Arrogance is a sin that is warned against throughout Scripture. Here is an overview of some key Bible passages that address the topic of arrogance:
Proverbs 8:13
“To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.” This verse explains that arrogance is something God hates.
Proverbs 16:18
“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” This popular verse warns that pride and arrogance lead to downfall and destruction.
Proverbs 29:23
“Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor.” Being humble and lowly is contrasted with pride that brings dishonor.
Proverbs 21:4
“Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin!” This verse declares arrogance and pride to be sinful.
Proverbs 11:2
“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Arrogance leads to disgrace while humility leads to wisdom.
Proverbs 16:5
“Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.” God detests arrogance and will punish it.
Isaiah 2:11
“The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled and human pride brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.” This verse declares that God will humble the arrogant.
Jeremiah 9:23
“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight, declares the Lord.” True boasting should be about knowing God, not ourselves.
1 Corinthians 1:31
“Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” Our boasting should be about God’s goodness, not our own.
James 4:6
“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” God actively opposes the arrogant.
1 Peter 5:5
“Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.'” A call to live in humility.
Philippians 2:3
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” We are instructed to value others above ourselves.
In summary, the Bible clearly and consistently identifies arrogance as a dangerous sin and virtue. We are called to cultivate humility rather than pride and self-promotion. Our boasting should be in God rather than ourselves. And we are to value others above ourselves. Arrogance leads to destruction, but humility brings wisdom and honor.
Examples of Arrogance in the Bible
In addition to direct verses about arrogance, the Bible contains many stories that illustrate prideful behavior and its consequences. Here are some key examples:
The Tower of Babel – Genesis 11:1-9
This story illustrates mankind’s arrogance trying to “make a name for ourselves” and build a tower to the heavens. God sees their prideful motives and confuses their languages to halt their plans.
Moses and Pharaoh – Exodus
Pharaoh’s arrogance leads him to repeatedly refuse to let the Israelites go. His pride brings devastating plagues on Egypt.
Saul’s Disobedience – 1 Samuel 15
King Saul arrogantly disobeys God’s command to destroy the Amalekites, keeping the spoils for himself. This costs him the kingdom.
Uzziah’s Pride – 2 Chronicles 26:16-21
King Uzziah starts out well but becomes proud and enters the temple to burn incense, which only priests could do. He is struck with leprosy as punishment.
Nebuchadnezzar’s Boasting – Daniel 4
The Babylonian king becomes arrogant saying “Is this not magnificent Babylon which I have built?” God humbles him by making him live like an animal for 7 years.
Self-Righteous Pharisee – Luke 18:9-14
Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee who boasted of his own righteousness versus the tax collector who begged for mercy. The humble tax collector was justified rather than the proud Pharisee.
How to Overcome Arrogance
The Bible not only identifies arrogance as wrong but also instructs us how to overcome it:
- Fear God rather than people (Proverbs 29:25).
- Receive correction and instruction with humility (Proverbs 15:31-33).
- Consider others more significant than ourselves (Philippians 2:3).
- Serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13).
- Clothe ourselves in humility toward one another (1 Peter 5:5).
- Confess prideful sins and ask God for grace to change (1 John 1:9).
- Fix our eyes on Jesus as our model of humility (Philippians 2:5-11).
Blessings of Humility
The Bible clearly shows that walking in humility brings great spiritual blessings:
- Wisdom (Proverbs 11:2)
- Honor (Proverbs 29:23)
- The favor of God (James 4:6)
- More grace (James 4:6)
- Exaltation (James 4:10)
- The kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3)
Rather than seeking to exalt ourselves and gratify our pride, God calls us to humble ourselves before Him and trust that He will exalt us in proper time (1 Peter 5:6).
Ways Arrogance Manifests
Arrogance can reveal itself in many forms, including:
- Pride in abilities, intellect, appearance
- Boasting
- Self-promotion
- Seeking glory from others
- Minimizing own flaws or failures
- Exaggerating accomplishments
- Braggadocio and bravado
- Inflated sense of self-importance
- Looking down on others
- Self-righteousness
- Unable to receive correction
- Unwillingness to serve
- Always needing to control
- Quick to take offense
We must be vigilant to identify and reject these manifestations of arrogance in our lives.
Contributing Factors
There are often heart issues and experiences that contribute to and feed arrogance. These could include:
- Insecurity
- Desire for approval or significance
- Trying to cover up weaknesses
- Pain from past neglect or mistreatment
- Surrounding culture of self-promotion
- Competitiveness
- Life experiences of success or power
- Rejection of God’s authority
As we grow in gospel humility, we can identify the root sins and wounds that drive our pride and arrogance.
Pride vs. Godly Confidence
We must have discernment to differentiate between sinful pride and proper, God-given confidence. Pride is rooted in self-glorification, while godly confidence comes from recognizing our competence comes from God’s gifts and empowerment. We walk humbly when we hold our abilities with an open hand, willing to use them for God’s purposes rather than our selfish gain.
Pride and Leadership
Those in leadership must especially guard their hearts, as positions of influence can easily inflame pride. But Scripture offers hope and examples of humble leadership: Moses (Numbers 12:3), Josiah (2 Kings 22:19), Jesus washing disciples’ feet (John 13:3-17). Godly leaders submit themselves under God’s authority and lead by serving.
Grace for the Humble
Though Scripture soundly condemns arrogance, God also offers hope and grace. When we confess pride, He forgives and cleanses us (1 John 1:9). He gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). We can come boldly and humbly before God’s throne of grace to find help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).
May we heed the Bible’s many warnings against arrogance. And may we walk in the humility, wisdom and blessing God desires for His people.