You probably don’t walk around talking arrogantly with a puffed-out chest. But are you teachable? Do you secretly put people down in your thoughts? Do you distance yourself from people you think of as less competent—or less spiritual?
Pride—#50 on my list of 70 things every man needs to know—is arrogance, but it’s also so much more. Take this quick, self-evaluation quiz:
- When was the last time I changed my mind—or my behavior—because someone corrected me? (Pride resists correction.)
- Do I feel a quiet need to compare my performance, success, or morality with other men in order to feel okay about myself? (Destructive pride always needs someone beneath it.)
- Am I currently depending on God in prayer—or am I mainly running on competence, experience, and self-discipline? (Pride takes root when dependence quietly gives way to self-reliance.)
These questions aren’t meant to shame. But they are meant to remind us that pride is often less obvious and more complex than we might think. And it’s as ubiquitous as a robocall offering a pre-approved loan.
Pride is a prominent issue for men—and Scripture treats it as the deadliest of sins because it shuts down learning, repentance, and dependence on God.
Scripture could not be more explicit about what is at stake: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (see James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5).
This is not mild language. Pride is uniquely dangerous on many levels, but chief among them is this: God does not merely disapprove of pride—He actively opposes it.
Pride puts us in opposition to God, while humility positions us to receive grace.
Pride Is the Soil of Every Sin
Not only is pride deadly, but it is has been here since the beginning. Scripture presents pride as the original sin—and even the sin by which Satan himself fell. Before there was sexual sin, materialism, or violence, there was pride.
C. S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity: “There is one vice of which no man in the world is free. Which everyone in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else, and of which hardly any people, except Christians ever imagine they themselves are guilty.
“I have heard people admit that they are bad tempered or that they cannot keep their heads about girls or drink. Or even that they are cowards. I do not think that I have ever heard anyone who was not a Christian accuse himself of this vice. …
“There is no fault that make a man more unpopular and no fault of which we are more unconscious of in ourselves. The more we have it ourselves the more we dislike it in others.
“The vice I am talking about is pride or self conceit. And the virtue opposite to it in Christian morals is called humility.”
Two Kinds of Pride
The Bible condemns one kind of pride and permits— even commends—another.
Type I Pride (Healthy): A healthy sense of self without comparison to others, because the heart is right. It’s being proud of your son for getting a hit.
The Apostle Paul writes: “Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else” (Galatians 6:4).
Type II Pride (Destructive): An inordinate opinion of one’s own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing or conduct.
This is pride that makes us feel bigger or better by looking down on others. It requires losers to produce winners. It feeds on comparison. It’s looking down on others because their sons didn’t get a hit.
Humility: An Elegant and Simple Solution, Properly Defined
Humility is neither self-loathing nor false modesty. Rather, it’s having a healthy sense of self without needing to compare oneself to others, because the heart is in the right condition and assumes the right posture. It’s being proud of your son for getting a hit—without needing another boy to strike out.
Humility is a modest, accurate sense of one’s importance, rank, and role—under God.
Always in your corner,
Pat
Reflection and Discussion Questions
- Reflection (Heart): Where do I most notice pride showing up in my inner life—not loud arrogance, but comparison, defensiveness, or quiet self-reliance?
- Understanding (Head): How does Scripture distinguish between healthy pride (Type I) and destructive pride (Type II), and why does God actively oppose one while giving grace to the other?
- Application (Hands): What is one concrete action I can take this week to walk more humbly—such as inviting correction, increasing dependence on prayer, or choosing not to compare myself with another man?
NEXT WEDNESDAY I’ll show you how BIBLICAL PRIORITIES can help you decide in advance what you want to give your life to—and manage the pressures that pull in the other direction.
In 1986, Patrick Morley launched a small Bible study in a bar that grew into Man in the Mirror, a global ministry reaching millions Iof men and thousands of churches. His book The Man in the Mirror became one of the 20th century’s most influential. A leading voice on men’s discipleship, he’s authored 22 books and 750+ articles, with global translations. Patrick holds degrees from UCF, Harvard, Oxford, and Reformed Theological Seminary. He and his wife live in Winter Park, Florida. Learn more at the Patrick Morley website.
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Yes, pride is a dangerous mortal belief—a “foe in ambush”—that separates humanity from God and hinders spiritual healing. Pride must be overcome through humility, self-renunciation, and understanding that God is the source of all ability, rather than the human self.
Your friend – His servant,
Isaac Otieno