It is always the secure who are humble.

[T]he essence of Christianity was in a literal sense the New Testament — a covenant with God which opened to men a clear deliverance.  They thought themselves secure; . . . they believed themselves rich with an irrevocable benediction which set them above the stars; and immediately they discovered humility.  It was only another example of the . . . immutable paradox.  It is always the secure who are humble.

G.K. Chesterton, The Defendant, “In Defense of Humility,” para. 4. Also quoted in The Quotable Chesterton, p. 152.