How Pride Trips You Up

Simon Peter is known for his legendary faux pas. He said things he shouldn’t have said. And he openly denied the Lord not once, not twice, but three times.

But, Peter took steps that led to his fall, which we can learn from and avoid. Let’s put ourselves in Peter’s sandals for a moment. We’re just hanging out with Jesus in the Upper Room, and He seems very serious, very intense.

Then He turns to you and uses your name twice before He says, “Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you” (Luke 22:31–32 NLT).

Now, that would cause me to worry. The Devil can only be in one place at one time, but the Devil himself came looking for Peter.

However, Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you” (verse 33 NLT).

Jesus told him, “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me” (verse 34 NLT).

This brings us to Peter’s first step down. This particular attitude is at the very root of it all when anyone stumbles or when anyone falls away from the faith. Regardless of the particular sin they’re involved in, it always starts with self-confidence.

When we think, “I’ll never do that,” we’re trusting in ourselves instead of trusting in God. The Bible says, “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18 NLT).

We should be aware of our weakness, vulnerability, and propensity to do the wrong thing. We can easily give into temptation if we’re not careful.

The moment that we think we know it all, we probably know a lot less than we think we know. A wise Christian, a growing Christian, will realize there is always so much to learn.