"A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you're looking down, you can't see something that's above you." (C.S. Lewis)

Pride is the deadliest enemy of the Christian today. There is not a Christian alive who doesn't have to deal with the spirit of pride on a daily basis. If you think pride isn't a problem for you, then perhaps you need to deal with it all the more!

Lies and Exaggerations
Let's begin our study of the growth of pride in King Saul's life in 1 Samuel 13:

And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear. And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines.
(1 Sam. 13:3-4)

It says in the beginning of verse 3 that Jonathan smote the Philistines. But all Israel heard Saul report that he himself had defeated them. This is the first example of Saul's pride I want you to see: Saul took credit for another man's victory. He was basically insecure with his own identity and position with God. As a result, he lied to make himself look better in the eyes of the people.

We all have to deal with this tendency toward insecurity from time to time. But this is one of the ways pride begins manifesting in your life. Watch for it, learn to recognize it and shut the door on it.

Impatience and Arrogance
The second example of Saul's pride is also found in Chapter 13:

Saul tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.
(1 Sam. 13:8-9)

You can see that Saul arrogantly tried to assume the office and anointing of another man, the prophet.

Actually, there are two areas of pride shown here. The first is impatience, a trap that a lot of us fall into when waiting for God's best to unfold. For example, you have probably had at least a glimpse of God's plan for your life. You need to make sure that you don't become impatient while waiting for it to come to pass.

Don't "help" God by trying to emulate someone you really respect rather than becoming who God intends you to be. Doing so is evidence of attempting to elevate your status ahead of God's timing or to assume an anointing that simply doesn't belong to you.

A Low Regard for God's Word
We find the next example of Saul's developing pride in 1 Samuel 15. Here the prophet Samuel delivered the Lord's instructions to Saul:

Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.
(1 Sam. 15:3)

I know that looks like a pretty harsh command from God, but it is important to remember that we don't know everything He knows about a given situation. That is why we are told not to lean on our own understanding (Prov. 3:5.). We must not let humanistic thinking talk us out of the direction God gives us. When you do that, you essentially say, "I know what You said, Lord, but I think I have a better idea." If that isn't pride, then I don't know what is!

Blame Shifting
The next indicator of pride is found in Verses 20 and 21. Samuel has just confronted Saul with his disobedience:

Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil.

What Saul did here is called blame shifting, or a failure or refusal to accept responsibility for your actions by pointing to something or somebody else as the reason for your situation. Of course, blame shifting didn't begin with Saul; it goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden. When God confronted Adam about his disobedience, Adam replied: "The woman whom thou gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree" (Gen. 3:12).

The next time you get caught in the consequences of your disobedience to God's Word, check yourself to see if you are engaging in self-justification and rationalization instead of taking responsibility.

Sacrifice Instead of Obedience
For the final indicator of pride's growth in Saul's life, we need to look at Verses 21 and 22:

The people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal. And Samuel said, "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice."
(1 Sam. 15:21-22)

To obey is better than sacrifice. This isn't the only time the Word of God makes this statement. It is echoed repeatedly throughout Scripture.

Examining One's Self for Pride
As I said at the outset, pride is a deadly thing. That is why it is vital to be able to spot the warning signs of its presence in your life. I would like to quickly review them with you. Ask yourself these questions: Am I so insecure in my own identity in Christ that I tend to lie and exaggerate to make myself look better?

Do I try to operate in other people's callings or anointing because of impatience or because I think I can stand in someone else's office? Am I quick to obey God's commands or do I make excuses for doing things my way? When I experience the consequences of my mistakes, do I shift the blame elsewhere? Am I continually confessing the same sin over and over again?

If you experience any of these tendencies, then pride may be at work in your life. I believe the Spirit of God is speaking to you now, revealing areas of pride you may not be aware of. Do something about it! Don't let it destroy your life as it did Saul's.

If you identify with any of these indications of pride from Saul's life or the other examples we have examined, the poison of pride may be at work in your life. You simply cannot afford to leave it unaddressed; to think otherwise is pure deception.

Source: Doorways to Deception by Mac Hammond
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers