Defeating The King of Pride | Jentezen Franklin

Sunday, May 19

Introduction

In today’s discussion, we will explore the sermon "Defeating The King of Pride" by Jentezen Franklin, delving into the themes of pride and the symbolism of Leviathan.

The message highlights the destructive nature of pride, likening it to the formidable sea creature Leviathan, which represents evil and pride in the Bible. We will also examine four signs that pride is living below the surface in our lives: a diminished or nonexistent prayer life, the tendency to speak harsh words, the breaking of covenants, and a lack of desire to serve others.

Recognizing these signs can help us confront and overcome the insidious presence of pride, aligning ourselves more closely with God's will.

Scriptures

Job 41; Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 4:6; Hebrews 5:7; Proverbs 13:10; Proverbs 6:17; John 13:4-5; Isaiah 27:1 Additional: James 4:6-7, Ephesians 6:14-17, Proverbs 15:1, Psalm 103:8, James 3:5-6, John 13:4-5, 12-17.

Pride Hinders The Spirit

After numerous chapters where various characters express their opinions—Job, his wife, and his friends—regarding the reasons behind Job’s suffering, God finally addresses Job directly in chapters 38-41. In chapter 41, God’s power is vividly displayed through His ability to subdue Leviathan—a formidable and demonic sea creature symbolizing evil and pride. The name “Leviathan” itself conveys the idea of something twisted or coiled.

Who Can Tame Leviathan?

Job 41:1-8

1 “Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook, Or snare his tongue with a line which you lower? 2 Can you put a reed through his nose, Or pierce his jaw with a hook? 3 Will he make many supplications to you? Will he speak softly to you? 4 Will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him as a servant forever? 5 Will you play with him as with a bird, Or will you leash him for your maidens? 6 Will your companions make a banquet of him? Will they apportion him among the merchants? 7 Can you fill his skin with harpoons, Or his head with fishing spears?

8 Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle— Never do it again!

Pride is an insidious monster and one of the worst demonic spirits. We know that pride caused Satan to be cast out of Heaven and that Satan is often represented as a dragon or serpent so it may not be a stretch to say that Leviathan may be another serpent-like manifestation of Satan. Satan is a powerful foe, as is pride. Pride is a ruling spirit. This spirit lurks beneath the surface.

God’s point with this description of Leviathan is to show Job just how powerless he is against this creature. There is nothing that Job can do against this monster. Any entanglement with pride will, as they say, “leave a mark.”

Verse 8 in essence says “If put your hand on him, you will see a fight like you never had. You will remember the battle and you will never do that again.”

What characteristics of Leviathan are highlighted in these verses?

Why is pride considered an insidious monster?

How does pride manifest in our lives? Can you share personal examples?

Job was powerless against Leviathan (as all men are), so he was also powerless against an unleashed Satan set against him. The question posed to Job by God through His questioning was essentially: “Can you tame Leviathan”?

Do you think God is asking Job to look at his own helplessness against such a great enemy and remember the power of God?

If Job cannot stand against Leviathan, how could he ever hope to stand against the God who made and masters Leviathan? This was another effective way of setting Job in his proper place before God.

Has God or other people put you in your proper place? If so, did that experience “leave a mark”? Do you remember the battle?

James 4:6-7 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

How does recognizing our limitations lead to humility?

Air Cannot Penetrate His Scales

Job 41:14-19 NKJV 14 Who can open the doors of his face, With his terrible teeth all around? 15 His rows of scales are his pride, Shut up tightly as with a seal; 16 One is so near another That no air can come between them; 17 They are joined one to another, They stick together and cannot be parted. 18 His sneezings flash forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. 19 Out of his mouth go burning lights; Sparks of fire shoot out.

In these verses, the Lord goes into even greater detail about the strength and the brilliance of this creature. His scales stick so close together, no air can come in and pierce him. It’s an impenetrable defense.

In what ways does pride hinder our openness to the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives?

We know the Holy Spirit is represented as wind therefore pride will block the Holy Spirit from moving our life, our relationships and our anointing. Out of his mouth comes fire and the fire out of his mouth devours. We know that out of the mouth the heart speaks (Matt 12:34) therefore pride can spew fiery speech.

Signs Pride Is Living Below the Surface:

Let’s unveil some of the subtle ways pride can affect our lives:

1. The spirit of pride keeps you from prayer on a regular basis.

Pride often prevents us from praying regularly, as it leads us to rely on our own strength rather than seeking God’s guidance and help. This is the opposite of Paul’s instructions in Philippians:

Philippians 4:6 NIV “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Paul encourages us to transform our worries into prayers. Want to reduce anxiety? Pray more!

What can you do to help yourself stop worrying and start praying?

