Humility
by: Gracie Priestley
September 15, 2026
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus”
How do we keep ourselves unstained by the world? You’ve heard the scripture, “Be soberminded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8, ESV). What is his method of attack? It’s pride. If we read a few verses ahead of this one, the author writes, “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another…. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God” (1 Peter 5:5-6). This shows us that at the center of every sinful motive is a selfish one.
You see, humility positions us in a rightful place in the hand of God. It is the virtue that safeguards our hearts from the enemy - the devouring one. The place of humility is the only safe place to be. It positions us to receive from God, to hear His voice, to respond to conviction, to live the Christian life!
So, what does it mean to be humble? Merriam-Webster defines “humble” in this way: not proud or haughty; not arrogant or assertive; reflecting, expressing, or offered in a spirit of deference or submission; a ranking low in hierarchy or scale; insignificant, unpretentious. That is sobering! Let’s examine Jesus’ example of humility in Philippians 2:6-8. It says, “though he was in the form of God, [he] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” The writers actually tell us to have this same mindset (Philippians 2:5).
Humility is something we must choose. It is something we must strive for every moment. If we want to be full of Jesus, we must die to ourselves. Romans 6:7 says “For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin” (New Living Translation). As Christians, we are baptized into His death and raised to new life (see Romans 6 for further reading).
You can be encouraged by the truth that sin and pride do not have power over you. You have power over it through death in Christ, therefore you are able to resist the evil one (James 4:7).
In 1 Peter 5:6, Peter writes that when we humble ourselves, “...at the right time He may exalt you.” I want to point out something here. We must not humble ourselves with the motive of exaltation. When a child of God is truly dead to self and walking in complete humility, exaltation will not touch the heart. Exaltation then becomes a tool in the hand of God to prepare His bride. We must not confuse exaltation as a reward, because Jesus remains the reward.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for Your humility. Thank You for taking on human form. Thank You for wearing the burden of my sin, though You knew none. I humble myself before You, counting You and others more significant than myself. Help me in my weakness and forgive me for my arrogance. The desire of my heart is to bear Your image. Help me to rid myself of myself, that You may be glorified. I love You. Amen
Worship: Lead Me To The Cross
Further Study
1 Peter 5, Romans 6, Philippians 2, Proverbs 16:18, James 4
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You see, humility positions us in a rightful place in the hand of God. It is the virtue that safeguards our hearts from the enemy - the devouring one. The place of humility is the only safe place to be. It positions us to receive from God, to hear His voice, to respond to conviction, to live the Christian life!