There are evil angels at work all around us, but because we do not discern their presence with our natural vision we do not consider as we should the reality of their existence as set forth in the word of God. If there was nothing in the Scriptures hard to be understood, man, in searching its pages, would become lifted up in pride and self-sufficiency. It is never best for one to think that he understands every phase of truth, for he does not. Then let no man flatter himself that he has a correct understanding of all portions of Scripture and feel it his duty to make everybody else understand them just as he does. Let intellectual pride be banished. I lift my voice in warning against every species of spiritual pride. There is an abundance of it in the church today. {5T 533.4}

Overalt omkring os er onde engle i virksomhed, men fordi vi ikke ser deres tilstedeværelse med vort naturlige syn, betænker vi ikke i tilbørlig grad deres virkelige tilværelse, sådan som den fremholdes i Guds ord. Dersom Skrifterne ikke indeholder noget, der var vanskeligt at forstå, ville mennesket under granskningen deraf blive opblæst af hovmod og selvgodhed. Det er aldrig godt for nogen at mene, at han forstår enhver side af sandheden; for det gør han ikke. Lad derfor ingen smigre sig med, at han har en korrekt forståelse af alle dele af skriften og anse det som sin pligt at få alle andre til at forstå den netop sådan, (534) som han gør. Lad alt intellektuelt hovmod være bandlyst! Jeg hæver min stemme til advarsel mod åndeligt hovmod af enhver art. Der er en overflod deraf i menigheden i dag.