Humble Yourself
by Pastor Dag Heward-MIlls
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. James 4:10 People define pride in many different ways. People may say you are proud because you are a quiet person. People may say you are proud because you are tall and confident. People may say you are proud because you drive a nice, shiny air-conditioned car.
So what really is pride? Does it matter whether you are humble or proud?
Indeed it does matter! We must humble ourselves before the Lord. We must live in a way that God considers to be humble.
The instruction is clear! Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and not in the sight of man. There is no point in practicing a brand of humility that God does not accept. Humility is a virtue defined and described by God Himself. Human beings define humility in many different ways but God’s definition of humility is what matters to us.
Humility is so important that it is worth searching the length and breadth of the scriptures until we know for sure what it is. The warnings about pride are too frightening to ignore. In this first chapter, I want us to look at the reasons why we should humble ourselves before the Lord.
Seven Reasons Why You Should Humble Yourself
1. Humble yourself because God resists proud people.
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, GOD RESISTETH THE PROUD, but giveth grace unto the humble.
James 4:6
Pride is so contrary to God that He has declared war on all who are proud. When you become proud, God will become your enemy and oppose you in all that you do.
People who have become proud, often do not realise that God has began to oppose them. Sometimes Christians rebuke the devil because they think satan is the one fighting them. But where it concerns proud Christians, the devil can go on a holiday. God Himself takes over and opposes the proud.
You may even find yourself rebuking God because He is opposing you and your pride. I wouldn’t like to rebuke God, would you? I wouldn’t like God to be my enemy. Would you like God to be your enemy? God is the only one who loves you the way you are. If He also becomes your enemy, what is left of you?
2. Humble yourself because God gives grace to humble people.
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, GOD resisteth the proud, but GIVETH GRACE UNTO THE HUMBLE.
James 4:6
Amazingly, God gives undeserved help to humble people. Grace is undeserved help and favour. When you lower yourself, God reacts by sending you grace. How nice it must be to receive undeserved help when you take the humble path of humility! Perhaps, there is no better reason to humble yourself than this.
Think about all the undeserved help you could have in your life and ministry if you were to humble yourself.
Do you want God to give undeserved help to your church? Do you want God to give you undeserved help in your pastoral ministry? Then humble yourself! Do you want God to give you undeserved help in your evangelistic ministry? Then humble yourself!
Do you want God to give you underserved help in your finances? Then humble yourself! Do you want God to help you in your moral life? Then humble yourself! Do you want God to give you a lot of help so that you can be holy? Then humble yourself! Almost every spiritual activity is aided by humility.
When you humble yourself supernatural grace is given to you. Try it and see. Be humble! Be like a child and a servant and see if changes do not begin to appear in your life.
When you humble yourself supernatural grace is given to you. Try it and see. Be humble! Be like a child and a servant and see if changes do not begin to appear in your life.
3. Humble yourself because through that you will be lifted up to the next level in life.
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and HE SHALL LIFT YOU UP.
James 4:10
The next important reason for you to be humble is for promotion. Who doesn’t want to be lifted up and promoted? The lifting of the Lord and the exaltation of the Lord are the gifts you receive for being humble. Notice the scripture clearly. When you go down, God will lift you up.
Are you not seeking for increase and promotion? Then humble yourself and be a servant! Humble yourself and become a child who can be trained and instructed.
You will find yourself rising out of your current level into heights you never dreamed of.
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that HE MAY EXALT YOU IN DUE TIME
1 Peter 5:6
Think about it. What does it mean to be exalted? Exaltation is to be gloriously lifted up into beauty and shining excellence. Is that not what you want? Humility is the key to enter these realms.
4. Humble yourself so that you will be covered and protected.
Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and BE CLOTHED WITH HUMILITY: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
1 Peter 5:5
Humility is a spiritual covering. Humility is not just an attitude. Humility is not just a poor and simple way of living. Humility is not the art of looking timid and defeated. Humility is actually a spiritual cloak that covers you. It protects the Christian from many unseen and spiritually disastrous evils. Put on humility and you will be covered, delivered and protected from many evils in this life.
5. Humble yourself because your pride is the signal for your soon-to-come destruction, your fall and your shame.
A MAN’S PRIDE SHALL BRING HIM LOW: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.
Proverbs 29:23
PRIDE GOETH BEFORE DESTRUCTION, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 16:18
WHEN PRIDE COMETH, THEN COMETH SHAME: but with the lowly is wisdom.
Proverbs 11:2
Pride is a signal! It signals a coming fall, a coming catastrophe and a coming evil. Humbling yourself will remove the looming dangers from your life and ministry. Satan is greatly attracted to your self-exaltation and over confident utterances. They are an open door to him.
