How to overcome pride Biblically (+ Symptoms of pride)

The word of God deals a lot with issues of overcoming arrogance; in order to warn us about their terrible consequences for our lives and our relationship with God.

Today, I would like to share with you a story that tells us about overcoming arrogance according to the Bible.

From it, we will share important reflections on the matter.


Bible verses about pride

The story that I would like to share with you is an episode from the life of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, which we find recorded in the book of Daniel.

On repeated occasions, God had wanted to help the king understand that his merits for his earthly successes did not belong entirely to him.

On the contrary, it was God who had granted him with privileges and opportunities.

This was in order to fulfill His eternal purposes in humanity.

However, Nebuchadnezzar was filled with arrogance and arrogance and insisted on boasting about the triumphs that God granted him, without submitting to Him, nor recognizing Him as the only true God.

In His mercy and love, God decides to give him a chance to be healed of his arrogant attitude.

To help him overcome his arrogance, the Lord sends him a dream, warning him of the danger he is in if he does not change his attitude.

Daniel interprets the dream for him and warns the king of his need to repent.

Let’s see what happens later with issues of overcoming arrogance

Twelve months later, while he was taking a walk on the terrace of the royal palace in Babylon, he exclaimed:

“Look at the great Babylon that I have built as the capital of the kingdom! I have built it with my great power, for my own honor!”

He had not finished speaking when a voice was heard from heaven saying:

“This is the decree regarding you, King Nebuchadnezzar.

Your royal authority has been taken from you.

You will be separated from the people and you will live among the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle, and seven years will pass until you recognize that the Most High is the Sovereign of all the kingdoms of the world, and that he gives them to whomever he wants».

And immediately what was announced to Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled.

They separated him from the people, and he ate grass like cattle.

His body was soaked with the dew from heaven, and even his hair and nails grew like feathers and eagle claws.

| Daniel 4:29-33


Based on the previous section of the story, I would like us to start by reviewing the consequences that arrogance brings to our lives, and then focus on answering the question of overcoming arrogance.


3 Symptoms of pride in the Bible

We leave God aside

When, due to our arrogance, we set our sights on ourselves, as if we were the center of our life, we intend to take away the place that belongs to God in it.

This produces in us the same attitude of Satan and Nebuchadnezzar; an ungrateful attitude that says, what has been achieved has been “with my great power and for my own honor.”

We do not recognize our achievements, talents, privileges, and blessings as a gift from God, but as something of our own.

We become our own God.

We disfigure the image of God in us

Today’s story shows us how Nebuchadnezzar’s inner self was so disfigured by arrogance that consequently his outer self was changed from human to animal.

We were made in the image of God, but arrogance and pride are so contrary to the character of God, that when we allow ourselves to be absorbed by them, we disfigure His image in us and reduce ourselves to irrational beings.

We bring trials into our lives

Even if we give in to arrogance, and turn our backs on God, the Lord in His love never gives up on us.

God is lovingly willing to break us down to bring us back to a rational and balanced attitude, even if it means putting us through trials that show us our need for Him.

The arrogance of that king was the reason why God needed to intervene in his life and teach him the important lesson of humility.

The lesson of acknowledging God’s sovereignty over our lives and praising Him for the blessings and privileges we receive from Him.

He had the opportunity to repent and ask God to change his attitude, but he chose to think that what God had warned him about was not going to happen.


How to get rid of pride Biblically

Today’s story ends seven years later, when Nebuchadnezzar looks up to heaven and recognizes the greatness and sovereignty of God over his life.

That is the key to how to overcome arrogance.

The antidote to arrogance is to try to live a life with your feet on the ground and your eyes in the sky.

There is nothing wrong with having dreams, believing that we can achieve them, and celebrating our achievements; but if we take God out of the equation, the result will always be a character deformed by self-sufficiency.

A condition of spiritual blindness that makes us think of ourselves as superior to everyone, and even greater than God.

To overcome arrogance according to the Bible, we need to break our spirit before God and ask Him to deal with us and heal us from that evil.

Perhaps there will come a time when God will lovingly put us through trials or circumstances that humble us.

Trials that restore the image that we have disfigured in us.

From those moments of helplessness, we will be able to see our own previously invisible limitations and our irrefutable need for God.

From there, we can have a new beginning, acknowledging the glory due to God for his blessings on our lives. You can also learn about various ways to be humble despite your achievements


What do you think? How do you think arrogance can be overcome according to the Bible? What is your experience? Share in the comments.

A hug, God bless you.

Signs of pride in a person

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