To overcome Satan, rely on God’s Holy Spirit and the protective armor He provides. Recall Jesus’ promise to Peter: ‘Upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it’ (Matthew 16:18). Paul advised us to also “take up the whole armor of God” in our battle to overcome. Let’s look at each piece of the armor:

Ephesians 6:14-17 NIV 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

The scriptures vividly illustrate the comprehensive armor of God, a powerful shield against the onslaught of principalities and demons. Let’s further explore:

Piece of Armor	Meaning	Application
Belt	Truth	The devil fights with lies, and sometimes his lies sound like the truth; believers have God’s truth, however, which can defeat the devil’s lies.
Body Armor	Righteousness	The devil often attacks our hearts—the seat of our emotions, identity, and trust. God’s righteousness is the body armor that protects our hearts and ensures his approval. He approves of us—having sent his Son to die for us—because he loves us.
Shoes	Peace that comes from the Good News	The devil wants us to think that telling others the Good News is a worthless and hopeless task—the size of the task is too big and the negative responses are too much to handle. But the shoes God gives us are the motivation to continue to proclaim the true peace that is available in God—news everyone needs to hear.
Shield	Faith	What we see are the devil’s attacks in the form of insults, setbacks, and temptations. But the shield of faith protects us from his fiery arrows. With God’s perspective, we can see beyond our circumstances and know that ultimate victory is ours.
Helmet	Salvation	The devil wants to make us doubt God and doubt our salvation. The helmet protects our minds from doubting God’s saving work for us.
Sword of the Spirit	Word of God	The sword is the only offensive weapon in this list of armor; all the others are defensive in nature. There are times when we need to take the offensive against the devil. When we are tempted, we need to trust in the truth of God’s Word.

Armor of God Group Activity: Have each member find a question below that they would like to answer or pick only one or two for the group to discuss.

Belt of Truth: How do you differentiate between the world's truths and God's truth in your daily life?

Breastplate of Righteousness: Discuss how the righteousness of God guards our hearts from accusations and guilt.

Shoes of the Gospel of Peace: How does the peace of the Gospel influence your readiness to share your faith with others? Share an experience where you felt the peace of God motivating you to act or speak up.

Shield of Faith: What are some “flaming arrows” you've faced recently, and how has your faith provided protection?

Helmet of Salvation: How does this piece of armor protect your thoughts and decisions on a daily basis?

Sword of the Spirit (Word of God): Why is it important to view the Word of God as an offensive weapon?

Also, we are to pray for all saints with a sincere heart, expecting an answer. We should help others in their spiritual battles; instinctively, we are called to protect each other:

Ephesians 6:18 NIV “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

In addition to the impenetrable armor of God, we pray with supplication. Supplication means asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly.

There are different ways pray and we can utilize them: group prayer, silent prayer, audible prayer, individual prayer, and fervent prayer.

What different forms of prayer do you find most effective in your spiritual walk, and why?

Prayer is essential because it connects us to God, who reigns supreme over all authority, power, and dominion, as Ephesians 1:20-21 reveals. Since Jesus Christ is exalted above every other name in the heavenly realms, we rely on His divine power. Furthermore, as Matthew 19:26 assures us, with God, all things are possible.

Leviathan Lurking

The spirit of pride believes it doesn’t need to make supplication to God. But that thinking is Leviathan lurking in the waters. To make supplication to God requires us to see Him rightly; omniscient and holy. It also requires a right view of our position relative to Him; especially after we’ve ‘gained some success.’

When you were first pulled from the pit and saved, what heart attitude did you have? If that has changed, do you also see a change in your frequency, fervency to prayer and your and surrender to God?

Pride blocks prayer when we don’t see ourselves properly in relation to God. We think we have “arrived” and “know better.” We don’t need His help. Prayer requires humility because we admit we cannot do it alone.

Pride doesn’t make supplication.

A humble person who prays often is not concerned about appearance but is more focused on a holy reverent fear of God.

Hebrews 5:7 NIV During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.

2. The spirit of pride makes you a harsh person.

When pride is operating, words are harsh.

James 3:5-6 NIV Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

We can be merciless in the way we speak to others; both in words and tone. If we are humble, we truly know that God has done for us and that without Him we can do nothing.

If we know we would be nowhere (good) without the grace of God, what mindsets in addition to pride cause us to think others are beneath us or not ‘worthy’ of respect?

Proverbs 15:1 NIV

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

Psalm 103:8 NIV

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.”

Discuss the above verses.

3. The spirit of pride does not keep covenant.

Job 41: 24 “His heart is as firm as a stone, and as firm as a lower millstone.

God is faithful to His covenants and keeps His promises. (Psalm 74:20). Satan and pride detest the faithfulness of covenants and covenant relationships. Pride will give way to hardheartedness, bitterness, hatred and unforgiveness. Relationships are the collateral damage in a war of pride. Divorce, estrangement, cold love, stalemates. Religious pride rejects covenant.

Proverbs 13:10 “Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.”

Have you experienced that not repenting or apologizing resulted in your heart growing harder and harder?

When we don’t submit to one another, we may end up breaking a covenant. Where have you seen covenants broken because of hardheartedness and lack of submission (and humility)?

Ephesians 5:21 says, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

4. The spirit of pride will cause you to have a difficult time serving people.

Jesus was a servant. Jesus washed feet; even Judas’ and Peter’s feet knowing one would betray Him and the other deny Him. It takes humility to wash someone’s feet literally and figuratively. We have become a society of just want to be “fed” and “served” but Jesus did the opposite. Leviathan will not be swimming in the wash basin we use to wash another’s feet.

John 13:12-17 NIV When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

As you think about those that have hurt you most, how can you wash the feet of (serve, help, love, forgive) those who have hurt you most?

When you wash the feet of others you are (by God) putting a hook in Leviathan’s mouth.

Conclusion

Through God's interrogation of Job, we recognize our limitations and the destructive nature of pride. Opening our hearts to the transformative work of the Holy Spirit paves the way for humility and aligns us with God's will. As we strive to overcome pride, let us remember that true strength and victory are found in humble submission to God's grace and power.

“In that day, the Lord will punish with his sword… Leviathan the coiling serpent; He will slay the monster of the sea.” Isaiah 27

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