Amorites — The Bite of Pride
📖 Suggested Reading:
Deuteronomy 1:19–44; Joshua 10:1–27; Amos 2:9–10
These passages reveal the Amorites’ dominance and arrogance, how they resisted Israel’s advance, and how God eventually brought them low. Amos 2:9 compares them to tall cedars and strong oaks—symbols of towering pride.
The Amorites were tall. Literally. God said they were as tall as cedars and as strong as oaks (Amos 2:9). And pride? That was their favorite accessory. They didn’t just oppose Israel—they defied God. Sound familiar? Pride always puts itself first, pushes others down, and postures against heaven.
Of all the “ites” in our spiritual lives, few are as sneaky and socially acceptable as this one. Pride rarely arrives with horns and a pitchfork. It’s often dressed in confidence, cloaked in good intentions, or disguised as religious zeal. But it bites deep—and hard.
⚠️ ITES – Influence, Tempt, Entangle, Sin
- Influence: Pride whispers, “You’ve got this. You don’t need help.”
- Tempt: It tempts us to seek credit, control, or superiority.
- Entangle: Pride locks us in comparison, defensiveness, and ego management.
- Sin: At its root, pride competes with God for the throne—and that’s a problem.
The Amorites didn’t fall because of weak walls. They fell because of arrogant hearts. And so do we.
📜 Who Were the Amorites?
The name “Amorite” is rooted in a word meaning “boaster” or “talker.” They were highland dwellers—visible, vocal, and dominant. In Deuteronomy 1, they boldly confronted Israel at the hill country of the Amorites and suffered defeat not because they were weak, but because they were proud.
They typify the sin that says, “I don’t need to submit. I don’t need to listen. I can do this my way.” Pride isn’t just self-confidence—it’s self-exaltation. It may appear as ambition or even humility, but if it draws attention to self instead of God, it’s Amorite in spirit.
“Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars and who was as strong as the oaks…” (Amos 2:9, ESV)
God doesn’t mind strong people—but He opposes proud people. (See James 4:6.)
👑 Pride in Today’s Camp
The Amorite spirit hasn’t gone extinct. It just got better branding. Today, it shows up as:
- 📣 Boastful speech: The need to be impressive, noticeable, or validated.
- 🙅♂️ Unteachable spirit: Resistance to correction or authority.
- 🪞 Comparison culture: Needing to be “better than” someone else to feel valuable.
- 🎭 Performance Christianity: Doing good things for recognition, not for God.
It often looks good on the outside. But like a termite-infested house, pride weakens us from within. It keeps us from asking for help, makes us resistant to repentance, and pushes God to the margins—while we take the center.
💥 How Pride Entangles
Pride starts with influence: “You’re doing great.” It tempts us with applause and the illusion of control. Soon we’re entangled in comparison, perfectionism, or subtle superiority. We may even use religious language to cover our ego:
- “I just want excellence.”
- “I’m not proud—I’m just confident.”
- “I’ll pray about it.” (But really, we’ve already decided.)
Before long, the ITES cycle is complete—and pride has taken the wheel.
📉 What Pride Costs
Pride isn’t just a character flaw. It’s a spiritual toxin. Here’s what it can cost:
- 🧱 Walls in relationships: Pride refuses to say, “I was wrong.”
- 🙉 Deafness to God: Pride assumes God should agree with us.
- 🕳️ Spiritual stagnation: Pride doesn’t grow—it digs in.
- 🙇 Loss of grace: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)
Pride is the only sin that God promises to personally oppose. That’s not a team you want to play against.
🛡️ How to Drive Out Amorite Pride
You can’t fake humility. But you can choose it. Here’s how to start driving out the Amorites:
- Ask for correction. Invite trusted believers to speak truth into your blind spots.
- Pray less about your success and more about your surrender.
- Celebrate others. Actively encourage and elevate people around you.
- Admit weaknesses without excuses. Pride deflects. Humility confesses.
- Spend time in worship. Not just singing—adoring God. It’s hard to stay proud when you’re in awe.
Also, look for hidden pride. It might be hiding behind your refusal to delegate, your need to control outcomes, or your subtle inner critic that constantly compares.
🎯 Final Thought
Amorites stand tall—but they fall hard. God is not threatened by our strength, but He is grieved by our arrogance. That’s why He said:
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12, ESV)
Pride makes promises it can’t keep. It says, “You’ll be safe if you’re in control.” But humility is where the power is. Jesus humbled Himself to death—and God highly exalted Him.
So if you’ve been strutting in your heart—or hiding pride in religious polish—it’s time to pull down the high place. Step off the pedestal. Confess the ego. Let God lift you up instead.
Because when pride bites, grace backs away. But when you kneel low, God draws near.
