A practical illustration of this can be taken from an example of Jesus’ earthly life. As the Son of Man, it was His uncompromising example to make Himself of “no name” and “no reputation,” even “unto the point of death” (Philippians 2:8-9). And a perfect demonstration of this was that He never defended Himself with any of His many accusers (Matthew 27:12), even though the Word shows us that they accused Him “without merit or cause”. It’s a natural thing for man to want to defend oneself when accused, especially when we are falsely accused. But Jesus never did, even before Pontius Pilate. And as with everything Jesus did, there’s always a good reason why. For His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. “Then Pilate asked him, "Don't you hear the testimony they are bringing against you? But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge -- to the great amazement of the governor." (Matthew 27:13-14).

     Even before the hoardes of all those who rallied together accusingly in false witness and testimony to forcibly compel the Romans to kill Him, Jesus’ unflinching example was to never defend His name or His reputation. Despite there being no basis or foundation or evidence of His wrongdoing, Jesus persisted in honouring the stance of having no name and no reputation, even unto His death. For is it not “the pride of life” to need to defend our names and our reputations? Especially when falsely accused? And by doing so, does the pride of “defending our name and our reputation” then not accomplish exactly what Jesus refused to do? Which is to establish a name and a reputation? For why else defend it?

     When you can see your “desire to defend yourself” as being simply “the pride of life”, are you not set free from the need to defend yourself? And has the truth then not set you free (John 8:32)? Is it not then that you can truly appreciate and embrace the liberty of what it means when it says “So who the Son sets free is free indeed”? (John 8:36). Which will likewise also liberate us from ever needing to defend ourselves when we are persecuted for being a witness unto Jesus (Luke 6:22). When we witness unto Jesus, then unto all those who would persecute us, we need to remain true to the example of Jesus. Which is that love never needs to defend itself, that the truth never needs to defend itself. For in time, love and truth will speak for itself. For is He not “the way” and “the truth” and “the life”? As long as we witness unto “the truth” of Jesus IN LOVE, then we do it in “the way” that leads to “the life” (1 Peter 3:15-16). For did Jesus not show “the right way” to all those who wanted to stone the lady caught red-handed in adultery? And to the woman herself? And to the Samaritan woman at the well? And whilst He never compromised on the truth, did His way not produce life? For there is power in doing the right thing in the right way. For the way and the truth and the life is always love. So if we witness in the right way, which is in love, the truth will ultimately always set free, which is to produce life. For is it not written, “Rather, speaking the truth IN LOVE, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (Ephesians 4:15)?

     Jesus made Himself of no name and no reputation because His sole and exclusive interest was to promote the name and the reputation of His Father in heaven. By placing His Father’s name above His own is the example of placing the life of another above His own. In this case, His Father’s. Which is the fruit of laying one’s life down for another. Which the inviolable truth of the written Word declares to be the greatest demonstration of love (John 15:13). Which is the fruit of esteeming others greater than oneself (Philippians 2:3). Which is the great example of “fulfilling all the law” (Leviticus 19:18; Romans 13:8-10). For is it not written, “For the entire Law is fulfilled in in this one word: "You shall love your neighbour as yourself." (Galatians 5:14)? For is it not written, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” ‭‭(Philippians‬ ‭2:3‬)? Which is to not be ensnared by the sin of “the pride of life”?

     Jesus was tempted by Satan in the same three areas that all of men are tempted. Which are the three pits that “the Pharoah of the fallen nature” will strive to keep our souls enslaved and ensnared unto. Which are (1) the pride of life, (2) the lusts of the eyes, and (3) the lusts of the flesh. “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—(1) the lust of the flesh, (2) the lust of the eyes, and (3) the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.” (‭‭I John‬ ‭2:15-16‬). For is it not the great ploy of “the accuser of the brethren” to make liars out of all men? That when he accuses them, be it rightly or wrongly, their pride will rise to the forefront and they shall defend themselves? And in so doing, ensnare themselves unto the spirit of the evil one due to the temptation of the “pride of life”?

     Which, unlike Jesus, is not to set free, but rather to enslave. Which is to give the devil authority over our lives. For it was not God who gave the Fowler authority on earth, but man, when man rose to the temptation of the pride of life in the Garden of Eden. Which makes the devil’s authority on earth a “usurped authority”. For dominion over the earth was given by God unto man. Which is why Jesus had to become “a man” to reclaim that authority as the Son of Man. Which is why the devil had a particularly vested interest in successfully tempting Jesus in the same way that he had tempted Adam and Eve. So that through “the pride of life”, Jesus would fail in reclaiming authority back from the devil in order that it would not be fulfilled “that the head of the serpent will be crushed by the heel of man” (Romans 16:20). For when those who, in Christ, are set free from the three ways in which the enemy would enslave us, will we not be completely free indeed? For is three not the number of completion? And in being completely free from the devil, will we have not crushed the head of the serpent under our heel?