[This is part five in a series on “pride” in the Bible. See the part one, two, three, four, six, seven, eight]

Leaving Egypt Ministries, Obadiah D. Morris 

As we have already stated, pride is much more than the individual’s ego. At least as much as such things as narcissism or self-centeredness (but I would argue more), pride entails the very feelings and emotions that accompany a statist as they see glories of empire, heroism of the State’s officers, and alleged awesomeness of the system as a whole. 

We hear so many statists tell us things like, “This is the best country ever…we have the most powerful military…no one can bring us down.” These are the real examples of pride that we should be looking at to understand it more.  

It is no coincidence that such typical comments by statists are repeated over and over in our world and can be found everywhere: these things are what pride and idolatry are all about. It is not innocent or harmless that we hear these things all the time. They represent the sin of state-worshiping and king-seeking that we find all throughout the Bible (1 Samuel 8). These are exactly the type of prideful statements that God likes to disprove by toppling those empires who believe their evil is untouchable.

The pride of statists—the love of power, feelings of glory and triumph, or the sense of security and greatness that comes along with such violent systems—is a major essence of “pride” as we are to understand it Biblically. 

Pride and state power

Those who think their “glorious” country and all its “honorable” and “heroic” men are the best thing in the world are some of the best examples of “pride” as we should see it. They are indeed so prideful, so full of themselves and their own wicked ways, that they don’t see that God even exists, much less that He is going to smash them. 

“The LORD of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth” (Isaiah 23:9).

The essence of pride in the scriptures is thus the feelings of invincibility among the rulers of empires and the proud citizens below who think it will never come to an end, that the party will go on forever. A strong, Biblical aspect of pride is this belief of evil men that they cannot be stopped and will not have to pay the price for their evils at the hand of the Lord. These people—the men who take up positions as the false gods in the political system as well as the statist idolaters who support them—are the very subjects of “pride” in the word of God. And, as I propose here, are the ones who, through their idea that they are unconquerable, invulnerable, or unbeatable, give us the best sense of what “pride” is all about: The feelings of indestructibility or even omnipotence that one has when they embark on statist schemes that they think are exempt from God’s judgment. “The proud” are the people who think that they are “gods” and that their schemes won’t come to an end (say, as the communists thought when erecting the Soviet system, the Nazis when they were raising up the “Third Reich,” or the American rulers when expanding the empire after the Second World War). 

Pride is these rulers’ and their followers’ feelings of being unstoppable, untouchable, on top of the world, or otherwise free of any consequences—particularly divine destruction—for their actions. This is the mindset of the rulers when they embark upon systems of social control (socialism, communism, fascism, state intervention of any kind) in the belief that they are “gods” who are not subject to God’s law and judgment, and that God is not watching what they are doing. As the scriptures often depict this view of these types of prideful men, 

“He hath said in his heart, ‘God hath forgotten: He hideth his face, He will never see it” (Psalm 10:11).

Statists don’t fear God or His judgment — because they are proud. Hitler was “proud” when he embarked upon invading his neighbors, thinking he will never fall. The Soviets were “proud” when they thought communist schemes could be implemented without the system eventually falling apart on them. The Americans were proud when they expanded their military around the world and became a bona fide empire into the twentieth century. The technocrats were “proud” in 2020 when they believed they could launch a global “pandemic” and the subsequent lockdowns and controls without anyone realizing what they were up to. It is the pride of state rulers that they are so full of themselves that they do not think God is watching them. “The wicked say, ‘How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?’” (Psalm 73:11). And they prey on God’s children under this same assumption that God is not protecting His people, either. “For my enemies speak against me, and those who lie in wait for my life conspire, saying, ‘God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for their is no one to rescue him” (Psalm 71:10-11).

State rulers are so proud that they would disagree with what (following the prophets) this ministry teaches: that judgment has to come down upon statist societies, because they are violent, evil systems that are born in rebellion to God. Statists are too proud to listen to the prophets of God, telling people that statism will always destroy and be destroyed.

“They have lied about the LORD and said: ‘He will not do anything; harm will not come to us; we will not see sword or famine. ‘The prophets are but wind, for the word is not in them. So let their own predictions befall them” (Jeremiah 5:12-13).

The false prophets of the State reaffirm the lie to everyone, that the empire and its sins are forever and cannot be stopped.

