Recently, I talked with friend of mine who is often very critical of herself and struggles with perfectionism and she confessed something that surprised me. She said that sometimes when she is successful with something, she gets proud and puffed up inside thinking something like, “I am such a good Christian.” The majority of the time, she thinks she constantly falls woefully short of this and that she will never be a good Christian. I thought, how strange! But then I realized, this phenomenon was not strange at all. If part of her struggle with self-reproach is due to the devil’s torments that she will never be good enough, then the same devil is taking the opportunity when she is successful to tempt her with pride! He is relentlessly trying to fell us! 1 Peter 5:8-9 says, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy is like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kinds of sufferings.” This young woman is not alone! I too have been tempted and tested in such a way at times.
In fact, Jesus was also tempted and tested by the devil in this exact way. After being baptized, Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tested by the Spirit for 40 days and nights. In Matthew 4:8-11, we see, “Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ‘All this I will give You,’ he said, ‘If you will bow down and worship me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Away from Me Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’ Then the devil left Him, and angels came and attended Him.” Jesus was tempted to get authority over the world before His time, without His sacrifice and purpose being fulfilled, because this world is presently under the dominion of the devil—even if God is ultimately over all. He would have gotten glory in the earth from this authority, just as many entertainers and leaders serving Satan do in this day. But He used the Word of God to resist the devil and he fled and angels came to minister to Him. We are called to do the same. What then does the Word of God show us about this sin of pride? Of seeking God’s glory for ourselves before our time and outside of His authority?
In Acts 12:22-23, King Herod, “dressed himself in royal clothing, sat on the throne, and made a speech to them (the crowd of his subjects). The people shouted, ‘The voice of God, and not of a man!’ Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he didn’t give God the glory. He was eaten by worms and died.” This is how serious is the sin of pride, of taking God’s glory for ourselves and not letting Him commend us in His time and way.
In the book of Revelation, chapter 4 verses 10-11, we see what is happening in heaven before the throne of God, “Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to Him who sits on the throne and who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being.” In other words, we are made by Him, are His very possession, and can do not good or have no authority but through Him, and the glory we earn belongs only to Him. Any crown of glory or authority we receive whether in this world in heaven from God Himself, we will lay down at His feet to worship Him and give Him ALL the glory. It is a very serious matter to take it for ourselves and to feel *we* have accomplished anything apart from His Spirit enabling us to succeed.
So what can we do when we are tempted? How can we use the Word of God to resist the devil? Let’s see what it says. First and foremost, we can repent and ask God to cleanse us according the promise in 1 John 1:9 that says, “If confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” So we can trust God to forgive and cleanse our pride. Second, we can look at Mark 10:38-45 which inspired this reflection as I read it the very morning I spoke with my friend! In this story, James and John approached Jesus with a request: to sit at His right and left hand when He comes into His glory. They wanted the power and glory of such position in His kingdom. But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said they were, and Jesus basically told them that indeed they would be and yet still such position was not His to give but only for those for whom it was “prepared.” Only God grants it. In other words, such glory and authority goes to those who suffer like Jesus did, laying down His life for many—much like the martyrs do in the book of Revelation.
Indeed, whether we want it or not, we *will* suffer in life and our duty is to suffer well, righteously. But in those times when we are tested rather by plenty and by success, how do we resist the devil then? How do we humble ourselves and truly please God and earn position and glory and authority in His kingdom? Later in this passage of Mark, Jesus teaches His disciples that in the world, the rulers and Gentiles lord their authority over those under them, but in verse 33-35 He says, “Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be *slave of all*. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Even Jesus left all His glory in heaven to assume flesh and come into this world in a humble manger. He served His family and community righteously until He began His ministry serving the whole area with compassion and devotion, healing and preaching the Word of God. Then He laid down His life willingly in obedience, suffering beyond our understanding to show us mercy for our sins and redeem sinners from hell and judgment to eternal life with God in heaven.
Indeed, Jesus told His disciples in John 15:13, “No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” Just as Jesus laid down His life for us and even calls those who follow Him His friends, we are called to lay our lives down for each other, even as a slave, to serve each other with His love and devotion before we serve ourselves. In Philippians 2:3, the apostle Paul urges us, “Don’t do anything for selfish purposes or conceit (or vainglory), but with humility, think of others as better than yourselves.”
So when we are tempted by Satan to think more highly of ourselves or our accomplishments or to pursue an end for the glory it might earn us, let us think better of others and even go so far as to serve them as a slave and lay our lives down for them selflessly. This may mean giving the sacrifice of our time and effort or our material resources and our hearts and minds, but one way or other we are to devote ourselves to another and lift them up. Let us resist the devil and serve God with gladness and humble our inclination to pride through repentance and service. Let us first and foremost be a slave of Jesus Christ. To God be *all* the glory and praise and honor! AMEN!