Think of being in a desert setting and you walk outside your tent and look across the desert and on the horizon as far as you can see, a vast army has assembled as one, and they stand there in direct opposition to you! “To arrange in battle order -to line oneself up against.” This is the word picture for the word, “opposed, resists.” The word “opposed” in the Greek is a military term, used of an army gathering together as one against an enemy for battle. Gathered together standing in resistance, hostility, Opposition. Now think of the Almighty God… He stands opposed now and always in opposition to …Pride! God sets Himself up in battle against those who lift themselves up in pride! God STANDS In Opposition, resistance against the proud! It is a verb… God continually places Himself against the proud!

The picture is of God standing opposite the person who is not practicing humility!  Some translations use the word, “resist,”…” Resists: “The verb vividly pictures God as one who places Himself in battle array against such individuals.” (Hiebert)

Peter gives one reason we “humble ourselves under the Mighty hand of God,” because God is in Opposition to Pride!

Peter was writing to people who were suffering,”…you have been “distressed by various trials,” experiencing “fiery trials” -{1 Peter 1:6-7}. The word “distressed” speaks of “severe mental emotional distress.” These people were suffering, in “fiery trials.” and Peter warns against pride, when in the midst of suffering, there is a tendency for us all to fall back into the trap of self-reliance, or the trial reveals as it did for Paul, reliance on self, “Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.”- {2 Cor 1:9}… but just as the people in Peter’s day, needed a word from heaven during those difficult, traumatic times, so do we… and He gives it, “Humble yourselves UNDER the Mighty Hand of God.” 2 Cor 3:5 gives us a great definition of “Humility,” Paul writes, “Not that we are Sufficient within ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our Sufficiency is from God.”-{2 Cor 3:5}. Our sufficiency to handle suffering trials in a God honoring way is not within our own strength we are not sufficient, adequate for them… this is true. but we are not to stop there we loo away from ourselves to Him and can confidently say in dependence upon Him, “But our sufficiency is from God who raises the dead!” “Humility,” acknowledges our own inadequacies but knows, turns and trusts God who is all sufficient for whatever we face to meet us!

Peter says the safest place is “UNDER” the Mighty Hand of God. Pride rejects coming “UNDER” His authority, for pride sees itself as the “highest authority,” and rejects anyone who would challenge them, even God Himself! God hates Pride, Proverbs 6;16 says. God is opposed to pride, stands against it, because pride is an affront to Him, pride is destructive, “Pride leads to destruction, and arrogance to downfall.”-{Prov 16:18}.

But we as believers are not immune at times from the temptation to yield to choosing pride, exalting ourselves at times an not giving Him the credit or, we when we rely on self rather than on Him, as Paul testifies, “Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.”-{2 Cor 1:9}. God at times uses troubles for our good to wean us off self reliance onto God dependency! Also when God blesses us as He did Paul giving him revelations and allowing him to see things that in the natural realm could cause pride, and Paul tells us how God kept him from that sin against God when he shows “WHY” he was given “a thorn” after his great revelations in 2 Cor 12:7 “Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, FOR THIS REASON, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself!.” Twice he gives the reason “why!”To keep him humble!  

“UNDER” His authority we RECEIVE All we need to live out what we need for the moment! Present tense grace, moment by moment empowerment! We must beware of pride, for God is “Opposed to it, He “Hates” it! “The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.”-{Proverbs 16;5}

It Dishonors Him, …

Destructive– “A man’s pride will bring him low,…”- {Prov 29:23};

Deceptive, – “You have been deceived by your own pride because you live in a rock fortress and make your home high in the mountains. ‘Who can ever reach us way up here?’ you ask boastfully.”-{Obadiah 1:3 NLT}

Divisive, – “Pride leads to conflict…”- {Proverbs 13:10}

Demeaning,- “When pride comes, then comes dishonor,…”-{Proverbs 11:2}

Domineering,- “Scoffer” is the name of the arrogant, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride.”-{Proverbs 21:24}

Damning-“Men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory.”-{Revelation 16:9}

Demonic! -“But you said in your heart,‘I will ascend to heaven;I will raise my throne above the stars of God,And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ “Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit.”– {Isaiah 14:13-15}

Pride is anti God and God is anti pride!

Note what pride leads to, and look at the comparison between pride and humility

“Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor.”-{Proverbs 29:23}

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”-{Proverbs 11:2}. Let’s be wise and stay on God’s side recognizing, rejecting it and replacing the temptation with wisely choosing to place ourselves “UNDER the Mighty Hand of God,” knowing He will lift us up in the proper time!

“Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.:-{1 Peter 5:5} ” 

 The Alternative

 “…all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another,

 for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,  that He may exalt you at the proper time,.”

-{1 Peter 5:6}.