Lucifer was once an honored angel, a cherub. He was perfect in beauty, full of wisdom, and was admitted to the holy mountain of God, where he walked in the midst of the stones of fire. He was in Eden, the garden of God, of which the one on earth was evidently a copy. His ways were perfect, and God gave him the work of "covering," and also anointed him.

But Lucifer was not satisfied. He was envious of God, he became lifted up because of his beauty; he corrupted his wisdom because of his brightness, and decided upon a course which he hoped would make him equal to God. He went so far that he said, "I am a God, I sit in the seat of God."

Pride is one of the subtlest of sins. By many it is looked upon with indulgence, and it is tolerated in the church. Some influential church members are afflicted with it, and consider it a badge of distinction. The Pharisees of old were proud of their pride. So are the Pharisees of today.

Pride is a sin most offensive to God and hard to eradicate from the life. It was one of the causes of the downfall of Lucifer, and it has lost none of its potency. It poisons every good word and work, and makes of no effect deeds of mercy which might otherwise be commendable. It is closely related to hypocrisy, and often cannot be differentiated from it.

Pride is inordinate self-esteem, conceit, egotism, haughtiness, vanity, arrogance, disdain, lordliness. It is defined as the high esteem one has for oneself because of some fancied or real superiority of person, possession, or achievements, and is ordinarily accompanied by a desire for public notice, approval, or praise. The excessive desire for public notice led the Pharisees of old to stand on the street corners to be seen of men, pretending to pray. The same desire to be noticed leads some preachers to perform antics in the pulpit, and politicians to "play to the gallery,  and it is even appealed to in raising money for otherwise worthy purposes.