Pride - Cast it Down!

(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 KJV

When the serpent spoke to Eve, he promised her that if she ate of the forbidden fruit in the midst of the garden, she could be like God. He appealed to her pride, yet before this took place, Eve had never been proud. But instead of resisting the enemy's subtle ploy, she yielded to temptation. Adam joined in this act of rebellion. Pride went before the fall.

Anytime we as Christ followers fall, we do so because of pride. Our enemy tries to tempt us with lies that inflate our importance. He wants us to look down on others, to give in to prejudice and envy. But when thoughts like these enter our minds, we have a choice. We can cast down imaginations and reasonings that are an affront to our Lord. We can choose the path of humility.

Jesus described himself as being meek and lowly of heart. Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, will enable us to be gentle and humble. Humility is a fruit of the Spirit that is described in Galatians 5:22-23. This means that the fruit of humility is already in us.

When we are tempted to think of ourselves more highly than we ought, we can submit to God and resist the devil. We can speak God's word and say, “I choose to be humble because God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. I believe that humility comes before honor. I thank the Lord for helping me to be humble.” We can also take authority over our enemy in the name of Jesus.

Eve had a choice in the garden. She could have chosen humility. We too have a choice when the subtle tempter comes. Let's cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against God. When we do, we will enjoy the unhindered fellowship of the One who gave His life for us.