Scriptures on pride self-indulgence?
What other scriptures warn about the dangers of pride and self-indulgence?

Job 15:27—A Snapshot of Bloated Pride

“For he has covered his face with fat and added layers of fat to his waist.”

• Eliphaz pictures the proud, self-indulgent person as literally “covered” by excess—an outward sign of an inward arrogance that has crowded out dependence on God.


Wisdom Literature Echoes the Warning

Proverbs 16:18 — “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Proverbs 18:12 — “Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.”

Proverbs 29:23 — “A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.”

Ecclesiastes 7:8 — “The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and patience is better than pride.”

→ Scripture’s wisdom consistently pairs pride with an inevitable crash, contrasting it with the steady rise of humility.


Prophets Call Out the Overfed and Arrogant

Isaiah 2:11-12 — “The proud look of man will be humbled… For the LORD of Hosts has a day against all the proud and lofty.”

Ezekiel 16:49 — “Now this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, and complacent; they did not help the poor and needy.”

• Obadiah 3-4 — “The pride of your heart has deceived you… Though you soar like the eagle… from there I will bring you down, declares the LORD.”

→ Prophets expose the social fallout of self-indulgence: neglect of the needy, false security, and eventual divine humbling.


Gospels: Jesus Illustrates the Fall of the Self-Satisfied

Luke 12:16-21 — Parable of the rich fool who says, “I will store up my grain and goods,” yet God answers, “You fool! This very night your life will be required of you.”

Luke 18:10-14 — Pharisee vs. tax collector: the self-righteous prayer is rejected; the humble plea is exalted.

Mark 7:21-23 — “For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts… pride, foolishness. All these evils come from within and defile a man.”

→ Jesus locates pride not in possessions themselves but in a heart that trusts them instead of God.


Epistles: Diagnostic Tests for the Church

James 4:6 — “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

1 John 2:16 — “…the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.”

Philippians 3:19 — “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame.”

Revelation 3:17 — “You say, ‘I am rich… need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.”

→ New-covenant writers keep the spotlight on inner allegiance: whatever replaces God as ultimate treasure becomes an idol that destroys.


Putting It All Together

• Self-indulgence (Job 15:27) is never a neutral lifestyle choice; it signals a heart drifting from humble reliance on the Lord.

• From Proverbs to Revelation, pride consistently sets a person on a collision course with God’s opposition and eventual downfall.

• The safeguard is a posture of humility—receiving every good gift with gratitude, sharing generously, and recognizing God alone as sustainer and judge.

How can we guard against spiritual complacency as warned in Job 15:27?
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