Pride versus humility is a vast theme, but it applies to each of us personally. Holy Spirit, we ask that you would bring forth this teaching with revelation and application for our lives.
I had to retire 18 months earlier than planned because of many debilitating illnesses. Soon after I retired, I realized I had let Satan, God’s enemy and mine, keep me from living the abundant life that Jesus had provided for me. I had forgotten who I was in Christ and what Jesus died on the cross to give me: salvation, healing, deliverance, protection, provision, etc. As a result, I was not living the abundant life Jesus promised in John 10:10!
I realized I was not putting Christ first as I tried to meet my needs through self-effort and self-strength. I was doing everything possible to go to work despite these numerous debilitating sicknesses and diseases. I began seeking the Lord to learn how I got into this spiritual and physical condition. He told me I needed to deal with pride because it opened the door to the enemy and a spirit of infirmity.
I never thought I had pride and couldn’t see it, so I asked the Holy Spirit to show me. He prompted me to read the book Truly Free,[1] where the author explains that pride is present whenever we try to do things in our strength, wisdom, and righteousness. It was a revelation when the Holy Spirit opened my eyes, and I saw I was prideful!
For example, I hadn’t considered asking the Lord for help at work when I found myself in stressful situations. I believed God had already given me the talents and gifts of an RN and a charge nurse, so I struggled to do my job without asking for His help!
Pride can leave us prayerless, thinking we don’t need God’s help or divine intervention. Pride can show up in any decision we make apart from God, not just when we need help; this is self-will. The nature of pride is seeking to be independent of God. When we try to live without willing dependence on God, pride motivates us (Luke 12:16-21). Remember what Jesus says:
“I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
Then the Lord led me to study pride more deeply, revealing many symptoms in my life that stemmed from pride. Some symptoms He showed me were a critical, judgmental attitude toward others; interrupting and controlling conversations; being argumentative; always having to be right; trying to be perfect; doing things perfectly; and being impatient. (See Back to the Altar Manual[2] for a comprehensive list of the symptoms of pride.)
When I frequently interrupted people in conversation, I didn’t realize it was pride revealing that I thought that what I had to say was more important. As a result, I wasn’t a good listener. I was also often impatient with others when they didn’t understand what I was saying or when I was trying to give them instructions and they didn’t understand. Again, I didn’t realize my impatience was a sign of pride. If I knew it or could do it, why couldn’t they? However, I wasn’t consciously aware of these thoughts.
When the Lord spoke to me concerning prideful behavior, He revealed that I used pride as a coping mechanism as a child. I tried to do things independently and thought I was doing something better than I actually was (e.g., playing my violin or volleyball). I wasn’t good at these, but I told myself and others I was. I allowed myself to believe this.
But it was a false persona, and I had put up walls to protect myself from the hurt of rejection, driven by the insecurity I felt. These wounds in my soul allowed a landing strip for the enemy to come in through pride. I felt unloved, unaccepted, not good enough, and ashamed.
These were lies that I had come to believe. I repented of these lies, and the Holy Spirit showed me what truths to plant in their place instead (e.g., I am accepted in the Beloved, He loves me with an everlasting love, and I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus).
Pride brings deception and causes spiritual blindness. I didn’t realize that the root of pride is insecurity and rejection, which I had been walking in since childhood. I realized I needed deliverance from all of these.
False humility is really pride. Walking in pride has negative consequences, such as shame (Proverbs 11:2), strife (13:10), and destruction. It is always better for us to humble ourselves before God than to be humbled by Him.
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18
“And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Matthew 23:12
But He gives more grace. Therefore, He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6
Pride results from the desire for self-exaltation and self-reliance, or independence from God. God’s answer to pride is humility. Humbling ourselves allows God to work in us. However, pride, arrogance, and self-sufficiency are barriers that keep God from moving in our lives (Philippians 2:13).
Leviathan
The Bible says Leviathan is the king over all the children of pride (Job 41:34; Isaiah 27:1). It is a marine spirit and a powerful principality that rules over proud people and despises the humble and meek. He has multiple heads representing characteristics, attitudes, and functions (Psalm 74:13-14).
Some of his characteristics include twisting the truth, words, Scripture, and intentions. He brings deception, lies, miscommunication, divination, and division (1 Timothy 6:3-5). Isaiah 27:1 calls Leviathan a fleeing, twisting serpent. The word fleeing doesn’t mean to run away; it means to dart back and forth as a serpent does on the ground. Leviathan darts back and forth between people as they’re talking and twists the words that come out of their mouths and the words as they go into people’s ears. If we get rid of the pride, that clears up a lot of that twisted communication.
Leviathan is a covenant breaker, uncommitted and unfaithful (Job 41:4). Pride makes us walk away from relationships easily and not apologize or be humble enough to admit we were wrong. Prideful people lie, are defensive, and are not teachable or correctable.
Leviathan has a stiff neck and a hard heart and blocks the Holy Spirit from moving (Job 41:15-16, 22-24). No air or breath of the Spirit can get between his scales protecting him. His scales are his pride.
The Lord healed me of a back injury and of migraines, and at the time I didn’t realize that it was Leviathan that was behind these illnesses. That changed when I recently heard Katie Souza’s webinar on Leviathan. She teaches that God showed her in Job chapter 3 that as Job cursed the day he was born, his mother’s womb, her knees, and her breasts, he released Leviathan on himself. So, Leviathan carries out curses against the breast, the uterus, and the womb. He causes cancer, miscarriage, and all that.
She also explained that when we started agreeing with Leviathan as children, it comes back to us because we got hurt and wounded and didn’t know how to forgive or heal our wounds. So, it gave Leviathan the legal right to keep on speaking to us, and she mentions that it will attach to the spine; e.g., scoliosis, which is a twisting of the spine, can cause back pain, neck pain, headaches, insomnia, and trouble sleeping at night.
Taking Leviathan to Court
We can defeat Leviathan in the Courts of heaven and keep him from operating in our lives by walking in humility, repenting daily, leaning on God through prayer, and maintaining an attitude of forgiveness. Proud people are too arrogant to forgive. We need to repent and forgive quickly!
We are not to rebuke or cast out Leviathan because there will be backlash with a severe attack (Job 41:8-10). Instead, we need to take him to the Courts of Heaven and let the Court’s judicial power take care of him in the name of Jesus. We are seated in heavenly places in Christ, and Jesus gave us exousia, or delegated authority, meaning the power to render judicial decisions (see Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament; Ephesians 2:6; Luke 10:19).
We can enter the Ancient of Days Court and ask for Leviathan’s arrest and a restraining order against him (See Daniel 7:9‒10). Only the Lord God can remove Leviathan, the ancient principality (Job 41)
So, ask the Lord to hook him so he can’t flee (Job 41:1); crush his heads, which stops division (Psalm 74:14); and plunge His sword into him, which means the Lord cuts him down with His Word (Isaiah 27:1).
Once I received deliverance from the spirit of pride, I dealt with the spirits of infirmity, insecurity, and rejection. My healing process began with continued revelation about inner healing and deliverance, leading to even greater healing and health. Healing and deliverance go together! (See my book Jesus The Healer: Discover what the Bible says about healing and how to receive it from Jesus the Healer!: Carucci, Alexis: 9798988822424: Amazon.com: Books
We are to walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8). We can see from Scripture that blessings come from walking in humility; e.g., Humility brings exaltation from the Lord,
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:10
The fear of the Lord is tied directly to humility—recognizing God’s greatness and human dependence. Humility brings riches, honor, and life.
The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility. Proverbs 15:33
By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches and honor and life. Proverbs 22:4
When we walk in humility, we shine as lights in the world, pointing family, friends, and others to Jesus. Darkness is where the light shines brightest! (Philippians 2:15).
