Humility and Soberness

This is the 23rd lesson on June 23rd.

This is the last main lesson.

B. Young people are to submit (5:5–7)

1. The younger should submit to the elder. (5:5a, Leviticus 19:32)

The word likewise may seem stranger because the command to younger people is the complete opposite of the command to older people. The elders are commanded to rule with love and example, while younger people are commanded to submit. I believe the word is here because both should have a similar attitude.

Elders should lead with love, seeking to help those under them and help them grow into all God has for them. Those who are younger should not follow out of an attitude of grudging, but should follow with that same love.

The word elder here is plural. You could read this as submitting to the elder, as in the singular elder, or the pastor. But I believe it's referring to all elders, all those who are older in a church.

This command is completely opposite to the natural instinct of young people, especially young men. However, we see the reason for the command given in Leviticus.

Leviticus 19:32 KJV

Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the Lord.

Honoring those who are older is a part of fearing God. A father or pastor or other church leader is representative of God's authority, someone who does not submit to those earthly authorities will probably not submit to God. There can be very little spiritual growth unless young people learn to submit to those above them.

2. Every Christian should defer to others. (5:5b–6, Philippians 2:3, Isaiah 2:11, 1 Timothy 4:16, Isaiah 66:1–2)

After singling out young people, Peter then applies this command to all Christians. This command must be understood in the context of the surrounding book and the surrounding commands. We have seen the importance of citizens submitting to a government, of servants submitting to a master, of wives submitting to a husband and of younger submitting to the elder. Submitting to all of those roles must remain in place for a society to function.

However, within these roles, all participating members, whether the leader or the follower must defer one to another in Christian love.

Philippians 2:3 KJV

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

Then we have the command to be clothed with humility. This is an all encompassing command. It implies being draped with humility, of every part of our life and every action being done in humility. But what is humility?

We need to define pride and humility, because these terms are subject to a lot of misunderstanding. The following thoughts from from Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis.

Pride

Pride is the belief that you are the most important person in the world. You are the main character of the universe, and everything you do is good. And even more fundamentally, it is the belief that you should be the most important person in the world, and if anyone else is upstaging you, they are being arrogant themselves and should be shoved aside.

Pride is essentially competitive. While other vices like drunkeness or anger may bring people together, two prideful people cannot exist peacefully in the same room. It’s like the iconic duel in a Western where someone says, “This town ain’t big enough for the both of us.”

Greed may lead someone to have lots of money, but what really drives people to have more and more money is the desire to be better than someone else. Someone may want to learn and be intelligent, but I know from experience that the real drive behind a lot of learning is to feel smarter than other people.

Pride is so dangerous because it can masquerade as self-control, courage, or some other virtue. Pride may lead a person to keep his temper or be nice to people because he wants to keep his dignity, and it may lead a soldier to keep fighting because he doesn’t want his fellows to think less of him. Those actions are not bad but the motivations are prideful.

Pride can even be called humility at times. We all recognize vanity in a person, but it is really the least evil form of pride. At least a vain person values other people enough to want their applause. The worst kind of pride is being so self-satisfied that no other opinion influences you. Not God’s, and not wise, godly people whose opinion you should value. This is the attitude of “I’ve satisfied my own values and whether the mob likes what I’ve done or not does not matter.”

Pride can also mask humility when someone is overly self-deprecating. Insulting yourself, criticizing yourself, and downplaying major achievements is just another way of saying, “Look at me, I’m so humble.” While we know we shouldn’t brag about the things we have done, pretending like a big accomplishment is a little thing can come from a heart of pride.

The real test of pride is not how vainglorious you are being, but rather this question: how do you respond when someone is prideful around you? How do you respond when someone ignores you, or patronizes you, or shows off? The more irritated you are, the more prideful you are. This is again because pride is competitive. There can only be one most interesting person in a room.

In God you come up against something which is in every respect immeasurably superior to yourself. Unless you know God as that--that therefore, know yourself as nothing in comparison--you do not know God at all. As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.

C. S. Lewis

When we say we are worshipping God but are acting pridefully, we are worshipping an imaginary God. No man can value himself and God equally. No man can serve two masters.

