishes and whenever He wishes, and as much as He wishes.

Didn't God choose the despised and ignorant of the world to put to shame the wise ones?

"God has deliberately chosen to use ideas, the world considers foolish and of little worth in order to shame those people considered by the world as wise and great. He has chosen a plan despised by the world, counted as nothing at all, and used it to bring down to nothing those the world considers great, so that no one anywhere can ever brag in the presence of God" (I Corinthians 1:27-29).

"If anyone thinks he is too great to stoop to this, he is fooling himself, he is really a nobody" (Galatians 6:3).

"If anyone thinks he knows all the answers, he is just showing his ignorance. But the person who truly loves God is the one who is open to God's knowledge" (I Corinthians 8: 2, 3).

"We dare to say these good things about ourselves only because of our great trust in God through Christ, that He will help us to be true to what we say, and not because we think we can do anything of lasting value by ourselves. Our only power and success comes from God" (II Corinthians 3:4,5).