In this post we will explain the Biblical Definition of Pride. Pride is one of the deadly sins that the enemy uses in destroying the lives of believers. Anyone can fall into the temptation of this dangerous sin, especially those who believe they’re more spiritually mature than others.
Usually, the spirit of pride creeps into a person’s life quietly and begins to operate in different forms. And when you call their attention to it, they’ll get angry because proud people never heed corrections.
Pride, which also means having haughty eyes, is one of the sins that God hates, according to Proverbs 6:16-19, which reads;
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“There are six things the Lord hates; seven are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.”
If God says He hates a behavior, we must also hate and avoid it for our own good. A proud person may mask their pride with words like “self-respect,” “dignity,” “self-esteem,” and “self-regard.” There’s a huge difference between these healthy traits and pride.
Still, you need to get rid of any character that exalts “self” and embrace humility and selflessness if you want to please God.
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Many verses of the scriptures talk about proud behaviors and their implications on people’s lives. In this article, we will explore the biblical definition of pride, with the aim of providing clarity about its different forms and how to avoid them.
7 Biblical Definitions and Explanations of Pride
While pride has many biblical definitions, we’ll discuss the 7 most common ones.
1. A Desire to Take the Position of God
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Our God is superior to every creature in the world, and no one can take His place (Isaiah 44:6). Whoever tries to take the position of God would have themselves to blame. Isaiah 14 explains the downfall of the King of Babylon after he conceived the idea of ascending to heaven and becoming like God.
He says in Isaiah 14:14, “I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” In this Bible passage, the King’s prideful desire was to be above everything and everyone else, including the Almighty God.
Not only did the king compare himself to God, but he also wanted to compete with and receive the glory belonging to Him. As a result of this evil ambition, God brought him down, putting an end to his wicked schemes.
Adam and Eve also fell into the temptation of the devil by eating the forbidden fruit because they wanted to take the place of God (Genesis 3:5).
Unfortunately, many people have the same mindset as the king of Babylon, probably because they’re rich or in a high political rank. They want to assume a position where others can always worship them as though they’re a god.
Trying to become like God by living a holy and righteous life is not a sin. But having a desire to assume the position of God with the aim of controlling people and situations is not godlike but a sign of sinful pride.
Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”
Whoever plans to play the role of God in people’s lives will be brought low because the Most High has no rival or equal.
2. Unnecessary Show Off
When someone feels the need to display their wealth, achievements, and possessions to people for bragging purposes, they’re proud. In the book of 2 Kings 20, we can see the story of King Hezekiah, who took great pride in his possessions and ultimately suffered the disastrous consequences of his actions.
According to this Bible story, King Hezekiah contracted a strange illness, and it looked as though he would die. Then the Lord sent a message to him through Prophet Isaiah, saying, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” (2 Kings 20:1). Nevertheless, Hezekiah did not give up but instead humbled himself before God to ask for more years to live.
God showed the king mercy and added 15 more years to his number of years. After experiencing full recovery from his illness, King Hezekiah received visitors from the King of Babylon, who came to congratulate him on his recovery. But he displayed a lack of humility by showing off his possessions to these men. King Hezekiah wasn’t the only one who received punishment because of his own pride, but his children also reaped the reward of their father’s great sin.
If you always feel the need to post your achievements on social media or show off your material possessions to people, be careful. God wants us to live a simple and gentle lifestyle, without the desire to impress others. Philippians 4:5 says, “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand“.
3. Rebellion Against God
Other forms of pride are rebellion against God or a lack of regard for Him and his servants. Pharaoh is a biblical example of a prideful person who rebelled against God’s word and his servant.
In the book of Exodus, we read the story of King Pharaoh, who held the Israelites captive and refused to let them go. God’s instruction to Pharaoh was simple and clear: “Let my people go, so that they may worship me” (Exodus 8:1). However, the king did not heed God’s warning or regard His servant Moses. Even when God released plagues in Egypt in the form of frogs, boils, locusts, hails, and pestilence, Pharaoh’s proud heart continually became hard.
At the time when the waters in Egypt turned to blood or when total darkness covered the land, the king was supposed to release the Israelites for the sake of his people, but he remained adamant. In Exodus 12, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, including King Pharaoh’s son, and it was at this point that he knew the word of God should be taken seriously.
The rebellious king did not wait until morning before asking Moses and Aaron to leave Egypt with the Israelites to serve God. Interestingly, Pharaoh and his horsemen chased after the Israelites after they left the land of Egypt and eventually perished in the Red Sea (Exodus 14).
Rebellion against God and a haughty spirit come with a high risk, just like we can see in the case of the king of Egypt. It often leads to destruction of lives and properties if one doesn’t repent quickly.
Proverbs 29:1 states that “Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed without remedy.”
