In Psalm 10:6 the Bible says of the wicked: “He says to himself, ‘I will not be moved; throughout all generations I will not be in adversity.’” Did we we not have the context of these words, they might be taken by some as models of “positive confession” and “healthy self-confidence”! But we DO have the context of the rest of Psalm 10. Verses 2 & 3 both make it clear that these are the words of the “wicked”!

It should be instructive to us that the Bible characterizes these kinds of expressions as the attitudes of the WICKED! It is NOT godly for such words to characterize the lives of God’s people. These type of expressions are proud, arrogant, presumptuous, and ungodly. Scripture says that we are to be much more humble regarding our lives, much more aware of our frailty. Moses in Psalm 90:10 said “soon (our life) is gone and we fly away.” James wrote, “you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live, and also do this or that.’ But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.” (James 4:15-16)

Audacious self-confidence and boasting may gain one media attention and the admiration of worldly people, but the Lord tells us here “it is not to be so among you.” These expressions — and the attitudes behind them — do not characterize God’s people. They are the words of the wicked.