Haughtiness means having or showing arrogance. Other synonyms of ‘haughtY’ are pride conceit, contemptuous, disdainful, imperious, overweening, scornful, snobbish, to name a few. Proverbs 16:18 says that “pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall”. This is a destructive spirit found in all areas of life. Many people are vain. God brings down those who are haughty. Obadiah 1:3-4 says “The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, who shall bring me down to the ground? Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.”
The Glossary: The spirits of haughtiness attack people as shown in the glossary:
(i) Accusation
*Criticism
*Judging
*Prejudice
*Unreasonableness
(ii) Competition
*Arguing
*Bullheadedness
*Derision
*Headstrong
* Intimidation
*Scheming
(iv) Pride
– Arrogance
– Conceit
– Cynicism
– Egotism
– Despisement
– Forwardness
– Gloating
– Leviathan
– Pride of life
– Self-assertiveness
– Self -centredness
– Self-exultation
– Selfishness
– Self-justification
(iii) Mind Idolatry
* Excuses
*Intellectualism
* Rationalisation
*Rejecting
– Self-reliance
– Self-righteousness
– Pharisean spirit
– Superiority
– Vanity
As can be seen from the above table, there are four major sub-divisions of the spirits operating under this group, namely accusation, competition, mini idolatry and pride. Incidentally the head demons in the group bear the same names.
The scriptures have something to say seriously about pride. The scriptures warn against pride:-
Psalm 10:2 — “The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor:
Let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined”.
Psalm 73:6 — “Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain violence covereth them as a garment”.
Proverbs 11:2 — “When pride cometh, then cometh shame; but with the lowly is wisdom”.
Proverbs 21:4 — “An high look and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin”.
I John 2:16 — “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
You can see in these general warnings about pride and its sister that it Sinful. Note Proverb 21:4 particularly. Because it is sinful, Satan uses it to attack people without their knowing it. Other references dealing with haughtiness are found in 2 Samuel 22:28, Isaiah 3:6, 16:6; Jeremiah 48:29; Zephaniah 3:11.
Let us spend more time to look at two other aspects of this evil trait. The scriptures give us examples of where Bible characters exhibited pride to their hurt.
Pharaoh -Exodus 5:2 — “And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go”.
Naaman- 2 Kings 5:11 — “But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, he will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.”
Uzziah 2 Chronicles 26:16 — “But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.”
Hezekiah 2 Chronicles 32: 25
“But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.”
Esther 3:5
Haman “And when ‘Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.”
Nebuchadnezzar Daniel 4:30 — “The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?”.
Belshazzar Daniel 5:23 — “But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified.”
Truly pride goes before a fall, Proverbs 16:18. This spiritual principle never fails unless there is true repentance.
There is also spiritual pride which is destructive. Many ministers suffer from this problem. Examples of spiritual pride are found in:
Job 33:9 — “I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me.”
Luke 18:11 — “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.”
John 9:41 — “Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, we see; therefore your sin remaineth.”
1 Corinthians 4:18 — “Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.”
Revelations 3:17 — “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked;
A look at the glossary shows the ramifications of this problem. Satan uses each of these evil traits to attack people without their knowing it. Spiritual ignorance is a problem in Christendom. We have to look at ourselves. Do we have any of these traits? If you have any of them, know that it is not a virtue but an evil garment. You have to set spiritual fire to it and burn it.
DEALING WITH THE SPIRIT OF HAUGHTINESS:
NOTE
For effectiveness and good result, pray and fast in the mode as prescribed in Isaiah 58:6-12.
Acceptable systems are:
(i) 011 – No breakfast
(ii) 001 — No breakfast, No Lunch
(iii 000 — Dry fasting
(iv) Combine fasting with regular prayers — 9am, 12noon, 3pm and 6pm (minimum).
SELF-CONFESSION: You have to confess that you have this spirit in one dimension or the other. God knows the secrets of all hearts. Come out with it and God will forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.
(ii) RHEMA PRAYER ATTACK: Pray this prayer soulfully “Father You said that You are able to pull down those who walk in pride, Daniel 4:27. You also promised that You will humble everyone who is proud, Job 40:11, 12. When Nebuchadnezzar lifted his heart and his spirit in pride. You deposed him and took his glory from him, Daniel 5:20. You said that You shall hewn down the high one of stature and the haughty humbled, Isaiah 10:33. In Zephaniah 3:11 You will take away from the midst of the people those who rejoice in pride. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled and the haughtiness of men shall be brewed down and that You shall be exalted. You promised to cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease and lay low the haughtiness of the terrible, Isaiah 13:11. 1 am in trouble of this spirit of – (select from glossary), Father I draw your attention to the promise You made in Jeremiah 30:7 that You would save Jacob of trouble. Save me from this evil spirit in Jesus name
(iii) PRAYER POINTS:
1. You spirit of haughtiness, I reject you, I denounce you and command you to loose your hold over my life in Jesus’ name.
2. You spirit of haughtiness, I bind and cast you out of my life in Jesus’ name.
3. You spirit of accusation, I reject you I denounce you and command you to loose your hold over my life in Jesus’ name.
4. You spirit of accusation, I bind and cast you out of my life in Jesus’ name.
5. You spirit of competition I reject you, I denounce you and command you to loose your hold over my life in Jesus’ name.
6. You spirit of competition I bind and cast you out of my life in Jesus’ name.
7. You spirit of mind idolatry I reject you, I denounce and command you to loose your hold over my life in Jesus’ name
8. You spirit of mind idolatry, I bind and cast you out of my life in Jesus’ name.
9. You spirit of pride, I reject you, I denounce you and command you to loose your hold over my life in Jesus’ name.
10. You spirit of pride, I bind and cast you out of my life in Jesus’ name.
11. You spirit of – (select from the glossary) in my life, loose your hold in Jesus’ name. There are 37 pressure points to choose from.
