It’s an enemy that often goes undetected, quietly infiltrating thoughts and relationships. It subtly lurks beneath the surface, camouflaged in thoughts of discontentment, resentment, and comparison. Only through the lens of Scripture and exposure from the Holy Spirit is it possible to spot. If ignored, it aggressively spreads and causes countless casualties.
Envy is the dissatisfaction with what you have, and yearns for the praise, possessions, status, success, or qualities of another. Envy is the fruit of covetousness. It erodes your ability to appreciate your own blessings and fosters a unholy spirit of resentment toward others. Unconfessed envy never stays at the level of a fleeting thought. If unchecked, it influences your attitude, behavior, and relationships.
Jealousy or Envy?
To understand the sin of envy, we first need to clarify what it is and how it differs from jealousy. While the two terms are often used interchangeably, they are not the same. Jealousy in the Bible involves a righteous desire to protect a God-given stewardship such a relationship or a position. In fact, God reminded the children of Israel of His jealously over them by selecting “Jealous” as one of His names.
“For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:” (Exodus 34:14).
In the biblical sense, parents ought to be jealous over their children, and husbands should be jealous over their wives. Righteous jealousy is not self-centered, controlling, overpowering, or manipulative. It is holy because God is holy. To not be jealous over God-given relationships is passivity and sin. Envy, on the other hand, is entirely different. Every mention of envy in the Scriptures reveal its wickedness and warn of its deceptive pathway to destruction.
I—ENVY DESIRES
Envy enters the human heart through the door of desire. Desires are not all bad, but even innocent desires must be carefully guarded because they can subtly morph into a spirit of covetousness. Envy is the fruit of a covetous heart, and the Scriptures explicitly forbid a spirit of covetousness towards anyone or anything.
“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.” (Exodus 20:17)
The inconspicuous beginning of envy makes it all the more dangerous. The constant highlight reels on social media can fuel the cycle of comparison and give the sense that everyone else possesses what you lack. It might start with a harmless comparison when you see a friend’s happy marriage, their children thriving, a co-worker’s promotion, an athlete’s physique, a peer’s growing portfolio, or viewing a friend’s kitchen remodel. At first, it’s just an observation, but as you dwell on it, you succumb to feelings of discontentment. It’s good to be inspired by the godly choices and blessing of God in another’s life, but beware your heart does not subtly adopt a attitude of discontentment.
If not immediately recognized, discontentment starts to fester. Instead of celebrating a friend’s success or being inspired to make healthy changes in your own life, you begin to feel resentful. You begin thinking, “Why not me?” or “I deserve that more than they do.” These thoughts, while seemingly small, mark the beginning of envy.
II—ENVY DIVIDES
Once envy enters the mind, it slowly disintegrates the bond between people. It saps the life and love out of once-healthy relationships by causing internal decay.
“A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.” (Proverbs 14:30)
King Saul’s unchecked spirit of envy caused unimaginable division in his relationship with David. In 1 Samuel 18, Saul becomes envious of David after hearing the women praise David’s military victory over the Philistine champion, Goliath. Rather than celebrating David’s success as a shared victory for the kingdom, Saul feels threatened.
“And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.” (1 Samuel 18:8-9)
King Saul’s envy festers, distracting him from his kingly responsibilities and taking him on a life-long pursuit of destroying David. In his efforts to eliminate his perceived threat of David, he slaughters scores of innocent people, including an entire city of priests and their families (1 Samuel 22:18-19). The relationship between these two men, who could have been great allies, was destroyed because of the divisiveness of Saul’s envy.
This same pattern can be seen in friendships, families, workplaces, churches, and communities. Envy sees others not as partners or collaborators, but as competitors. It creates division where there should be unity. How many friendships have been ruined because one person could not rejoice over the other’s success? So many families have been torn apart because siblings are envious of each other and possess a spirit of competition. Envy always fuels division.
III—ENVY DISTRUSTS
Envy doesn’t just divide; it also warps our perception of reality. When envy is left unchecked, it breeds suspicion and distrust of people; even people totally unrelated to your situation. Everyone is suspect when envy exists, and the world is viewed through a lens of insecurity and paranoia. In Saul’s case, his envy of David led him to see David as a threat, even when David was nothing but loyal to him.
“Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?” (Proverbs 27:4)
Envy sows seeds of resentment and distrust between people. Envy starts internally in the individual heart, but it never stays there. If the internal sin of envy is ignored, it will always spread to other relationships.
This distortion of reality leads to gossip, manipulation, character sabotage, and bitterness. In Acts 13:45, the Jews were filled with envy when they saw the multitudes listening to Paul’s teaching. Their envy led them to contradict and blaspheme Paul’s message, not only because they disagreed with it, but because they felt Paul was stealing their following.