This is why God resists the proud. Those who are proud have set themselves against God, so God sets Himself against them.

Isaiah 2:11 KJV

The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, And the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.

Humility

So what is true humility, if it is not what is sometimes called humility? There are two definitions I have come across. They may seem competing, but really, they complement each other.

Humility is to make a right estimate of oneself.

Charles Spurgeon

The other is “Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” This quote is sometimes attributed to Lewis but is really a synopsis of what we actually wrote.

Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call ‘humble’ nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy person, which is always telling you that, of course, he is nobody. Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him. If you do dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all. C. S. Lewis

Humility is self-forgetfulness. Humility is being so enraptured with God and concerned with others that we forget ourselves, both those things we may brag about and those we may insult ourselves about.

But this is not to say we can never think of ourselves. We have to, and we are even commanded to.

1 Timothy 4:16 KJV

Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

Self-examination is a good thing. And this is where the other definition comes in. When in the presence of God, exercising true humility, we will honestly see those things we have done right and those we have done wrong. We are free from posturing and pretending and trying to hold on to our dignity and others’ views of us. We can just be honest.

It is this kind of attitude that God loves and blesses. When we realize how much we don’t deserve anything from God, He pours out grace on us.

We must not think that Pride is something God forbids because He is offended at it, or that Humility is something He demands as due to His own dignity--as if God Himself was proud. He is not in the least worried about His dignity. The point is, He wants you to know Him: wants to give you Himself. … He is trying to make you humble in order to make this movement possible: trying to take off a lot of silly, ugly, fancy-dress in which we have all got ourselves up and are strutting about like the little idiots we are. C. S. Lewis

A big part of this grace He gives is Himself. And He can only give Himself when we are humble and ready to receive Him.

Isaiah 66:1–2 KJV

Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: Where is the house that ye build unto me? And where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, And all those things have been, saith the Lord: But to this man will I look, Even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, And trembleth at my word.

Because God gives grace to the humble, we are to humble ourselves. This is the command of verse six.

Humbling under the mighty hand of God can mean a few different things. Realizing the mighty hand of God humbles us when we consider his power, it makes us realize just how small we are compared to him.

In addition, as we will see in the next verse, humbling ourselves under the mighty hand of God means that we are under the palm of his hand. We are under his protection.

even as God protects us with his mighty hand, he may afflict us with that same might He may send a temptations in order to refine us like we've been seeing throughout the book. It may seem like in these cases that God's hand is not mighty, that he is too weak to stop these trials However, we must realize in these times that God is not weak to stop these persecutions. The same hand that allows persecution will eventually judge those who persecute.

But it is not God's intent to grind us into the dust and make us feel like we are worthless. Even on this earth, enduring persecution, we can realize that we have a value before God. This is the paradox of the Christian. We are nothing, and yet, we are of great price in the sight of God.

Eventually, we will be exalted with Christ. But on this earth, we may be exalted also. The key is that God will not exalt us until we are ready. God cares too much about us to give us power and honor when we are not ready to receive it and when it may destroy us.

3. God cares for those who humble themselves. (5:7)

You have doubtless heard this verse before. However, you may not have heard the context. This promise that God will care for those who cast their cares on him is given to those who are humble.

Part of humility is realizing that we have very little influence in this world. Worrying is less repulsive than pride, but it may still be a form of it. Worrying implies that we have to figure everything out, that everything rests on our shoulders. Humility realizes that we are a very small part of the world and cannot influence many things that we worry about. Humility places these cares on God.

When facing persecution, a humble Christian will put those anxieties, those worries about what will happen on God's shoulders and let him bear them instead of worrying about the outcome himself. Someone who is proud will try to bear everything on his shoulders and not let any one help.

when we come to this point of humility, we can be sure that God will meet us there. when we cast our cares on God, he is not an uncaring, unhearing ear. He cares for us. This care can manifest in different ways. It may be courage, it may be wisdom, it may be strength or faith. But we can be confident that when we humble ourselves to the point that we will put our cares on in God, that he will give us what we need to endure.

C. All are to stand firm (5:8–11)

1. Christians must be alert for Satan’s attacks. (5:8)

The promise of God's provision should not lead Christians to be careless or complacent. We must be confident that God is looking out for us while still realizing that we are in a battle that will not end until the end of the world.