4. Self-Righteousness
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Anyone who believes they’re morally superior to others has the spirit of pride in their heart. Many believers constantly struggle with this sin even without knowing. They tend to judge those who don’t meet up with their religious practices and standards because of their own superiority.
Jesus Christ told the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in the book of Luke 18:9-14 to those who feel they’re spiritually superior to others, which can be described as exhibiting spiritual pride.
According to these verses of the scriptures, the two men went up to the temple to pray. The Pharisee stood up and began to boast during prayers by thanking God that he wasn’t like the robbers, evildoers, adulterers, or the tax collector.
He further stated that he fasts twice a week and gives one-tenth of his income. “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven but beat his breasts and said, God, have mercy on me, a sinner (Luke 18:13).
Christ Jesus concluded that the tax collector went home justified before God rather than the Pharisee. These verses of the scripture are one of the most common biblical examples of pride in the New Testament. God doesn’t want us to boast because of our religious practices or self-righteousness.
While praying, fasting, and giving our tithes are good, they’re not criteria for God’s acceptance. He wants us to come to him with a humble heart, whether we practice religion or not. According to Isaiah 64:6, we are all unclean before God, and our righteous deeds are like filthy rags. Therefore, no one should have a high opinion of themselves or an unreasonable conceit because of their religious works.
5. Inflated Sense of Self-importance
Pride also comes in the form of feeling more important than necessary. Individuals who exhibit this behavior tend to have excessive self-esteem and a proud look. King Herod is an example of a biblical character who had an inflated sense of self-importance.
The book of Acts 12:20-23 tells the story of this great king who lacks the fear of the Lord and has pride in his heart. While wearing his royal robe and sitting on the throne to address the public, the king became full of himself. When the people shouted, “This is the voice of God, not of a man” (Acts 12:22), the king refused to return the glory to God. Immediately, the angel of the Lord struck down the king, and he was consumed by worms and died.
As believers, we should learn to attribute our success and achievement to God whenever people begin to praise us. Only God deserves the glory, and He doesn’t like to share it with any man (Isaiah 42:8).
6. Refusing to Accept Corrections
If you always feel angry or defensive whenever people point out your misbehaviors, you have the spirit of pride in your heart. We can’t be right all the time, and that’s why we need someone to guide us on the right paths.
People who don’t have anyone to correct them always live a reckless and meaningless life. Prophet Eli’s story in the book of 2 Samuel 2 and 3 is a pathetic one. Whether the Prophet trained his sons Hophni and Phinehas or he didn’t, no one can tell. But the Bible tells us that these two young men were greedy, rebellious, and sexually immoral.
When the Lord called the attention of Eli to his sons’ misbehaviors through Samuel, he did not act remorseful. Instead, the prophet said, “He is the Lord: let him do what is good in His eyes” (1 Samuel 3:18). Unfortunately, Prophet Eli, Hophni, Phinehas, and Phineas’s wife died tragically. That’s not all; God cancelled the privilege of priesthood in the Prophet’s family because of his inability to listen to corrections by guiding his sons on the right path.
Most times, it can be hard to accept corrections, especially from those who are younger, inexperienced, or not as educated as we are. However, it is the best way to grow in our physical and spiritual journey. Hebrews 12:6 says, “For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.”
7. Self-Adulation
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Another form of pride that most people don’t notice in themselves is self-adulation. They admire themselves excessively and love to live a flashy and selfish lifestyle. Jesus told the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:13-21.
According to these verses of the scripture, the ground of a rich man produced an abundant harvest. So he thought to himself, “What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.” Then he said, “I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I will say to myself, You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry” (Luke 12:18). But God told the rich man that his life will be demanded that night.
If you study this parable closely, you notice the use of “I” multiple times, which represents “self.” God doesn’t want us to live a selfish lifestyle or see ourselves as the architect of our success. Whenever you achieve success, think about how to contribute to the progress of God’s kingdom and how to help people. 1 John 2:16 tells us that,
“For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the father but from the world.”
Final Thoughts
Biblically, the consequences of pride are numerous, with destruction and death being the major ones. If you notice any of the behaviors we listed in this article in your life, ask the Holy Spirit for divine help to overcome the sin of pride.
Develop the habit of reading and meditating on the Word of God daily, praying, and fellowshipping with the brethren in a Bible-believing church.
Always have it in mind that you cannot have a close walk with God if you don’t have the spirit of humility. When you surrender your life totally to God, He will fill your heart with the fruits of the spirit, preventing pride from having a hiding place in your heart.
Kennie Oguntoyinbo is a freelance content writer, editor and proofreader with over 4 years of experience. She is highly skilled in creating captivating and informative content across the Christian, relationship, and parenting niches. With a deep love for Christian-related articles, she writes content that inspires the readers, combining biblical lessons with practical knowledge. Whether writing devotional blogs, relationship advice, or family-focused articles, she aims to glorify God while connecting with readers through relatable, encouraging, faith-driven articles.
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