Narcissism is not a good trait to have as believers. It is the exact opposite of what God calls us to be—humble. God wants us to be humble in our lives, edifying Christ rather than ourselves. Unfortunately, there are many narcissistic characters in the Bible. While many believe the Bible is full of the “most holy” people, the Bible is full of human beings who struggle with various sins. There are no perfect human beings, and narcissism is no exception as one of the many sins individuals can fall into, Only God Himself is perfect.
Let's look at four of the top narcissistic characters in the Bible and discern if we share any of their traits:
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Olivier Le Moal
The top narcissistic character in the Bible is Satan. Satan is known by many names, such as the devil and the deceiver, but we also know that he is the exact embodiment of evil. Satan always tries to cause us to sin and tempts us to disobey God. His goal is to prevent as many people as he can from not knowing the gospel and accepting it. Satan wants all people to stay in their sin and send themselves to eternal misery by being separated from God in hell because they never accepted Christ. Many individuals underestimate Satan, but he is extremely tricky and can cause us to be tempted into narcissism.
Satan is the perfect example of a narcissistic character in the Bible. He doesn't care about anybody but himself. Never looking out for the good of others, we can know that he is self-absorbed and only cares about getting what he wants. It is important for us as believers not to be narcissistic because it is identical to the destructive character of Satan. When we turn to God and are willing to test our own souls for any self-absorbed behaviors, He can help us overcome narcissism.
Due to Satan's narcissism and sin, he is now eternally banished from heaven and will never get a second chance to be forgiven by Christ. He made his choice when he disobeyed God and fell from heaven like lightning. While many of us believe we are inherently better than Satan, we can still follow his same wicked path if we pursue our sinful nature. Satan is not known to have any positive qualities, which gives us a glimpse of just how terrible narcissism can become. Out of all the characters in the Bible, Satan is by far the most narcissistic.
A second narcissistic character in the Bible is Samson. While Samson does redeem his integrity by the end of his story in Scripture, we know his life story begins with obvious tendencies of narcissism. There were commands given upon Samson's hair and he didn't obey them. In fact, Samson was a Nazarite, which meant he couldn’t cut his hair, drink fermented drinks, or touch a dead body, yet he didn't listen to God in any of these aspects. In the same way, God didn't want the Israelites to be with foreign women because they could lead them into paganism, yet Samson disobeyed God in this manner as well (infamously being deceived by the pagan Delilah). Samson did all of this because he was prideful and narcissistic.
Instead of listening to and obeying God, he chose to follow whatever he wanted, whatever felt good and boosted his ego at the moment. As we know, this is a dangerous road to take as following our sinful nature can lead to a multitude of problems, pain, and hurt. Thankfully, Samson turned from his ways and repented to God. He trusted in God and although he died because of his sacrifice, we are taught an important lesson through his life. We need to humble ourselves under God's mighty hand rather than thinking we know better than God. The Bible tells us, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” (James 4:10). God truly knows best, and we do best when we follow and obey Him.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Gearstd
The third most narcissistic character from the Bible is Jezebel. When most of us hear the name “Jezebel',” we connect it to a scandalous, evil meaning. If someone calls someone else a “Jezebel,” we know it is nothing short of a brutal insult. Jezebel was very wicked and extremely narcissistic. She didn't care about other people—she only cared about herself. Upon reflecting on each of these narcissistic characters from the Bible, we notice similar trends in each of them. They only care about themself and have no regard for God. Jezebel ordered the slaughter of more than one hundred of God's prophets, yet Obadiah tried to save them as best he could (1 Kings 18:4). Because of her wickedness, hundreds of innocent, God-fearing prophets lost their lives.
Jezebel was also narcissistic because she had no respect for God. She believed in paganism, and even though she thought she would always have everything she could want, she faced her end as she died and dogs ate her remains (2 Kings 9:10). Jezebel was hated because of her narcissism and wickedness. Nobody was upset when she died, but rather, God's people rejoiced that she was no longer around to cause misfortune and misery to them. Narcissism causes damage to others and oneself. This is why it is crucial that we analyze our own thoughts and behaviors to ensure we are not engaging in narcissistic behaviors in our daily lives.
Besides, what legacy will we leave behind if we pursue a self-absorbed lifestyle? Will people rejoice that we died, or will they admire the way we pursued Christ above all else?
A fourth narcissistic character from the Bible is Goliath. Goliath was a prized Philistine soldier, proud and narcissistic. Goliath believed he was greater than any other person and most likely viewed himself as a god because of his strength. Most of us know about the story of David and Goliath, yet most of us overlook Goliath outside of David's defeat of him. Similar to the Philistine people as a whole, Goliath had no respect for God. He saw himself as strong, mighty, and powerful. Being self-righteous and strong in his own eyes, he wasn't expecting a little shepherd boy to defeat him in a match.
The story of David and Goliath shows how God humbles the proud and narcissistic person of Goliath and lifts up His humble servant David. God is known for shaming the strong things of the world with the weak. The Bible tells us, “But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble’” (James 4:6). With all of Goliath's prideful talking, most didn't believe David had a chance, yet God proved them wrong by strengthening His humble servant, David. By the end of the story, David is the victorious champion because of God.
In the same way, God will humble those who are proud and narcissistic. Self-centered pride will only lead us away from God. Pride always comes before the fall, and narcissism is rooted in pride. If we want to follow God and grow closer in our relationship with Him, we must abandon any form of narcissism in our lives. God will help us if we ask for His conviction and guidance and willingly apply His teaching from the Bible.
If you have found the trait of narcissism in your life—even just a hint—now is the time to rid yourself of this wicked practice. Ask the Lord to help you remove any narcissism in your life, and ask Him to humble you. God is gracious, and He will help you in all your struggles. Narcissism can be hard to admit, yet we must confess this sin for our own spiritual walk. As we can see from the Scriptures, narcissism only leads to sin. Instead of being narcissistic, we need to cultivate humbleness in our lives, honoring God above all else.
Photo Credit: ©Getty/pamela_d_mcadams