IV—ENVY DECEIVES
The covetous heart of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 reveal how their envy of others’ generosity and praise led them to deceive the apostles by pretending to give more than they actually did. They naïvely thought they were only lying to Peter, but they were really lying to God. Envy led not just to deception but to hypocrisy—an attempt to appear righteous while concealing their selfish motives. Deception never pays. For this couple, it cost them their very lives.
Envy often manifests itself as criticism or judgment towards the very people being envied. Finding reasons to tear them down, criticizing their character or diminishing their achievements through lies make people feel better about themselves and win more people over to their side. This deceptive and hypocritical behavior is ultimately an attempt to cover feelings of inadequacy and insecurity. The betrayal of Joseph’s brothers unearths the depravity of the human heart to deceive and excuse their envy.
“And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt.” (Acts 7:9)
Envy leads to self-deception. It convinces you that you deserve something you do not, or that someone else’s success is undeserved. Joseph’s favor with his father and his God-given dreams culminated with the betrayal of his own brothers and deception of their father, Jacob. Eventually, a spirit of envy will be exposed.
V—ENVY DESTROYS
If not addressed, envy ultimately leads to destruction—both of others and of the person who harbors it.
“A sound heart is life to the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones.” (Proverbs 14:30)
Envy can quickly creep into the heart after viewing the perceived successes of the rich and famous. From a distance, their lives appear to be filled with happiness and pleasure, but most often, their lives are empty, and their relationships are shallow and broken.
“Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.” (Proverbs 24:1)
In Genesis 4, Cain desired the approval and favor God bestowed on Abel for his sincere and obedient worship, and instead of seeking his own right relationship with God, Cain allowed his envy to fester resulting in the murder of his own brother.
Envy doesn’t just destroy relationships, it destroys the person harboring it. Like a corrosive to the soul, it eats away at your ability to experience joy, contentment, and peace. It leads to decisions based on feelings of resentment and bitterness, rather than love and a sound mind. Like Cain, envy leaves its victims angry at God, divided from others, isolated from the world, and on a path to self-destruction.
Envy is impossible to detect in your own life apart from the Holy Spirit. If you are serious about defeating envy, ask a trusted friend if they see any of these symptoms of envy in your life…
• Resentment: Do you find yourself feeling irritated or resentful when someone you know experiences success or happiness? Do you struggle to celebrate their achievements?
• Comparison: Are you constantly comparing yourself to others, whether of career success, financial status, relationships, or appearance?
• Discontentment: Do you frequently feel like what you have isn’t enough?
• Critical Spirit: Do you find yourself criticizing others, especially those who have what you desire?
• Entitlement: Do you believe you are entitled to the same (or better) outcomes as others? If you recognize any of these tendencies in yourself, envy is likely spreading in your heart. The good news is that envy need not continue to control you. No one is immune to envy, but through the power of Christ, the enemy of envy can be overcome. Envy is a powerful and destructive sin, not to be ignored or underestimated. The Apostle Paul urges Christians to stop living in their past sinful nature which includes envy.
“For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.” (Titus 3:3)
Overcoming Envy
The spread of envy creates confusion and chaos in the lives of those who harbor it, but the solution to envy is quite simple. Cultivate a close daily walk with the Lord Jesus. This goes much deeper than holding a church title, accumulating years of service, or gaining biblical knowledge. So, how can you cultivate a close walk with God that prevents the spread of envy? Through intimate time in prayer, Bible reading, meditation on Scripture, the spirit of envy will be driven from your heart.
Choose to overcome envy by acknowledging it. This requires humility and honesty with yourself and the Lord. When the Holy Spirit exposes it, don’t excuse it. Admit when you’ve succumbed to envy and immediately confess it to God.
Choose an attitude of gratitude. Envy thrives in a heart focused on what it lacks. By shifting your focus to what you have—your relationships, your abilities, your opportunities—God enables you to break the hold of envy.
Choose to sincerely celebrate others. Instead of viewing others’ success as a threat, make a conscious effort to celebrate God’s goodness in their life. Encourage them, congratulate their achievements, and remind yourself that their success does not diminish your worth. You’ll soon see them not as a competitor but a co-laborer.
Keep your focus on your own walk with God. Your path in life is unique; so avoid the spirit of comparison and competition which saps you of peace and joy. Run your race with patience, and keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. Rejoice in the Lord, and trust God’s plan for your life. By daily walking with God, you will fortify your heart from the destructive enemy of envy.