“Look, the prophets are telling them, ‘You will not see the sword or suffer famine, but I will give you lasting peace in this place'” (Jeremiah 14:13)

Since statists are so proud that they think their “best country ever” can never be destroyed and that their “most powerful military in the world” will always protect them, God upsets their idolatry and overturns their beloved political systems by sending plunderers against the same violent ways that they put their faith in.

“They will devour your harvest and food; they will consume your sons and daughters; they will eat up your flocks and herds; they will feed on your vines and fig trees. With the sword they will destroy the fortified cities in which you trust” (Jeremiah 5:17).

The pride of the statist (e.g., “our country is the most powerful ever”) keeps them from fearing the Lord, i.e., from fearing what God always does to these systems. Statists believe they can plunder people with man-made “laws,” police officers, soldiers, taxes, fines, fees, tickets, etc., and that God is not watching them.

“These people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned aside and gone away. They have not said in their hearts, ‘Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives the rains, both autumn and spring, in season, who keeps for us the appointed weeks of harvest.’ Your iniquities have diverted these from you; your sins have deprived you of My bounty. For among My people are wicked men; they watch like fowlers lying in wait; they set a trap to catch men. Like cages full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they have become powerful and rich. They have grown fat and sleek, and have excelled in the deeds of the wicked. They have not taken up the cause of the fatherless, that they might prosper; nor have they defended the rights of the needy. Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. ‘Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?'” (Jeremiah 5:23-29).

Those who serve the evil state system do so under the prideful delusion that God does not see their plundering of His people and that they can get away with it forever. The wannabe-gods who control States are so pridefully wrapped up in their own image that they can’t imagine that God even exists to render judgment upon them for their enslavement of the Lord’s creation. 

“For the wicked man boasts in the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD. In his pride the wicked man does not seek Him; in all his schemes there is no God. He is secure in his ways at all times; Your lofty judgments are far from him; he sneers at all his foes. He says to himself, ‘I will not be moved; from age to age I am free of distress.’ His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and violence; trouble and malice are under his tongue. He lies in wait near the villages; in ambush he slays the innocent; his eyes watch in stealth for the helpless. He lies in wait like a lion in a thicket; he lurks to seize the oppressed; he catches the lowly in his net. They are crushed and beaten down; the hapless fall prey to his strength. He says to himself, “God has forgotten; He hides His face and never sees” (Psalm 10:3-11).

As we see, one main element of the “proud” state rulers is their belief that they are the gods, that the Lord God doesn’t exist, or that they are otherwise exempt from God’s divine law and that no judgments will ever come upon them for their evils. Political conspirators are so prideful and full of themselves that they don’t think God is watching them as the cook up schemes behind closed doors against “the people” they claim to represent. They are men “who dig deep to hide their plans from the LORD. In darkness they do their works and say, ‘Who sees us, and who will know?'” (Isaiah 29:15).

State rulers are so full of pride—this is probably a weakness they exhibit from their high horse—that they are even blinded at times for the ramifications for their own actions. As we saw with Operation Covid-19 (2020-ongoing), they apparently thought they could launch a global political scheme against billions of people and get away with it. Though they just can’t help themselves from doing evil at the same time, the psychopathic rulers’ weakness seems to be that they can’t see as far to realize that men filled with the Holy Spirit are going to see right through them and tell others about it. Or even if they do anticipate the push back, they are confident that they will have fooled enough slaves to outnumber the remnant and win over the narrative anyway. 

Pride in the Bible and judgment

A major essence of pride in the scriptures, then, is the rulers’ belief that they will never face God’s judgment for their evil. This article could easily be tied into the series on the “fear of the Lord” as expressed in God’s word, because this aspect of pride demonstrates a lack of fear of the Lord, i.e., a lack of fear of punishment for doing evil. 

“Pride” thus very much entails political rulers’ arrogant and mistaken belief that they are exempt from facing divine justice for their actions (e.g., robbing people and calling it “taxes,” kidnapping people and calling it “arrest” or “incarceration,” killing them and calling it “war” or “the officer feared for his life”). Statists are so full of pride that they believe they operate outside of the providential order—the economic and moral law—put into place by God. 

Let us review a few scriptures that consistently bear this out. 

“The wicked man [has] renounced God. He says to himself, ‘You will never call me to account'” (Psalm 10:13). 