The first command here is to be sober. This is the third time this command has been given in first Peter. It means to be clear minded and in control. The fact that Christians have no cares should not mean that we are careless. We should not have an idol, easygoing mind, but it's not sober and ready for battle.

The next command is to be vigilant. This means to be watchful and attentive to danger. You must be looking out for any attacks of Satan, whether they come in the form of persecution or in the form of temptations to sin.

This next statement about Satan is usually applied to temptation. Satan is prowling around the earth, looking for weak Christians, looking to destroy their lives with sin. Well, that's not wrong. I don't believe it's the primary meaning of this verse. We learned last week that we were supposed to flee temptation and resist the devil. in the next verse, we see that we must resist this threat Therefore, it cannot be temptation, but it must be some other attack of Satan. If it were temptation, we would not be commanded to fight it.

So then, what is this verse talking about? It may be an illusion to what was happening in the Coliseum in Rome at this time. Perhaps reports were coming back About what happens to other Christians. Peter may have been drawing a parallel there. but I believe more generally, it speaks of the persecution that Christians were facing. Satan wanted to wipe out Christians from the face of the Earth. He has tried his best for 2000 years. whether by violence or sin or seducing to an action, he has tried many things to destroy and devour the lives of Christians.

These attacks continue today. Satan may bring discouragement, or he may bring persecution, or he may bring a temptations to derail us in our stand for God. He wants to destroy our testimony and our courage so that we might not be a faithful witness for Christ.

2. The victories of others embolden those who are suffering. (5:9, 2 Timothy 2:1, Ephesians 6:10–18, James 4:5–8)

In opposition to these attacks, Christians are to resist steadfast.

[show picture of shield wall]

This has been a major theme of the book so far. When persecution comes, we must not fold. We must not give in to sin or in action, or fear, or discouragement, or any other thing that will stop us from following Christ. This command is clear enough. But the key, as presented in this verse, is to resist steadfast in the faith.

It is not enough to be stubborn in our ways. Some people resist steadfast in everything because they hate changing. Some may even resist out of pride, believing they are doing the right thing, but really only doing it because they don't want to be seen as quitters.

this strength must not come from ourselves or else it will be self centered and self serving. It must come from faith. True strength comes from putting faith in Christ and not wavering from that commitment. There is a time to charge into battle, but we will never win a single battle unless we are humble before God and submit ourselves to him. Victory will never be one by Pride and a desire for glory.

2 Timothy 2:1 KJV

Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 6:10–18 KJV

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

James 4:5–8 KJV

Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

Victory does not come from how proud we are or how stubborn we are, or how much we rest on our own strength. True victory comes from submission to Christ.

Even as we resist the devil by faith in Christ, we can draw encouragement from the steadfastness of other Christians. Peter here reminds his audience that they are not the only ones going through a hard times. Other is around the world. We're going through the same kinds of afflictions.

This may seem like an odd kind of encouragement. How would the realization that the enemy was persecuting other Christians give them boldness? The focus is not on the persecution, though, but on the reaction to the persecution. Peter's reminding them that others, both present and past, stood fast in the face of persecution. If they did it, then the Christians Peter writes to can do it too.

It can be easy when resisting persecution to wonder why it really matters. What the point is of resisting so stedfastly, at cost to ourselves, when we seem to be the only ones left. However, others around the world are also facing persecution, and this gives a kind of hope. They endured and are enduring persecution, so I must be able to also.

We must also realize that, while the victories of others encourage us, our victories encourage them. We must all help each other in this fight. None of us are immune to discouragement, and we must all seek to be the kind of person who can encourage others.

It's like the shield wall. If two men next to each other are having seconds thoughts, the fact of each other’s presence will make them bold to continue on.

In summary, we see that humility is essential to our dealings with others, our dealings with God, and our stand against persecution. Without humility, we will not be able to fulfill God’s will in any of these areas.

We also saw that humility is not walking around thinking of yourself as some worm that God may reach out and crush any second. It’s simply not thinking about yourself at all, or, when you have to, thinking honestly about yourself through the lens of Scripture.