How Can Christians Watch Out for the Sneaky Sin of Envy?

Envy is “a feeling of discontent and ill will because of another’s advantages, possessions, etc.” or “resentful dislike of another who has something that one desires,” according to Collins Dictionary.

The Bible warns us about the sin of envy. Cain envied Abel. Joseph’s brothers envied Joseph. Saul envied David. Asaph envied the proud.

Like these biblical characters, all Christians can be tempted to envy. Several Scripture passages give key traits of envy and troubles that come from envy. But the passages also advise us on how to watch out for envy.

Where Does the Bible Warn Us about the Sin of Envy?

The Bible warns us about the sin of envy in several passages.

The Old Testament has several stories of this. Cain was envious of Abel because of Abel’s superior sacrifice (Genesis 4), Joseph’s brothers were envious of Joseph because Jacob loved Joseph more than them (Genesis 37), Saul was envious of David because of his success and glory (1 Samuel 18), and Asaph was envious of the proud because of their prosperity and well-being (Psalm 73).

King David had experience with envious people. King Saul envied him and his own son Absalom envied him. Both came to evil ends. This may explain why, in Psalms 37:1, David cautions us not to fret when wicked men seem to succeed and not to envy evildoers.

King Solomon, David’s son and the wisest person ever, has much to say about envy. He sees it firsthand in 1 Kings 3 when two women argued over which of them was a baby’s mother. Solomon used his wisdom to find out who the true mother was.

Solomon also provides instructions about wisdom in various Proverbs. He says in Proverbs 3:31 to not envy a violent man or choose to imitate any of his ways. In Proverbs 14:30, he explains that a tranquil spirit revives the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones. In other words, envy is not healthy in any way—for our bodies or our souls.

He also writes in Proverbs 23:17 that we should not let our hearts envy sinners.

In Proverbs 24:1, Solomon once again warns against envying evil people. But he takes it further here by stating that we should not even desire to be with evil people.

Jesus says in Mark 7:21-23 that envy comes from within the human heart and makes people unacceptable to God.

Galatians 5:19-21 states,

“Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, depravity, idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, envying, murder, drunkenness, carousing, and similar things. I am warning you, as I had warned you before: Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God!”

Those who are characterized by their practice of envy will not inherit the kingdom of God.

In verse 26 of the same chapter, Paul suggests that Christians should not become conceited, provoke each other, or envy each other. Paul warns people not to be falsely proud because that is associated with envy.

James 3:14-16 states that envy does not come down from heaven. Rather, it is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic, which may mean spiritual warfare is involved or that envy is a stronghold we need to deal with. Whatever its source, James makes it clear what envy will do: envy is where disorder and every evil practice are.

In 1 Peter, Peter writes to Christians suffering from hardships and trials. Specifically, Peter warns in 1 Peter 2:1 to completely eliminate all envy—and that in doing so, we will grow spiritually.

What Are the Key Traits of the Sin of Envy?

Key traits of the sin of envy are comparison, criticizing, complaining, hatred, and ingratitude.

An envious person sees the world through the lens of competition. A person filled with envy constantly asks, “Why do they have it and I don’t?”

Another trait of envy is not being able to inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21). The kingdom of God is God’s reign, or where God’s rule is acknowledged. Only Christians can inherit God’s kingdom and go to heaven. As Christians, it’s our job to lead others to the kingdom of God.

Some more traits of the sin of envy from the Bible are lack of love (1 Corinthians 13:4) and selfish ambition (Philippians 1:15-17).

Even poor health is a trait of envy, as seen in Proverbs 14:30. While this may sound like an exaggeration, medical evidence supports the idea. In The Evidence of God in an Expanding Universe, Dr. Paul Adolph states, “Some of the most important causes of so-called nervous diseases which psychiatrists recognize are guilt, resentment (an unforgiving spirit), fear, anxiety, frustration, indecision, doubt, jealousy, selfishness, and boredom.” While we can usually say for sure that envy is causing a specific disease, it does affect our health in various ways.

All across the board, key traits that the sin of envy causes are troubles.

What Troubles Does the Bible Say the Sin of Envy Causes?

The Bible says that the sin of envy causes some troubles, such as poor health (Proverbs 14:30) and the inability to inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21).

Psalm 73 tells what happened to the author, Asaph, when he envied the wicked and proud. He writes about the troubles that came along with his envying in verses 13-16:

“I concluded, ‘Surely in vain I have kept my motives pure and maintained a pure lifestyle. I suffer all day long, and am punished every morning.’ If I had publicized these thoughts, I would have betrayed your loyal followers. When I tried to make sense of this, it was troubling to me.”

When Asaph envied the proud, he thought that his motives had been pure for nothing. He thought he had maintained a pure lifestyle for nothing. His envy turned him away from his godly lifestyle. Asaph had a “woe is me” mindset. If he publicized these negative thoughts, he would’ve turned his back on God’s people. Trying to understand his own envious thoughts and their consequences troubled him.

Envy turned Asaph against who he really was, making Him betray his true self. Since Asaph was a God-honoring man, envy ultimately turned Him away from God. Overall, his envy negatively affected him spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.

What Does the Bible Advise to Avoid the Sin of Envy?

The Bible advises many ways to avoid the sin of envy. Asaph tells of his envy in Psalms 73:13-16. But he also tells of his total shift starting in verse 17 and continuing for the rest of the chapter.

His shift away from envy, starting at the beginning of verse 17, starts with Asaph entering God’s temple. There, he could have received an oracle of deliverance announcing the demise of the wicked. Or perhaps he heard psalms and hymns of wisdom in the temple of God that explain the downfall of the rich and proud. Asaph completely abandoned envy because he decided to go to the temple of God.

So, we can also avoid the sin of envy by entering the church—our local community of faith. There, we can hear biblical truth from a pastor or wisdom from worship songs and hymns. We can

Asaph was cured of his envy by going to God’s temple. We, too, can avoid envy by going to church.

To avoid the sin of envy, we can also be zealous in showing honor and reverence for God all the time (Proverbs 23:17). Honor and reverence for God helps us avoid envy because it brings us into fellowship with God. In having close fellowship with God, he can help us overcome envy.

1 Corinthians 13:4 says that love is not envious. It is also patient and kind. God helps us to love. So, if we love, we massively decrease our chance of having envy.

Romans 12:15 describes one practical way for us to love other people: rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15). In doing so, we give up envy and choose empathy.

In Galatians 5, Paul states that envy is a work of the flesh. Starting in verse 22, Paul contrasts envy and the other works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. So, being filled with the fruit of the Spirit can help us avoid the sin of envy.

In Titus 3:3, Paul writes that a person’s life before becoming a Christian is spent on envy and other evils. But, like Galatians 5 and Asaph in Psalm 73, Paul gives a sharp transition starting in the next verse. This time, Paul writes about God giving salvation. So, we can avoid envy by remembering the salvation God gave us. If salvation is remembered, contentment should replace envy.

Another practical step we can take to avoid the sin of envy is to recognize our envy and hate it immediately. We can also compare ourselves to God, which can humble us and put our minds back in the right perspective. We can also replace complaining with thanksgiving, pray for rivals, serve, promote, empower, praise, and encourage others, and be grateful. With God’s help, we can do all these things to avoid envy.

Photo Credit:©Getty Images/CarlosDavid.org

Jared Salomon is a writer and editor, with a Bachelor of Science in Professional Writing from Taylor University. He is an associate product developer for Childress Ink. He writes Christian fiction, realistic fiction, and fantasy. In his free time, Jared enjoys hanging out with his friends and playing sports (especially tennis).