May 28, 2020
by: Ciara Leilani
Had such a good time with the Lord this morning. I love his wisdom, willingness to teach and revelation. Today we discussed pride. What it truly is, how it operates, signs of its presence and take over, wages of it and how to be free from it. Oh boy, we have to be very careful of this sin. Most have little idea how much pride is ruling in their lives.
- Pride is the opposite of identity. True humility is knowing who you are. When a person knows who they are in Christ, they know who they aren’t without him.
- Pride is self-strength. Pride will convince a novice, a wounded soul, an arrogant person that they are the best protection of themselves.
- Pride erodes solid foundations and replaces with familiar experiences. It’s an illusion that sadly will be revealed for the fraud that it is.
- Pride elevates self promotion and self protection above humility. Pride causes God’s children to identify more with culture, a trauma, and an experience in order to create a counterfeit freedom that promotes SELF. It breeds carnality that regresses into old besetting sins.
- Pride and Haughtiness are separate. Haughtiness is a part of pride. Pride comes before destruction but Haughtiness comes before the fall.
- Pride is at the root of insecurity and insecurity is the result of a lack of identity.
- Pride blinds. Pride confuses. Pride creates illusions and labels them true. Pride will cause someone to “see something” in others when it’s always been internal.
- Pride supports false narratives and gently lures off their path of destiny. Pride destroys.
- Pride is often subtle and a great performer. It will cause a person who is in need of deep inner healing and deliverance to become a victim. Over and over and over and over and over. The narrative does not change but the characters do. Victimhood is the manifestation of no identity.
- Pride is often established in unsuspecting circumstances, i.e. unforgiveness, competitiveness, complacency, repetitive trauma, insecurities, lack of proper protection. All of these unsuspecting circumstances lead callus hearts with barriers of erected self protection.
An unguarded strength is a double weakness. You might say, “I’m really strong in this area of my life, but I’m kind of weak here, here, and here, so I don’t have to worry about that.” Hold on. The area where you think you are the strongest is where you could end up being the weakest. We need to stand in God’s strength and not our own. Know this: You are no match for the devil. You would never want to take him on in your own strength. You are not fighting for God. You are not being strong for God. You are not fighting for victory; you are fighting from victory. You are resting in the finished work of Jesus Christ for you on the cross, where He said, “Tetelestai,” which is translated, “It is finished.” It is accomplished. It is done. It is completed.
Jesus Christ purchased our salvation. A decisive blow was dealt against the enemy at the cross. Satan was defeated at Calvary. He knows our closeness to God and fellowship with Him is our power base. His objective is to separate us from God in fellowship. His chief aim is to disconnect our hearts from God and inspire confidence in ourselves instead. Keep your guard up in every area of your life. You could always be vulnerable in ways you are unaware of.
Ciara Leilani 