(Presented at the Senior Citizens Week at Woodland Bible Camp.)

This week, we focus on what it means to Keep in Step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25 says, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Romans 8:5–8 gives a broader picture, “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires… The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” In other words, our alignment—either with the flesh or with the Spirit—determines our path and our outcome. Living by the Spirit means more than avoiding sin. It means actively choosing what God loves, not just avoiding what He hates.

God hates pride, fair enough, but that is not the end of the matter. Proverbs 6:16–19 outlines seven things the Lord detests. Right at the top of that list? “Haughty eyes.” Pride. So yes, we should hate what the Lord hates. But that’s not the end of the story. We must also love what the Lord loves—and act accordingly. That brings us to today’s focus: Haughty vs. Humble.

What Scripture Says About Pride and Humility

You likely know several main verses. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6 (quoting Proverbs 3:34). 1 Peter 5:5 echoes the same: “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another.” Jesus Himself said, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Mt 23:12). Proverbs 29:23 puts it plainly: “Pride brings disgrace; humility leads to honor.” So we know the fact that God opposes the proud. That leads us to question why God opposes the proud? We quickly land on an obvious answer: Pride is Sin. But even more than that, pride is a barrier to seeking God. Perhaps most importantly today, pride destroys relationships and divides communities. Pride isn’t just a personal flaw. It’s a spiritual cancer.

The Problem: We Don’t Understand Pride—or Humility

Let’s be honest: pride is celebrated in our world. We’re told to be proud of our accomplishments, our possessions, even our “good” qualities. Pride is marketed as confidence. Meanwhile, humility is misunderstood, watered down, and misrepresented. Many define humility by what it isn’t:  “It’s not self-hatred.” “It’s not being a doormat.” “It’s not false modesty.” Some even treat humility as a skill to master—something to “do” rather than something to be. That strips it of the self-awareness and reflection that true humility requires. Instead, our culture confuses humility with politeness or “being nice.” But real humility—biblical humility—is not about being agreeable. It’s about surrendering your will to God’s, regardless of the cost.

C.S. Lewis warned of this superficiality in The Abolition of Man:

“By starving the sensibility of our pupils we only make them easier prey to the propagandist when he comes. For famished nature will be avenged and a hard heart is no infallible protection against a soft head.”

In other words, a shallow understanding of virtue leaves us vulnerable. This is especially true concerning the virtue of humility. 

Gaining an Understanding of Humility

But What About Jesus? Surely we just look at what he does and say and humility will be clear. To that I say yes, but it will help to notice a caveat up front. Some struggle when Jesus doesn’t seem… nice. He rebukes the Pharisees with scathing words (Mt 23). He calls Peter “Satan” (Mt 16:23). He says it would have been better if Judas had never been born (Mt 26:24). He claims His mission is to bring a sword, not peace (Mt 10:34). He speaks in terms that seem harsh and exclusive. There are many more examples! So is Jesus being proud? Arrogant? Haughty? Not at all. Just as humility is not weakness, truth is not arrogance. Jesus never acted from selfish ambition. He never manipulated or coerced. Everything He did was grounded in obedience to the Father and love for others—even when it hurt. 

At this point some assert we need to think outside the box if we want to understand humility. If we want to “think outside the box,” we need to first think inside the Book. Let God define what humility looks like. I want to peruse a few case studies from Scripture. First, let’s look at Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4. The King has a dream that terrifies him. Daniel interprets it: this is divine judgment. The king will lose everything until he learns humility. And he does. “I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High… All His acts are just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.” (Dn 4:34–37). Humility begins when we acknowledge God’s sovereignty and our dependency. An equally powerful example comes from history. The funeral of Louis XIV in 1715. He was buried in a golden casket with a single candle burning above it to represent his greatness. But the preacher, Bishop Massillon, stood up, snuffed out the candle, and declared: “Only God is great.”

For our second case study, let’s consider the Humility of Christ again. This time we shall look specifically at Philippians chapter 2. Paul addresses pride and division in the Philippian church (just like in Galatia and Rome). His solution? “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus…” (Php 2:5) And what was that mindset? Though He was in very nature God, Jesus humbled Himself—taking on flesh, serving others, and dying on a cross. That is not a weakness. That is true strength submitted to the will of the Father. If congregations are to get along they need to be humble. They need love.

Now we can go full circle back to Galatians. In Galatians 5, Paul is addressing division—specifically over the issue of circumcision. Some were demanding others conform to practices God had not required. But as Paul makes clear: “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” (Gal 5:13)  Pride demands its own way. Humility yields to God and seeks unity—not uniformity, but Spirit-led unity. “The acts of the flesh are obvious… But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control… Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” (Gal 5:19–25) Keeping in step with the Spirit is an act of humility. It means saying: “Not my will, but Yours be done.”

Conclusion: The Choice Is Clear

The two greatest commandments—love God and love your neighbor—require humility. You cannot love God and cling to your pride. You cannot love your neighbor and insist on your way. God opposes the proud. But He gives grace—abundant, overflowing grace—to the humble. So choose humility. Not just to avoid what God hates—but to embrace what He loves. 

Keep in step with the Spirit. 

-Phil Nurenberger, Central Church of Christ, Vincennes, IN