As we continue moving forward in our Christian life, we must humble ourselves and follow Jesus’ pattern as a servant (Matthew 20:28). Jesus is the greatest example of humility, giving us a perfect pattern to follow. The authority He carried was a result of His humility and submission to the will of God the Father and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Walking in humility is what takes the time to develop an intimate relationship with God and listen to His counsel and wisdom. We humble ourselves when we obey God and those set over us (Philippians 2:12-15). Pride and rebellion don’t allow obedience. We must keep our eyes on Jesus. We can’t progress without depending on the Lord (Hebrews 12:2; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
Even when we initially come to God through Jesus Christ, we must humble ourselves, becoming as little children (Matthew 18:1-4). When people are proud in their wisdom or education, their power and influence, or their noble birth and social position, they have difficulty humbling themselves to come to Christ (1 Corinthians 1:26-29; Luke 18:20-25; 2 Kings 5:1-19-Naaman).
Salvation Opportunity
Only believers in Christ are allowed into the Courts of Heaven. If you would like to experience God’s love and have peace with Him through Jesus Christ, pray this suggested prayer out loud right now. You can also pray in your own words. Remember, words or prayer alone will not save you. Prayer is a way to reach out to the Lord and must be done in faith (completely trusting in Him to save you). Christ will save you if you pray these or similar words in faith.
Heavenly Father,
Your Word says that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. I ask You to forgive me for my sins. I repent, turn from them, and turn to You. I am calling on You and ask Jesus to come into my heart and be Lord over my life. I believe that Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood for me. I believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead, and He is alive today. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me the Holy Spirit to live inside of me. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and Your healing power in my life. I now belong to You. Help me to live for You and obey You all the days of my life, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
If you just received Jesus as your Savior, then I welcome you into the Family of God! For more about how to grow in Christ, see: https://alexiscarucci.com/welcome-to-gods-family/
Let’s go into the Courts of Heaven to remove pride and Leviathon!
Prayer to Remove Pride and Leviathan from Our Lives
Heavenly Father, Righteous Judge, as I come before You today, into the Ancient of Days Court, I repent and renounce all spirits of pride, stubbornness, disobedience, rebellion, self-will, self-reliance, selfishness, insecurity, and arrogance in the name of Jesus. I close the door on these spirits. I command all these spirits to come out of me and my will in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
I confess that, in presumption, pride, and ignorance, I have violated Your word and Your protocol in spiritual warfare. I acknowledge that I have sometimes challenged things—even Leviathan—that I should not have challenged.
I repent for every way I have stepped outside of Your leading and outside of my God-given jurisdiction. Based on this repentance, I ask that Your blood, Jesus, speaks for me and for my household, and that every legal claim Leviathan has used against us—whether in our bodies, our health, our minds, our hearing, our relationships, or our finances—would be revoked.
Let Your Court render a ruling in my favor. Free my family and me from every effect and influence of this evil spirit. I ask for Leviathan’s arrest and a restraining order against him to cease operating in my life and family. I ask You to hook him so he can’t flee; crush his heads to stop division; and plunge the sword of Your Word into him to cut him down and prevent him from bringing deception, lies, miscommunication, divination, and division.
Forgive me for any time I have lied, been defensive, or not teachable or correctable. I also forgive those who have hurt me. Heal my heart of any issues that would draw me away from walking in humility. I submit myself to You, and I humble myself before You. Help me to walk humbly before You. Fill me with Your Spirit. Thank You. I receive Your grace now in the name of Jesus. Amen
In follow-up, I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit daily to reveal any areas of pride in your life. Identify past hurts and wounds, especially from childhood (parents, authority figures, betrayal, feeling unsafe). We must understand that unforgiveness and unhealed wounds give Leviathan the legal right to stay. Acknowledge that pride grew out of these wounds (to self-protect and control).
Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and get honest, confess, and repent of any sin daily. Don’t let pride get a foothold. We must walk in humility and watch for any opportunities pride takes to raise its head again.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[1] Robert Morris, Truly Free: Breaking the Snares That So Easily Entangle (Nashville: W. Publishing Group, 2015).
[2] Deborah Berteau, Back to the Altar Manual (Modesto: Glen Berteau Ministries, 2016).
