What is the “pride of life” in 1 John 2:16?
The “pride of life” in 1 John 2:16 refers to arrogant confidence in one’s achievements, possessions, or status apart from God. It is the boastful self-exaltation that trusts in earthly success and security rather than in the Lord. Scripture warns that this attitude belongs to “the world” and opposes the love of the Father.
Modern example of the pride of life
Imagine a 26-year-old graduate of an Ivy League university, who earned master’s degrees in both finance and economics. He started his own investment company, and within two years became a billionaire. He has purchased a mansion in Manhattan and owns several expensive sports cars. In a recent interview with the N.Y. Times, he boasted, “Within five years, I will make people forget Warren Buffet. I will become the richest man in America. You can bank on it.”
He would be an example of what 1 John 2:16 calls “the pride of life.”
Public displays of pride in sports and celebrity culture
We see the pride of life regularly in the world of professional sports. NFL players who score a touchdown prance and posture in the end zone.
Decades ago this sort of behavior became prominent with the world heavyweight boxing champion who loudly insisted in front of the cameras, “I am the greatest!”
Pride has always marked human history
Arrogant boasting is nothing new to successful humans. God once warned the residents of Edom, a nation bordering Israel that had their capital city built in a high, mountain fortress:
“The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in your lofty dwelling, who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to the ground?’” (Obadiah 1:3)
King Nebuchadnezzar: A biblical case study in the pride of life
In the Bible, the Book of Daniel tells the story of a King named Nebuchadnezzar, who literally was the most powerful ruler in the world. One day he took a walk around his capital city, and said aloud: “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30).
The Bible says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world” (1 John 2:15–16).
The pride of life is the third of the three engines of the love of the world that we have been exploring for several posts (first engine, second engine).
Pride in possessions, achievements, and security
There is more to the boastful pride of life than being proud of one’s success. Various Bible translations get at the different senses and shades of meaning that the original Greek language suggested by pride of life:
• pride in one’s possessions (CSB)
• the boastful pride of life [pretentious confidence in one’s resources or in the stability of earthly things] (AMP)
• pride in our achievements and possessions. (NLT)
• arrogance produced by material possessions (NET)
The illusion of control over the future (James 4:13–16)
The Bible rebukes the pride of life in another warning:
“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’ As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.” (James 4:13–16 ESV)
How God humbles the proud
The pride of life is evil, and God hates it. Those who indulge it love the world and become his enemies. King Nebuchadnezzar, whom we saw above, who boasted about his capital city of Babylon, learned that the hard way.
“While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, ‘O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.’ Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws.” (Daniel 4:31–33 ESV)
God’s mercy after human pride
Nevertheless, after God judged him, he later showed Nebuchadnezzar mercy:
“At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’
“At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble” (Daniel 4:34–37).
If we are wise, we will learn from this king and repent of the pride of life and its love of the world. If we do, through faith in Jesus Christ we too will experience God’s forgiveness.