Priceless Lessons from Dr. Price - When the Enemy Smiles: The Pitfall of Pride

When Success Becomes a Snare: The Hidden Battle Against Pride

Barry's Bureau | Inspired by Dr. Richard Price's sermon at Schrader Lane Church of Christ

Have you ever caught yourself mentally taking a bow for something God did? Maybe you nailed that presentation at work, received praise for a ministry project, or finally got your life "together"—and for just a moment, forgot who deserves the credit. Welcome to the believer's most dangerous battlefield: the war against pride.

The Greatest Battle You'll Ever Fight

Dr. Richard Price opened his sermon with a startling claim: "The greatest battle of the believer is not always against the devil. It's against the self that wants to share God's spotlight."

Think about that. We spend so much time worried about spiritual warfare—rebuking the enemy, standing firm against temptation—that we miss the adversary staring back at us in the mirror. Pride doesn't announce itself with horns and a pitchfork. It whispers, "I deserve the credit," when only God deserves the glory.

"Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall." — Proverbs 16:18

Understanding the Snare

The enemy's primary weapon isn't always temptation—it's the snare. A snare is a hidden trap that inflates our ego until we forget the source of our power. It makes us trust ourselves more than God, turning our perceived strengths into our downfall.

Pride's Hebrew Picture

In the original Hebrew, the imagery for "destruction" in Proverbs 16:18 paints a vivid picture: a structure collapsing under its own height. Are you building your life on Christ, or on your own supply? Because whatever we build on ourselves will eventually crumble.

Warning Signs of Pride:

• Self-exaltation that blinds your judgment
• An inner attitude that refuses correction
• Taking credit for what God has done
• Displacement of dependence on God

What Is God's Glory, Anyway?

Before we can understand why pride is so dangerous, we need to grasp what God's glory actually means. It's not just some ethereal concept—it's the complete, weighty, splendid manifestation of God's divine nature.

The Hebrew word for glory means "weight" or "heaviness"—the worth and majesty of His presence. The Greek word "doxa" means "splendor" or "honor." To glorify God is to accurately reflect His nature. To steal His glory is to claim ownership of what originates from Him alone.

"I am the Lord. That is my name. I will not give my glory to anyone else nor share my praise with carved idols." — Isaiah 42:8

When Moses Got Too Close

Even Moses—who spoke with God "face to face as one speaks to a friend"—couldn't see God's full glory. When Moses asked, "Show me your glory" (Exodus 33:18), God's response was telling.

Instead of showing Moses His face, God proclaimed His character: goodness, mercy, compassion, unfailing love, and faithfulness. What Moses sought as a visual revelation, God provided as a relational reality.

The Grace Revelation

Here's the profound truth: God didn't want Moses to be Him—He wanted Moses to reflect Him. The same is true for us. We don't need to sit in God's seat; we need to shine His light.

Visual Asset Caption: This illustration shows the critical distinction between God's throne of glory and humanity's proper posture of humility. The elevated, radiant throne represents the seat reserved for God alone, while the kneeling figures below demonstrate our appropriate response—worship, surrender, and acknowledgment that we cannot and should not try to occupy His place.

The King Who Lost His Mind (And Found Humility)

King Nebuchadnezzar's story is a sobering warning. Here was the most powerful monarch of his time, builder of the hanging gardens of Babylon, who looked across his kingdom and said:

"Look at this great city of Babylon. By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor." (Daniel 4:30)

Before the words left his mouth, God's judgment fell. Nebuchadnezzar lost his sanity and lived like a beast until he acknowledged that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world.

The Restoration

When Nebuchadnezzar finally looked up to heaven, his sanity—and humility—returned together. His testimony is powerful: "Now I praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just, and he is able to humble the proud." (Daniel 4:37)

Even someone not in relationship with God experienced this truth: God will humble the proud because pride misrepresents His nature.

The Judgment Seat Belongs to God Alone

Here's where it gets uncomfortable. When we judge others, condemn their motives, or presume their intentions, we're attempting to sit in God's chair. Romans 14 asks pointedly: "Why do you condemn another believer? We will all stand before the judgment seat of God."

The Truth About Forgiveness: God demands forgiveness even when indignation feels justified because forgiveness keeps us off the judgment bench and in the pew of grace. We must speak truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), always remembering we're reflecting God—not replacing Him.

Meekness: Strength Under Divine Restraint

Christ gave us the ultimate example. Though He was God, He didn't retaliate when insulted. He didn't defend Himself when accused. He trusted the Father with the final say.

"Meekness is not weakness—it's strength under divine restraint. Pride pushes; meekness yields. Pride demands the last word; meekness trusts God with the final say." — Dr. Richard Price

You're maturing in Christ when you have the ability to retaliate but choose restraint. When you could "fire back" but instead stand still and let God defend your name.

