Pride Brings Destruction
- Bishop Keith Butler
- Sep 28
- 2 min read
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. (Isaiah 14:12-15)
How does someone fall from the holiest, highest, most honorable place imaginable—God’s presence, glory, and perfection—and descend to the lowest depths of hell? One word: pride. Unchecked pride has been the downfall of many churches, businesses, ministries, and people of God. Satan lost it all when he chose not to accept the place that God had assigned to him.
He didn’t want to reflect God; he wanted to take His place. Five times in this passage, the enemy said, “I will,” — I will ascend (twice)… I will exalt… I will sit… I will be like.This wasn’t Satan’s desire to be greater; it was his act of rebellion against divine order. I see many young preachers and pastors who think they deserve a position or need a platform, and over the years, it’s easy for me to hear pride speaking through them. Pride is when you reject the path, the leadership, or the place that God gave you in favor of one you create for yourself.God has a place for everyone. He is not trying to limit you; He is trying to protect you and put you in your proper place. Lucifer fell because he couldn’t handle submission. Eve fell because she questioned God’s goodness. And every time pride wins, someone or something falls.
Practical Application
We need to recognize pride early. It often isn’t loud; most of the time, pride is subtle. It shows in phrases like “I know better than they do,” “I don’t need to ask God about that,” or even “I’m not happy with where He’s placed me.” Choose to submit your ways to God, trusting that He has a better plan than yours.
Ezekiel 28:17; 1 Timothy 3:6
