1 Peter 5: Be Humble

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Be self–controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. -1Peter 5:6-10 NIV

Like most, I find humility a difficult character trait to master.  I spend entirely too much time trying to justify my actions and proving my self-worth.  It's all in vain...there's that dreaded vanity encircling itself around my thoughts once more.  As much as I try to lift myself up it is a futile exercise.  Only God can lift us up.  Just as Peter says, the enemy is always trying to trip us up, and the easiest course is through our vanity.

It is most difficult to humble ourselves under adversity, especially adversity which is being inflicted on us through no fault of our own, but just because of who we are in Christ.  Our righteous indignation wants to fight back, but that is not the Christian response.  Our response should be to resist the enemies attempt to 'get our goat' and instead stand firm.  As Peter says, the God of all grace, will restore you.  It behooves us to show that grace and humility in all circumstances.  It's a powerful weapon against the attack of the enemy.