Pride is a spiritual signal that assembles demons of shame, destruction and defeat. Your pride is like a trumpet that gives a sure and definite call to evil spirits.
When you are proud, angels are not called in to help you. When you are proud, demons are assembled to destroy you. You are actually more accessible to demons because your spiritual clothing and covering are removed.
6. Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord because pride is essentially satanic and demonic.
Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? Or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down? Canst thou put an hook into his nose?..
He beholdeth all high things: HE IS A KING OVER ALL THE CHILDREN OF PRIDE.
Job 41:1, 34
All proud people have a king and that king is satan. Satan is the king of all the children of pride. You must decide to humble yourself so that satan will not be your king and ruler. Once you walk in pride you live and walk under the rulership of satan himself.
Pride is essentially demonic and satanic. Satan fell out of heaven through his presumption, arrogance and pride. In pride he lifted himself up against God! Lucifer exalted himself against the throne of God and threatened to ascend to replace God in His throne. This was the most outrageous manifestation of pride ever.
But God cast satan out of heaven and showed him that he was nothing but a rebellious branch, puffed up and swelled up for no reason. This evil puffing up and swelling up is what affects the entire human race. Human beings feel so big and great without having any good reason to. Today, large sections of the human race foolishly say that there is no God.
Unfortunately, we the ministers of the gospel also become swollen when we achieve little bitty goals in the ministry. Most pride has no foundation. Pride is mostly idiopathic (without a known cause). Ministers of the gospel swell up and attack their spiritual fathers who raised them up. Associates swell up and attempt to ascend into the chair of the leader. Soldiers rise up and attempt to remove legitimately elected heads of state. These things happen because people swell up and see themselves as bigger than they really are.
The words ‘pride’ and ‘satan’ are virtually synonymous. Satan is a spirit! But pride is the attitude and speech that is caused by the presence of satan!
Anytime you see pride in an individual, you are recognising the presence of a very evil spirit – satan! Satan is the originator of pride. That is why God hates pride and opposes anyone in whom He detects this pride!
7. Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord because your pride will make you an abomination to God.
Every one that is proud in heart IS AN ABOMINATION to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
Proverbs 16:5
God does not only resist the proud, but the proud are an abomination to Him.
This scripture means that God is outraged at proud people. He loathes stubborn people. It is not a good thing for God to detest and dislike you. I suggest that you turn away from everything that is associated with pride so that God will not be filled with revulsion when He thinks of you.
by Dag Heward-Mills
Best Selling African Author
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. James 4:10 People define pride in many different ways. People may say you are proud because you are a quiet person. People may say you are proud because you are tall and confident. People may say you are proud because you drive a nice, shiny air-conditioned car.
So what really is pride? Does it matter whether you are humble or proud?
Indeed it does matter! We must humble ourselves before the Lord. We must live in a way that God considers to be humble.
The instruction is clear! Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and not in the sight of man. There is no point in practicing a brand of humility that God does not accept. Humility is a virtue defined and described by God Himself. Human beings define humility in many different ways but God’s definition of humility is what matters to us.
Humility is so important that it is worth searching the length and breadth of the scriptures until we know for sure what it is. The warnings about pride are too frightening to ignore. In this first chapter, I want us to look at the reasons why we should humble ourselves before the Lord.
Seven Reasons Why You Should Humble Yourself
1. Humble yourself because God resists proud people.
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, GOD RESISTETH THE PROUD, but giveth grace unto the humble.
James 4:6
Pride is so contrary to God that He has declared war on all who are proud. When you become proud, God will become your enemy and oppose you in all that you do.
People who have become proud, often do not realise that God has began to oppose them. Sometimes Christians rebuke the devil because they think satan is the one fighting them. But where it concerns proud Christians, the devil can go on a holiday. God Himself takes over and opposes the proud.
You may even find yourself rebuking God because He is opposing you and your pride. I wouldn’t like to rebuke God, would you? I wouldn’t like God to be my enemy. Would you like God to be your enemy? God is the only one who loves you the way you are. If He also becomes your enemy, what is left of you?
2. Humble yourself because God gives grace to humble people.
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, GOD resisteth the proud, but GIVETH GRACE UNTO THE HUMBLE.
James 4:6
Amazingly, God gives undeserved help to humble people. Grace is undeserved help and favour. When you lower yourself, God reacts by sending you grace. How nice it must be to receive undeserved help when you take the humble path of humility! Perhaps, there is no better reason to humble yourself than this.
Think about all the undeserved help you could have in your life and ministry if you were to humble yourself.
Do you want God to give undeserved help to your church? Do you want God to give you undeserved help in your pastoral ministry? Then humble yourself! Do you want God to give you undeserved help in your evangelistic ministry? Then humble yourself!
