Pride Leads to Calamity
Luke 17:11-19 (NLT) “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
Pride is a hard topic to discuss. Mainly because there are two aspects of Pride. The first aspect of pride pertains to self-respect and confidence in your accomplishments. The second aspect of pride is the part that God hates because it leads down the road of rebellion. The Bible goes a little deeper in addressing pride by introducing another term: Haughtiness, or a Haughty spirit.
The word for “destruction” in Hebrew is Sebar (Strong’s Concordance H7667, pronounced “sheh-ber”), which means breaking, crushing, or bruising. The word for “fall” in Hebrew is Kissalon (Strong’s Concordance H3783, pronounced “kish-shaw-lone”), which means a calamity. The word “Haughty” has the Hebrew word Gobah (Strong’s Concordance H1363), which means “grandeur” and “exaltation.” The English definition of Haughty means someone who is blatantly and disdainfully proud. They act superior, look down on others, and behave as if they are better, smarter, and more important than the people around them. Pride starts internally in the mind, leads a person down the road of rebellion and selfish actions. Haughtiness is the external expression of the pride that was building up inside. Keep this in mind:
What You Do: Internal Pride (Rebellion), External Haughty Spirit
What God Does to You: Destruction (crushing and breaking), Fall (Calamity)
Out of the seven things God hates, the FIRST thing He lists is Pride. (Proverbs 6:16-19) Don’t forget that it was pride that got Lucifer kicked out of Heaven and turned his heart into Satan.
Ezekiel 28:17 (Amp) “Your heart was proud and lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.”
If pride was enough to get Lucifer kicked out of heaven, then that should tell you the seriousness with which God feels about selfish behavior linked with pride.
Pride and haughtiness are the foundation of your own destruction and fall. Pride starts internally in your mind, but haughtiness is a spirit. The way out is to ask God for help in keeping your spirit humble. It is not about what you want but doing the will of the Father. Stay humble, and God will honor and lift you up.
Be Blessed!
Ron
Ron Cobbs Ministries © Copyright July 20th, 2026, All Rights Reserved
