Is any sin as prevalent and destructive as pride? Is any other sin the underlying and perhaps unseen cause of so many other sins as is pride? The first recorded sin in all of God's creation involved pride, as Ezekiel 28:17 states, Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. This pride in lucifer not only caused his downfall but also corrupted the wisdom that should have kept him from falling. It blinded him to its own existence and to the impossibility of what he was attempting. God describes him as the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty, yet his very gifts and strengths deceived him into misjudging his value in comparison to others. Pride brings us into contention with God, exalting us to break His commandments, deny clear scriptures, reject church leadership, strive for positions, and contend with brothers over trivial matters. It stirs up strife, as Proverbs 28:25 warns, while God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. Whenever contention disrupts unity, producing confusion and frustration, we can be sure that this dominant attitude of pride, stemming from its father and king, is infecting the group.

The concept of the "Children of Pride" emerges as a central theme in understanding the pervasive influence of pride, originating from Satan, described as Leviathan and the king over all the children of pride. In Job 41:34, it is declared that he beholds every high thing and rules over those who share his characteristics of pride. These children of pride are identified as the overwhelming masses of unconverted people who remain unsubmissive to God, positioning them and their king as enemies of the Divine. Their father, Satan, exerts a powerful influence, striking fear into men to bring them into submission and control. This pride, which began with Satan as seen in Ezekiel 28:17 when his heart was lifted up due to his beauty, corrupted his wisdom and led to his downfall. From him, sin spread to other angels and eventually to mankind, starting with Adam and Eve, and continuing to all humanity. Jesus Himself confirmed this lineage of pride in John 8, boldly stating to the Jews that they are of their father, the devil, highlighting the inherited nature of this resistance to God. The pervasive nature of pride within the children of pride manifests as a deeply ingrained barrier to submission to God. It is a powerful influence that motivates individuals away from perfect compliance with the Father and the Son, borne within at all times. This pride, described as a vapor and nothingness in comparison to God's greatness, resists the sovereign Almighty, greatly hindering the responsibility to submit. It is identified as the father of all other sins, driving self-centeredness and a lively competitiveness that fuels enmity, war, and destruction across various aspects of life, as illustrated in Isaiah 2:6-22. Ultimately, the children of pride, under the influence of their king, face inevitable consequences unless God's mercy intervenes. Their pride, a delusion of grandeur, leads to self-exaltation and offenses against both God and fellow man, as seen in various scriptural accounts. Yet, there remains a call to overcome this inherent pride, recognizing the accountability before the judgment seat of Christ, and striving to be well-pleasing to Him through a conscious effort to resist the internal resistance that pride fosters.