Do you want God to give you underserved help in your finances? Then humble yourself! Do you want God to help you in your moral life? Then humble yourself! Do you want God to give you a lot of help so that you can be holy? Then humble yourself! Almost every spiritual activity is aided by humility.
When you humble yourself supernatural grace is given to you. Try it and see. Be humble! Be like a child and a servant and see if changes do not begin to appear in your life.
When you humble yourself supernatural grace is given to you. Try it and see. Be humble! Be like a child and a servant and see if changes do not begin to appear in your life.
3. Humble yourself because through that you will be lifted up to the next level in life.
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and HE SHALL LIFT YOU UP.
James 4:10
The next important reason for you to be humble is for promotion. Who doesn’t want to be lifted up and promoted? The lifting of the Lord and the exaltation of the Lord are the gifts you receive for being humble. Notice the scripture clearly. When you go down, God will lift you up.
Are you not seeking for increase and promotion? Then humble yourself and be a servant! Humble yourself and become a child who can be trained and instructed.
You will find yourself rising out of your current level into heights you never dreamed of.
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that HE MAY EXALT YOU IN DUE TIME
1 Peter 5:6
Think about it. What does it mean to be exalted? Exaltation is to be gloriously lifted up into beauty and shining excellence. Is that not what you want? Humility is the key to enter these realms.
4. Humble yourself so that you will be covered and protected.
Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and BE CLOTHED WITH HUMILITY: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
1 Peter 5:5
Humility is a spiritual covering. Humility is not just an attitude. Humility is not just a poor and simple way of living. Humility is not the art of looking timid and defeated. Humility is actually a spiritual cloak that covers you. It protects the Christian from many unseen and spiritually disastrous evils. Put on humility and you will be covered, delivered and protected from many evils in this life.
5. Humble yourself because your pride is the signal for your soon-to-come destruction, your fall and your shame.
A MAN’S PRIDE SHALL BRING HIM LOW: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.
Proverbs 29:23
PRIDE GOETH BEFORE DESTRUCTION, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 16:18
WHEN PRIDE COMETH, THEN COMETH SHAME: but with the lowly is wisdom.
Proverbs 11:2
Pride is a signal! It signals a coming fall, a coming catastrophe and a coming evil. Humbling yourself will remove the looming dangers from your life and ministry. Satan is greatly attracted to your self-exaltation and over confident utterances. They are an open door to him.
Pride is a spiritual signal that assembles demons of shame, destruction and defeat. Your pride is like a trumpet that gives a sure and definite call to evil spirits.
When you are proud, angels are not called in to help you. When you are proud, demons are assembled to destroy you. You are actually more accessible to demons because your spiritual clothing and covering are removed.
6. Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord because pride is essentially satanic and demonic.
Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? Or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down? Canst thou put an hook into his nose?..
He beholdeth all high things: HE IS A KING OVER ALL THE CHILDREN OF PRIDE.
Job 41:1, 34
All proud people have a king and that king is satan. Satan is the king of all the children of pride. You must decide to humble yourself so that satan will not be your king and ruler. Once you walk in pride you live and walk under the rulership of satan himself.
Pride is essentially demonic and satanic. Satan fell out of heaven through his presumption, arrogance and pride. In pride he lifted himself up against God! Lucifer exalted himself against the throne of God and threatened to ascend to replace God in His throne. This was the most outrageous manifestation of pride ever.
But God cast satan out of heaven and showed him that he was nothing but a rebellious branch, puffed up and swelled up for no reason. This evil puffing up and swelling up is what affects the entire human race. Human beings feel so big and great without having any good reason to. Today, large sections of the human race foolishly say that there is no God.
Unfortunately, we the ministers of the gospel also become swollen when we achieve little bitty goals in the ministry. Most pride has no foundation. Pride is mostly idiopathic (without a known cause). Ministers of the gospel swell up and attack their spiritual fathers who raised them up. Associates swell up and attempt to ascend into the chair of the leader. Soldiers rise up and attempt to remove legitimately elected heads of state. These things happen because people swell up and see themselves as bigger than they really are.
The words ‘pride’ and ‘satan’ are virtually synonymous. Satan is a spirit! But pride is the attitude and speech that is caused by the presence of satan!
Anytime you see pride in an individual, you are recognising the presence of a very evil spirit – satan! Satan is the originator of pride. That is why God hates pride and opposes anyone in whom He detects this pride!
Every one that is proud in heart IS AN ABOMINATION to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
Proverbs 16:5
This scripture means that God is outraged at proud people. He loathes stubborn people. It is not a good thing for God to detest and dislike you. I suggest that you turn away from everything that is associated with pride so that God will not be filled with revulsion when He thinks of you.
by Dag Heward-Mills
Best Selling African Author