Those who rule over people, calling themselves “governments,” think they are truly autonomous from the Sovereignty of the Lord, hence why they foolishly seek to be gods themselves. Thus, the psalmists, who know the Lord is still active in the world, often call upon Him to intervene and smash the evil statists. 

“But You have regarded trouble and grief; You see to repay it by Your hand. The victim entrusts himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call him to account for his wickedness until none is left to be found” (Psalm 10:13-15).

The evil men who do satan’s work as agents of the State are so proud that they do not think that God sees what they are up to. 

“They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, ‘Who shall see them?'” (Psalm 64:5). 

As men who are attempting to be gods themselves, they kid themselves that there is no truth outside of their own supposedly-wise abilities to control people and so-called “governments.”

“They say, ‘How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the Most High?'” (Psalm 73:11).

Even worse than not being worried that “the people” will expose them, they think they can get it past God. They say, 

“The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob pays no heed” (Psalm 94:7).

Evil men (e.g., statists) think that they will hold their positions forever without coming under judgment and being toppled for their evils. 

“He hath said in his heart, ‘I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity'” (Psalm 10:6). 

Evil statists are so full of pride that they think God doesn’t see that they’re plunderers. 

“The arrogance of your heart has deceived you, You who live in the clefts of the rock, In the loftiness of your dwelling place, Who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to earth?’” (Obadiah 1:3). 

They think they’re so high up, in their kingly castles, presidential palaces, governor’s mansions, or police stations, that it’s out of reach for God to destroy. Those who enforce Pharaoh’s bogus “laws” believe they are safe because they are part of the Blue Line Gang. The Hitlers of the world think they can hide out in the mountains without ever being found-out by the Lord and coming under judgment (e.g., by God’s preferred method of sending another evil regime after them). But God promises otherwise. 

“As for the terror of you, The arrogance of your heart has deceived you, O you who live in the clefts of the rock, Who occupy the height of the hill. Though you make your nest as high as an eagle’s, I will bring you down from there,’ declares the Lord” (“Jeremiah 49:16). 

They are so pridefully wrapped up in their evil that they cannot pause to see that God will repay. 

“For his eyes are too full of conceit to detect or hate his own sin” (Psalm 36:2). 

What it comes down to is that statists—a particular type of evil man in this world worthy of constant emphasis—are so full of pride they believe they are exempt from God’s judgment. Statists—both the rulers themselves and their supporters—do not fear the Lord, i.e., fear His wrath coming down upon them for walking in the path of sin and plunder. But God promises to bring down these proud statists. 

“Thus I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud, and abase the haughtiness of the ruthless” (Isaiah 13:11).

Amen! The rulers are grinning in our faces right now, thinking they are the “sovereigns” (as States refer to themselves) who are in control and that God is not with His people still, but God intends to change that. Praise God. 

“For You save an afflicted people, But haughty eyes You abase” (Psalm 18:27).

Conclusion 

As far as the scriptures are concerned, one major form of pride is indeed the arrogance of political rulers and their statist followers who are so full of themselves that they believe, contrary to the long history of judgments upon state systems in Biblical narrative, that God doesn’t see them, that He will never bring justice upon them, that there are no consequences for their evil intervention into God’s natural order, and that they can get away with all their actions forever. 

The pride that God is usually talking about is the one that is manifest in statists (both the rulers themselves and their duped supporters) feelings of invincibility, in their self-assurance that they will remain in power forever, in their belief that they are untouchable and unstoppable, in their little slogans that “this is the best country ever and nothing could ever go wrong here.”

Prayer 

Our Lord God, bring the prideful men of our world, both those who won’t listen to your word and those who arrogantly rule over others, to a humble enough state of mind that they may see how foolish they are, repent of their ways, and turn to You as the Lord and King of all kings. If they refuse to hear, then destroy them for us, that we may live free from these false gods who are plundering us for all we’re worth down here. Don’t allow enemies of Your kingdom to deceive our neighbors anymore into believing political “saviors,” whether they claim to be “godly” conservative men or unashamed atheistic socialists, and turn them back to You and Your ways. Open the minds of these know-it-alls of the world long enough that they may hear Your word and see that they have been fooled. Take away their intellectual arrogance that causes them to believe they have it all figured out, when they’re buying into the lies of the world. Place Your Spirit in their hearts and bring them under Your wing. Amen.