In Galatians, we saw that Paul is saying that it is not on the basis of “trying too hard”, but rather on the basis of living according to the Spirit. In this blog and next, I will show how the Bible says to trust in the Spirit to deal with common issues.

Pride is sneaky. It shows up when we feel awesome… and when we feel awful.
It whispers, “You’re better than them” one moment, and the next moment, “You’re not enough—try harder.”

And our first instinct? Try to fight it. Wrestle it. Slap it down with more self-control, more discipline, more religious effort.

But here’s the problem:
Trying to beat pride with willpower is like pouring gasoline on a fire and expecting it to go out.

“But sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of coveting…” — Romans 7:8

That includes pride. The more we focus on it, the more it grows.

So… What Actually Works?

The answer isn’t in trying harder.
It’s in looking higher.

Instead of staring at your own heart trying to scrub it clean, fix your eyes on Jesus. Pride doesn’t grow in a heart that’s full of love, joy, peace, and all the beautiful fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23). And guess what? That fruit comes from the spirit.

You don’t manufacture humility by self-loathing or thinking less of yourself. You receive it by remembering who you are in Him.

Pride Says “I’m Better.”

Love Says “I’m Enough.”

Pride thrives when you feel the need to prove something—your worth, your status, your spiritual performance.

But here’s the truth:

“…to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” — Ephesians 3:19

That kind of love? It satisfies. It silences the lies. It doesn’t just tell pride to leave—it makes pride irrelevant.

You’re Not at War Anymore

You’re not in a daily boxing match with pride. You’re not trying to kill it every morning like some spiritual monster under your bed.

You’re dead to pride (Romans 6:11). You’re alive to humility—not by effort, but by identity. Humility is the fruit of living loved. When you’re content in Christ, pride simply loses its appeal.

So don’t spend your life trying to think less of yourself.
Just enjoy who you are in Jesus.
That’s real humility.

And pride? It can’t survive in that kind of light.