Why God Hates Pride (And What He Does About It)

God doesn't hate people—but He hates pride. Why? Because pride blocks His love from flowing to the believer. Pride is the "closed fist of the soul" that refuses to receive grace because it wants to earn it.

God's Loving Discipline

When pride resists grace, God's love intervenes—not to crush us, but to break our pride so humility can breathe again. Deuteronomy 8:2-3 explains that God led Israel through the wilderness "to humble and test them, to prove their character."

What feels like breaking is actually blessing. What feels like loss is gaining perspective. Dr. Price said it beautifully: "Sometimes the greatest blessing is that He loved me enough to reduce me before I ruined myself."

Calvary: Where Pride Goes to Die

At the cross, Christ fixed what pride had broken. Every act of arrogance from Eden to the empire met its match in a Savior who humbled Himself and became obedient unto death.

The cross is the great equalizer where kings and commoners kneel side by side. Grace dethrones pride and crowns humility.

Practical Application: Standing Still

So what does this look like in real life? How do we fight pride and embrace humility?

Seven Takeaways from This Lesson:

• Pride is a hidden trap that makes us trust ourselves more than God
• God's glory is His weight, worth, and majesty—and it's not for sharing
• Even intimate relationship with God doesn't give us the right to take His place
• Meekness is strength under divine restraint, not weakness
• God humbles us because He loves us—reduction is protection
• Forgiveness keeps us off the judgment seat and in the pew of grace
• Calvary is the only cure for pride—where we see our need and His supply

Action Steps: Living Humbly This Week

• Practice the "Stand Still" Prayer: "Lord, teach me to stand still and stay out of your way. Let every success reflect your glory."
• Trace God's Grace: Thank God for closed doors, redirected paths, and times He "reduced" you before you ruined yourself
• Check Your Seat: When you're tempted to judge someone or demand your rights, ask: "Am I trying to sit in God's chair?"
• Reflect, Don't Replace: In conversations this week, focus on sharing God's grace and mercy rather than moral superiority
• Reframe Your Story: Change your language from complaints about struggles to recognizing them as God's grace at work
• Serve Rather Than Shine: Look for one opportunity to help someone else get the credit while you stay in the background

The Sufficiency of Grace

Here's the beautiful paradox: God's grace is powerful enough to take the worst scenario or the most malicious person and, upon their acknowledgment of His Lordship, transform them through the blood of His Son.

If King Nebuchadnezzar—in his "crazy self," as Dr. Price put it—could cry out to God and be changed, what hope does that give us? What hope does it give the people in our lives who seem far from God?

"That's how strong grace is. That's the sufficiency of grace." — Dr. Richard Price

Walking as Grace in Your World

As you increase in influence, responsibility, or blessing, remember: the more you increase, the more you must decrease so that God might be glorified.

When that marginalized student needs encouragement, offer it—and introduce them to God. When your community faces injustice, engage with understanding because you recognize spiritual warfare. When people see you walk with God's grace on your life, you become contagious.

This is why people invite you to gatherings, ask you to serve on boards, trust you with leadership. Not because you've arrived, but because you've learned to reflect rather than replace.

Your Response Matters

Perhaps you're reading this and realizing pride has been sitting on the throne of your heart. Maybe you've been building on your own supply, and you feel the structure starting to collapse.

Respond today. Surrender to God's authority. If you haven't given your life to Christ, the steps are clear: hear, believe, repent, confess Jesus as Lord, and be baptized for the remission of your sins.

If you're already His child, maybe you need to humble down. Thank God for His grace. Change your language from complaints to blessings. Stand still and let God work.

Discussion Prompt: What area of your life are you most tempted to take credit for instead of giving God glory? How can you practice "standing still" this week when you're tempted to self-promote, judge others, or demand your way?

The Bottom Line

Don't ever forget where you came from. Don't ever forget to be humble. And most importantly, don't ever forget who woke you up, who kept you sane, who opened the door you couldn't even knock on.

God's seat is taken. Your job is to reflect His glory, extend His grace, and stand still in His presence.

Because when you do? That's when He can do exceedingly, abundantly above all you can ask or think.

Tags: Pride and Humility Spiritual Growth God's Glory Meekness Grace and Mercy Surrender Christian Living Biblical Wisdom

SEO-Friendly Headline: When Success Becomes a Snare: The Hidden Battle Against Pride | Biblical Wisdom on Humility

Meta Description: Discover why pride is the believer's greatest battle and how God's grace breaks us down to build us up. A fresh look at humility, surrender, and standing still in God's glory.

Word Count: Approximately 1,150 words