You Will Not Win A Boxing Match With God

This clip is part of the sermon “Shepherds for the Sheep" delivered by Kevin DeYoung at Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, NC on August 17, 2025.

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 

I don’t know what verses you have in your life that just always stick with you, this is one of those that sticks with me.  It’s so simple, I need to hear it. It has maybe been the most common thing I have prayed in 23 years of ministry before I go up and preach a sermon.  I’ll just say it quietly to myself, “God you oppose the proud, but you give grace to the humble.  So would you let me now be one of those who is in the way of your grace.”  Don’t you want to experience God’s grace? 

Calvin says we should imagine God having two hands. In one hand, a hammer to beat down the proud and the other is an outstretched arm ready to lift up the humble.  Don’t you want the Lord’s blessing?  If you are proud this morning, you can count on it, absolutely count on it.  You will be brought low, maybe soon, maybe later, maybe at the end of the age, but He will bring you low. 

Why would you want to be the sort of person that God has promised to oppose?  Aren’t some of you tired of being the Lord’s whack-a-mole?

He opposes the proud.  It’s a hammer to expose that, to break our pride, and He promises the way of blessing is humility.  If you are humble God will give you grace.  Do you want more grace this week, I do.  He will give it to you.  It is the way of the cross, it’s the way of Christ, the way to be lifted high is to bring yourself low.  If you would get on your knees and bow your head and live your life spiritually with open hands to heaven He promises to fill them.  But you can’t have a fist.  If you’re going through life with God with a fist, you’re never gonna win a boxing match with God.  Drop the fists, you’ve gotta open your hands, and He will give you grace.